Introducing a Rescue to Your Current Dogs
In April 2024, I hosted a seminar with the SPCA of the Triad on introducing a new dog to your current pack. I figured I would share the information from the workshop for those who couldn’t attend. Hopefully, this will help more people understand the importance of thinking through the adoption.
It’s important to remember that anything that the new dog experiences is completely new and will take time to trust. It’s helpful to remember the 3-3-3 rule. This diagram outlines expectations and behaviors to look for in your rescue over the next 3 days, weeks and months. Below, I’ve listed some things to remember before adopting the rescue.
Before the adoption, you want to make sure of a few things:
Make sure your current dogs are healthy and up to date on vaccinations. Make sure they are well socialized because the new dog may not be and could misunderstand what your dogs are saying.
Before you introduce the dogs, plan how the meeting will take place. It’s helpful to do the first introduction in a neutral environment, such as a neighbors fenced backyard.
Consider how many people would be helpful to have on hand in case something happens. If you are uncomfortable with understanding canine behavior, perhaps hiring a trainer to oversee the greeting would be better.
Consider what time of the year you are adopting. Are the holidays coming up? Will the rescue be comfortable around a lot of new people if you are hosting?
If you are adopting a puppy, are you okay with being outside for long periods of time either in the extreme heat or cold?
Is the type of dog you are bringing in the same age or breed as your current dog? If not, are they similar in energy and do their play styles match?
The Greeting:
Introduce the new dog to your current dogs, one at a time: ideally the calmest one if you have multiple. This is so you don’t overwhelm both the new dog and your current dogs.
Start with all of the dogs on leashes on opposite sides of an enclosed space.
*Note: I prefer to let the dogs drag leashes because they may interfere with a dog’s ability to greet normally.
Be careful if you see no interaction: avoidance does not mean acceptance. If you see social behavior, proceed with the approach until the dogs are about 10 feet apart.
Keep the greetings/play short. Separate the dogs after 5 or 10 minutes to prevent overstimulation.
After the greeting, go on a walk together in another neutral space to help with bonding.
Meet again in a couple days and do the greeting and walk again. The more times the dogs meet, the more likely they will accept each other around resources. (food, toys, bones, laying spaces, owners, etc)
Hopefully this gives you things to keep in mind when bringing in a new dog and how to go about introducing them. If you have any questions about your current dogs behavior or if you would like me to oversee a greeting, contact me for a consultation.