Introducing Your New Dog to Your Resident Dogs
We know how exciting and rewarding it is to adopt a dog. You might want to introduce him to all of your friends, neighbor’s dogs, and your own dog as soon as you get home. However, we ask that you wait and instead follow the two week acclimation period because you will have more success that way.
Your New Dog and Your Resident Dog
The best way to introduce two dogs for long-term success is to do it over time because some resident dogs may feel threatened by a strange dog in their home. If an introduction is forced or rushed, it’s possible that there could be friction. The majority of returned adoptions from multiple dog households that we get are due to adopters introducing their dogs before the two-week acclimation period is over and the dogs ‘do not get along.’ Indeed, most of them admit to not doing the acclimation at all.
Importance of the Two Week Acclimation Period
The two week acclimation period is important for all adopted dogs, but particularly essential when you are introducing a new dog and a resident dog. By giving the new dogs two weeks to be in the same house without meeting, it gives both of them the necessary time to get used to each other’s smells. Furthermore, the excitement of a new dog in the house slowly wears off, and fades into the background. It is when the excitement and newness wears off that you will formally introduce the dogs.
The Introduction Process
For the introduction, you will need one handler for each dog. Start by walking on opposite sides of the street far apart from each other with one dog in the lead. Continue walking this way for some time. If either dog gets overexcited, increase the distance between them. When the dogs seem calm, slowly close the gap between the dogs while remaining on opposite sides of the street.
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