Why do some cats and dogs fight like—well—cats and dogs, while other unlikely animal pairs become best friends? Whether you’re introducing your dog to another dog or a pet of a different species, Alamo Dog Training can make sure your pets coexist in harmony.
General Rules of Introduction
For all species, it’s important you don’t throw the animals in a room together and expect them to get along magically. Creating a functioning relationship between your pets is sometimes a long process. Keep small animals in their cages, and keep cats in a separate room. This allows each pet to get used to the other’s scent. Preventative Pet mentions that when you do put them in a room together, it’s important that you are fully attentive in case you need to intervene in a hurry.
If you have a houseful, introduce each pet separately. Getting them together all at once can be overwhelming for your new pup.
Introducing A New Dog to the Pack
We can help any pet adjust to the presence of a dog and vice versa, but we’ll take some time to talk specifically about introducing a new dog to an existing dog. Convincing your dog to leave the cat or bird alone can be rolled into basic obedience training. Beyond the fact dogs like to chase smaller animals, they don’t have preconditioned ideas about how they should interact with small creatures of other species.
There are, however, very specific ways in which you can expect two (or more) dogs to interact with one another. Here are a few tips for what to expect:
- It’s normal for dogs to develop a hierarchy.
Don’t worry about making everything perfectly equal between dogs. Believe it or not, some dogs are happy in a submissive role. Dogs don’t think about fairness the same way we do. They just want to keep the peace. It doesn’t mean one dog should be allowed to act aggressively towards another, but if one dog takes a toy away, intervening to return it may cause more harm than good to the relationship.
- You must be careful not to play favorites.
Although dogs don’t have to treat one another equally, you do. Make sure they each have their own bed, are fed simultaneously, get the same amount of attention, etc. Behavior that could be perceived as playing favorites (especially if you have an older dog and introduce a new, playful puppy) could create competition.
- Err on the side of caution.
As PetMD mentions, if the relationship is still new, there is a significant size difference, or you’re still noticing tensions between your pups, it’s best to separate them when you can’t be in the same room. You can achieve this with crates or by simply keeping their beds in different rooms.
Contact Alamo Dog Training today for help introducing your new dog to an existing pet. We’re experts in dog behavior and can help you recognize the signs of a healthy pet relationship vs. one that may be on the rocks.
Give us a call at 210.890.3470.