We all know about how the need to help siblings adjust when you bring home a new baby brother and sister and it is the same when you bringing home a new dog. Overnight the pack hierarchy comes into play, often with chaos and fighting ensuing, though it doesn’t always have to be. Here are 3 tried-and-tested tips that you can follow if you want your existing pets to get along perfectly with a new member of the family.
Your Reaction Matters
When one of your dogs feel threatened at the presence of a newbie and a fight becomes imminent, the most important thing that you should do is to stay calm at all times - shouting is not the answer as it will simply dial up your pets’ aggressive behaviour. Instead, reprimand your four-legged friends by redirecting their focus through a gentle touch.
Timing is also key. Break the fight immediately as it happens. Waiting for a few minutes or worse, an hour or two will be ineffectual. Animals have a short attention span; they will most likely forget the fighting that happened early on.
Avoid the Home Turf When Introducing Pets
One of the vital things to remember in establishing your pets relationship with each other is to choose a neutral location for their first meeting. This will prevent the family dogs from attacking the new member because there is no need to defend a territory.
You can choose to have the dogs meet at the park, where none of them feel dominant over the other. When they begin sniffing each other, that’s a great sign. It means that they are greeting and getting friendly with each other. Do not forget to appreciate every friendly gesture your pets make during the first interaction.
If everything goes well at the first few minutes, you can try letting them play together. Should they react differently, let the atmosphere cool down by taking them on a walk instead. Always observe their behaviour towards one another and take note of these: teeth baring, growls, prolonged stares, or standing hair. If you notice any of these, do not force the process. Instead, plan additional pet bonding meetings.
Never Isolate the “Problematic” Pet from the Pack
Let’s say you failed at making your dogs stay friendly with each other at several attempts and you have lost all hopes in achieving peace. If you believe that separating the new canine from the rest will resolve the issue, think again.
By isolating the animal who cannot get along with others, you are actually creating another problem. Remember that the separation means the establishment of a new territory. Having a territory implies the need to defend a home, which will stir a reason for conflict amongst your pets.
What you should do is to make an effort at dog pack bonding. Put them each on a leash and take them for a walk—where each of them should be strolling side by side. Keeping them together, without any pet getting ahead of them will help remove that competitiveness. In fact, by walking side by side, they will focus on what’s ahead of them, not on who is beside them.
It takes patience and sensitivity to help a new dog blend in with a family pack. So before you bring home a cute pup, make sure you are geared with the right attitude and sufficient knowledge so as to foster a great relationship amongst your pets.
Do you have other tips in helping pets get along? Share it through the comment section below.