Pets
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Adopting questions also sdding a second dog questions
We are thinking about adding to our pet family (if landlord approves it)! If we do I was wondering what advice you can give for adding another dog to our household? We currently have two cats and a Australian Cattle Dog, Tyson. Tyson does well with other dogs and had a doggie bff back in the midwest that he misses. However we have never had another dog visit our homes. Our cats pretty much could careless about the dogs. The dog we are looking to adopt (also an ACD) is in foster and the information states she loves dogs and cats. I am planning on email her foster for more info. ANy ideas what to ask? I know the dog is fixed, and potty trained as well.
Thanks in advance for any and all advice/help!!
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Re: Adopting questions also sdding a second dog questions
Also it states the dog is a bot frighten of new experiences but is learning new things are not scary.
Will Tyson be able to meet the potential new addition before you decide whether to adopt her? That was one of my requirements when we were looking for a second dog. I wanted to make sure there weren't any issues right off the bat between T (resident dog) and the new dog. Introduce the dogs on neutral territory, and take them for a walk together so they can get used to each other in a non-confrontational way.
In terms of the actual transition (if you decide to adopt another dog), we took both dogs for a walk around our neighborhood (to drain energy and introduce S to his new home). We also tethered S for the first 4-5 days so we could monitor the dogs' interactions and watch S for any destructive behavior or potty training issues (even if the dog is housebroken, it's not uncommon to have some accidents during the transition). We practice NILIF with T, and we started immediately with S. We made it clear what the rules were, and we did not allow any bullying behavior between the dogs (stealing toys, demanding attention, etc.). Overall, we had a very smooth transition, and T and S have lived together for almost 2 years with only a couple minor scuffles. GL!
ETA: We also enrolled S in a basic obedience class so we could bond with him and because he didn't know a single command when we adopted him. We had T in beginner agility at that time as well so they would have each have one-on-one time.
Caz pretty much nailed it.
When we adopted Squirt, we brought Reesey to meet him on completely neutral territory and just walked them on leashes near each other. Once that went ok, we walked them on leashes closer together. Once that went ok, we let them loose in the backyard.
We did NOT allow any toys at first. Reesey is not toy aggressive, but we weren't sure how she would react to another dog playing with 'her' toys. After a few days, I put down her toy box. To my surprise, she picked up a toy and dropped it in front of him. I nearly cried I was so happy.
We fed them in separate rooms at first. He was underweight and starving, so we weren't sure if he would try to eat her food once he was done scarfing down his. Once he realized he was going to always get a meal 2x a day, he slowed down. After a few months, We started opening the laundry room door (where we fed him) so he could walk out when he was done. We both were within an arm's reach of both dogs until we got comfortable that neither one were out to get each other's food. Now, it's usually Reesey who finishes first and she will sit and wait on the carpet for him to finish and when he's done, she'll go lick his bowl clean. (disclaimer- if EITHER of your dogs shows any sign of food aggression, just keep feeding them separately!)
It was WEEKS before we allowed them to be unsupervised together. Even then, it would only be for a quick trip, maybe go to the gym. He wasn't 100% housebroken, so he stayed in a cage. Initially, we had him in a cage upstairs, away from REesey. He broke out of 2 cages. Trainer told us to put cage on main floor so he could see Reesey, and then he was fine. He just needed to 'see' his big sister ;-)
Also, we took them to training classes together.
I think that's all I can think of. Good luck!
This is a great point as well. Neither of our pups has shown food aggression, but we want them to feel safe and non-threatened when they are eating. We fed in separate rooms at first, then transitioned to feeding in the same room but on opposite sides of the room. DH or I always stood in the middle of the room to supervise. Whoever finished first was instructed to go to the front door, where DH or I would give them a treat. Now, they are fed in the kitchen a short distance away from each other. We still supervise (they are not allowed near each other's food bowls), but I can leave them alone, eating in the kitchen, if I need to run to the bathroom or something. We've never had any food-related incidents.