How to Introduce Your Existing Dog to a Puppy

Host: What is the best approach for introducing my existing dog to my newly adopted dog?
Kevin Simpson: The best approach for introducing your newly adopted dog to your current dog really depends on both dogs, depends on the dog, your current dog and what his social graces and personality is like and also you know, what the newly adopted dog is like. Your general answer, your textbook answer will be to have a dogs meet on neutral territory and take them for a very long walk together. Dogs are pack creatures and pack animals assimilate with one another best when they move together so having them going a long walk together. And a long walk for me would be like a two hour walk or more.
And then walking them straight into your home together and keeping them on a leash that initial period even inside your home having a leash on inside. Now that said really every dog is different and I've introduced many dogs in my home where I know that I can trust my dogs that they're social animals and I bring in the new dog and say “There you go” and you're going to be fine. In many situations that really is the case, they can be fine but if you want to play it safe, if you're not certain about the response your dog is going to have to the new dog or if you're little bit uncertain about the new dogs which you are adopting and have a limited information on them. Then definitely stick with the safe approach and that is meeting in neutral territory and walking together.


Transcription by: Scribe4you Transcription Services