You may not be able to teach your old dog new tricks, but teaching them to welcome a new puppy into your household might be possible.
Older dogs can be stubborn. They have a set routine in their territory. A new puppy can have seemingly boundless energy. This may disrupt your older dogs' normal routines. That can cause mental and even physical harm to your senior dog.
Initial Steps Before Introductions
For your dogs’ health and safety, there are some precautions to be mindful of.
Gauge your older dog’s temperament. If your senior dog is territorial, they may have a harder time sharing. If they’re a big dog who throws their weight around, that could prove harmful to your puppy. If the older dog is a small breed, the puppy might harm them while they learn to play. Research your breeds to determine if blending them together is a good fit.
Medical History. Before introducing your dogs, have both of them examined by your vet. Make sure that they’re both up-to-date with any necessary vaccines. Be certain that they don’t have any parasites like fleas or ticks, or any other possibly contagious conditions.
Introducing Your Dogs
After researching your dogs’ breeds and ensuring their medical history is up-to-date, it’s time for them to meet. The process is slow. It requires patience and attention.
Find a neutral territory. Before bringing your puppy home, take them and your senior dog to a neutral location. Somewhere outside like a garden or on a walk is best. Avoid high-traffic areas or areas with other dogs.
Use a leash. Keep both dogs on a leash with someone calm at the other end. Keeping the leash relaxed and loose will help relieve their anxiety. Take the dogs for a walk at a distance. Let each of them get used to the other’s scent and presence.
Follow your dog’s lead. Some dogs may warm up to one another faster than others. That’s okay. Being patient and waiting for your dogs to make the first moves will promote a safer, more relaxed space for them to become acclimated.
Watch body language. Your dog will show how they’re feeling with their whole body. Keep an eye out for posturing, fur standing on end, growling, or aggressive staring. If you notice this type of behavior, calmly direct their attention elsewhere.
Drop the leashes. If they are comfortable with each other, you can shorten the distance between the two dogs. Alternatively, you can take them to a neutral and fenced outdoor area to give them the space to socialize. Watch their body language for signs of aggression, but interfere as little as possible.
Take them home. Let the dogs interact in your yard. Since it’s no longer a neutral environment, moving slowly is important. Following the previous guidelines, make sure that they are still comfortable with each other. If they get anxious or aggressive, calmly separate them and try again later.
Take them inside. Once they are comfortable outside, it’s time to take them into your home. Ensure that you have some way to separate them, including specific rooms or baby gates. Your young puppy might start to get on your older dog’s nerves. Having a way to give them a break will help relieve stress.
Keep them apart. When you can’t be around to closely monitor their interactions, keep your dogs separated. Keeping your puppy in a crate will help prevent accidents with your senior dog. It will also reduce the puppy’s chewing and help with house soiling.
Set boundaries. Like any healthy relationship, establishing boundaries with your dogs will help them avoid territorial behavior. Each dog should have its own toys and belongings. To relieve your senior dog’s anxiety, you may need to focus on them a little more. Rather than totally disrupting their routines, greet them first, feed them first, and leash them first when going out.
Feeding can be another tough spot when introducing a new dog into your home. They may decide to eat each other’s food or get territorial around mealtimes. Keep food dishes separated so that they can eat on their own.
Making Introductions Easier
Start during the socialization period. The age of your puppy will make them more susceptible to adapting to your senior dog. Your senior dog’s established routines will be difficult to change, but a puppy between 2 and 4 months of age accepts new people, places, and animals more easily.
Provide verbal feedback. As in other training scenarios, verbal feedback when your dogs are meeting will help direct their behavior. Positive feedback when they’re acting appropriately will encourage that behavior. Negative feedback when they’re behaving badly, even something as small as “Cut it out” in the right tone, will help to curb bad behaviors. Otherwise, your interference in their introduction should be minimal.
Contact a professional. Between helpful books, local trainers, and kennels, there are many resources to help guide your training. If you don’t know much about training dogs or their body language, consider speaking to a professional trainer or your veterinarian.
