Adding a new dog to the house

[kindrick]

Do any of you have tips for adding a new dog to the house? Our situation is that we have a 6.5 year old female (Domer) that has been our only dog and gets quite a bit of attention - goes for walks, rides, is with me most of the time I'm not working. I'm considering adding another female, 8 years old to the mix.

Both dogs are docile and can take or leave other dogs - no agression, but not crazy about them either. Our current dog, Domer, is an alpha type, the new dog is described as subordinate and is smaller than than Domer (20 lbs compared to 40 lbs).

Domer is a shelter puppy mix - probably some beagle, but could be lots of things. The new dog is a small beagle.

Any suggestions and success stories would be welcome.

[binka_nugget]

One thing that can't change (if you go ahead with getting another dog) is Domer's routine. Try to add as little stress as possible. Give her (alone) attention time, maybe walk them seperately at first, etc.

The thing with females though, is that they're called bitches for a reason. I've heard that females are the real fighters while males mostly huff and puff (so to speak). My males had a fair number of fights when they were introduced but none were ever really intense. They were all little fights and a lot of growling and standing tall. If you can get them clear on pecking order, it should go smoothly.

[lv4dogs]

I agree with Binka, and yes, females are generally more of a fighter than males, for some reason it is especially so when both are spayed.

Most shelters & the such will allow & reccomend the dogs meet first, try to do this on neutral ground (park, someone else's house etc..) although even if they get along there does not guarantee that they will get along once at your house. Although my rottie is mostly the opposite, she is awful friendly to any other animal in house, but once outside she is weary. Maybe make an agreement that allows you to return the dog after so many weeks or months should something occur & they will not get along.

Because of your dogs age & the fact she has always been an only dog it would be best that you not interrupt her schedule at all. Make sure she gets all the attention, food, walks, etc... first. It may also be easier on her if you get a dog that has the same energy level & approx. age range.

The fact that your dog is alpha & the other is smaller & more submissive is about a 50/50 prediction. These facts may help them get along better. Or it may cause trouble. Your alpha may sense that & become more aggressive cause she knows the other dog is submissive, she may try to push bottons. But the fact that the other dog is smaller she may be apt to become more injured.

I personally think it would be best for you to think about adding a male dog about the same age &/or especially energy level. Of course if you have arrangements for the female dog if they do not get along I would give it a shot at least.

Maybe speek with a reputable trainer, your vet, a behavorist etc.. on some pointers & maybe classes you can enroll in. Good luck!

[kindrick]

Thanks for the advice. I talked to the trainer that we used for Domer's basic and advanced obedience. He felt that she would be fine with a friend who just wanted to be friends and not challenge her.

We also took her to meet the other dog and they basically sniffed, then went about their business and didn't pay much attention to each other. Domer was more interested in sniffing the new surroundings, the other one was more interested in being petted. Domer didn't seem to be jealous at all - but this wasn't her house.

I've had dogs in our house before and Domer hasn't been aggressive towards them.

I'm planning to do a trial beginning 7/3 since I'm off that following week. That way I can supervise them and make sure nothing happens.

The theory behind this dog is that she was in a puppy mill and was abandoned at the shelter when she was no longer a good producer. She's had multiple litters and was underweight and malhourished when left at the shelter. She's a 13 inch beagle and weighed about 10-12 lbs then. She's now about 15-17 lbs. and seems very lively and happy. I wasn't in the market for a dog, I just want to make sure this one gets a good home and Domer can have a friend in the bargain (if it works out).

[lv4dogs]

It seems as if you have a good chance at a match made in heaven. I wish you the best of luck with your new addition & hope things work out well.

[mooredogs]

Originally posted by kindrick
Do any of you have tips for adding a new dog to the house? Our situation is that we have a 6.5 year old female (Domer) that has been our only dog and gets quite a bit of attention - goes for walks, rides, is with me most of the time I'm not working. I'm considering adding another female, 8 years old to the mix.

Both dogs are docile and can take or leave other dogs - no agression, but not crazy about them either. Our current dog, Domer, is an alpha type, the new dog is described as subordinate and is smaller than than Domer (20 lbs compared to 40 lbs).

Domer is a shelter puppy mix - probably some beagle, but could be lots of things. The new dog is a small beagle.

Any suggestions and success stories would be welcome.

yes i do . dont really mess with the dog while it is exploring the house!

[mooredogs]

do you think a dog likes the taste of doggie toothpaste?

[Scooby4]

I now have 4 dogs! The latest is a female Border Collie. The other 3 are all nuetered MALES. They range in sizes from a chihauha/datsun mix, Jack Russell/Beagle (Alpha dog), and an Eskimo Spitz!
Scooby the Beagle mix is the Alpha dog despite his stroke and slight handicap. He is the heaviest among all the dogs! I wasn't home enough so I got Scooby a friend (Shaggy the Datsun mix). They fought the first day even though Shaggy was VERY subordinate. I let them fight it out but watched closely. I needed to make sure that Scooby stays Alpha dog. You need to keep one dog Alpha regardless of how many additions you add. Dogs live in packs and sort themselves naturally.
I am actually the Alpha dog in the house but when I am not there Scooby takes over. It was several years before I added the Eskimo Spitz. He hasn't been aggressive at all toward the other dogs. He pretty much stays to himself. Occassionally, he will play or sniff at Scooby or Shaggy but mostly sleeps. He is mostly deaf and going blind but hanging in there.
I was worried about adding the larger Fixed Female to the mix. She is very playful and full of energy. She did bite at Scooby once. The first week they scowled at each other. Benji pretty much ignores Scooby's threats. They now are starting to play with eachother. They like to bark at each other and then run to me! I am "Safe".
Just let the dogs sort themselves out. If more than a week goes by and they still fight then you have a problem. Good luck. It will be healthy!!!

[stacwase]

We just added two foster chihuahuas to our family. I was so worried about introducing them to my dogs that I practically gave myself an ulcer.

I thought Max might think they were little squeeky toys and give them a good shake!

We did everything by the book - introduced them to eachother on neutral turf and then brought them home and tried not to show the new guys any more attention than our dogs. We didn't change Max's and Jake's routines.

While we were on neutral turf, Max and Jake couldn't have cared less about the new guys. When we got home they became much more curious.

It's been a couple of weeks, and we're still keeping the chis on leashes for housebreaking reasons. It would probably be best to do that anyway, because I'm afraid of a dog fight.

One thing I learned is that you just can't predict what is going to happen! Max is scared to death of the little chis, and they seem to want to attack him at every possible opportunity. I thought Jake would want to play with them, but he ignores them for the most part.

Oh - I also learned not to feed them in the same room, at least at first. There seems to be a little more aggressive food guarding going on now. I think Jake would bite them if they came too close to his dish, and I'm positive the chis would bite either of the big ones who tried to sneak a bite of their food.

My vet strongly advised against ANY unsupervised chew toys until everybody was 100% settled in. They seem to provoke fighting at first.

[stacwase]

Another thing - when we brought Max home, Jake surprised us by working very hard to be Alpha. We were shocked, because he never seemed very dominant. Jake was constantly humping Max. Max put up with it for many days before he finally just snapped and bit Jake. That was a big vet bill, and we were grateful not to have lost Jake. His whole head fit in Max's mouth, and I'm sure Max could have done much more damage than he did.

So - be careful with the introductions and don't assume your sweet, gentle girls will stay that way while they're establishing their pecking order.

[chrissycat21]

Have them meet on nuteral ground, like at a park or something. That way they won't protect their own territory and start a fight.

-Chrissy

[dogs_4_me]

Get them to meet some where else besides your house, so they arent territorial for the first time. Give Domer her space, and give her ask much attention as before, for the first couple weeks go on seperate walks with thr dogs. Dont be afraid if a small fight starts up becuase they will need to decide who is the Alpha. Enjoy your new pups!!!