I actually acknowledged the top animal 1st. When I got my 1st dog we had cats way before a dog so I made sure the cats knew they still came 1st and the dog was not here to take over. Now they looove each other. When I got my 2nd dog I made sure that my 1st got acknowledged on pets, treats, in and out of the house and so on. Even though I know he wouldn't have cared I just found it more respectful to him since he is 2nd in command(me being 1st rank officer). Kind of like a ranking in military and such. Then nobody gets jelous because they have their place and there is no need to fight for position.