INTRODUCING ANOTHER PET TO A CANINE HOUSEHOLD:

There are a number of factors to consider, as well as some best practices, when introducing your dog to a new pet, or conversely, introducing an existing pet to a newly acquired dog. Poor introductions can often lead to conflict, stress, and an unhappy home, not only for you but also for the animals under your care. At worst, it can even mean having to reconsider whether to keep the new addition to your family. While there are no failsafe methods to ensure a happy outcome, with a little bit of planning and by taking a few precautions you will have a better chance of peaceful cohabitation.

Regardless of whether the dog in question is an existing member of the family or the newcomer, you need to consider not only its breed but also its personality and behaviour. Generally, hunting and herding breeds will be more difficult to integrate into a home with small pets, as their instinctual drives are to stalk, chase, and herd. Such behaviour may be ameliorated by introducing the dog while it is still a puppy and if the other animal is naturally confident, but this may prove difficult, if not impossible, for older dogs of these breeds, especially those that have had their instincts honed, such as ex-racing or ex-hunting dogs.

If you are introducing a puppy – be it to another dog or pet species – you need also to consider the timing thereof in relation to the puppy’s stage of development. Between eight and eleven weeks of age is when a puppy’s fear imprint stage peaks, and this just happens to coincide around the time when most puppies are homed. It is important, therefore, that whatever introductions or interactions are done at this stage go well, for any extreme negative events can stay with the puppy for life, making positive integration with your other pets that much more difficult.

Quick Links to Page Contents:

• Best Practices
• Bringing Home Another Dog
• Dogs & Cats
• Dogs & Other Species
• Co-Habitation vs Separation

BEST PRACTICES:

If you are introducing a new pet to a dog household, then your dog should be fully trained in a number of commands before any introductions are made, namely to:
• Sit (on cue)
• Stay (for at least 30 seconds, up to a minute)
• Settle (the same as ‘Down’, but assuming a relaxed posture)
• Leave (not only to ‘desist’ but also to ‘move away from’)
• Instant Down (from both a visual cue as well as a verbal cue from a distance)

These commands are helpful when introducing a puppy or cat, but are vital when introducing a smaller prey species, such as a rabbit or guinea pig.

Nearly all animals are far more scent-oriented than us humans. In fact, their awareness of another is often first determined through their nose, when the other animal is still at a great distance. Allowing the respective animals to smell each other’s scent prior to meeting can often help when it finally comes to the more immediate introduction, and is a great way for you, the owner, to judge how best to handle that meeting based upon their respective reactions to each other’s scent.

The best way to achieve this is by stroking each animal with separate pieces of cloth – there are scent glands for most animals around their head, ears and under their chin – and then rubbing the scent of the newcomer in an area of your home (not near to your existing pet’s bedding or food area) while introducing the scent of your existing pet to the newcomer. If getting a rubbing proves too difficult, use some of each animal’s bedding as a means to switch their respective scents, but please don’t simply switch beds. The scent should always be placed somewhere that each animal does not feel encroaches upon their immediate territory.

Having allowed for each animal to become familiar with the other’s scent, it is now time for the visual introduction. Ideally this should be where there is some form of barrier so that the smaller, more vulnerable of the two is able to retreat to a place of security. The larger, stronger animal – most likely the dog, in this case – should be controlled while the other should be free to come and go as it pleases. You will find things go a lot more smoothly if you’ve exercised the dog prior to the meeting. While he or she may still be curious, the less energy thrown into the mix, the better.

The amount of love and attention you will need to show to your pets will now be doubled, as you will need to give love not only to the newcomer but also as much as you have done before, if not more, to your previous pet so as to ward off any sense of rejection or jealousy.

Most animals tend to be territorial, especially with regard to their food, water, bedding, and toys, so watch out for any signs of possessiveness or potential confrontation. You may want to consider microchip food bowls – especially for mixed-species homes – so that each pet does not gain access to the other’s food. Be especially vigilant where certain foodstuffs for one species could be toxic to the other. In these instances, it may in fact be best to have completely separate eating areas.

BRINGING HOME ANOTHER DOG:

When considering getting a second dog, it is advisable to at first gauge your dog’s sociability and reactions to other dogs in your home. How your dog reacts to others in the park may be very different to being presented with another in his or her territory. Have friends or family come visit with their dog and note your dog’s reaction. Is he warm and friendly? Is he confident or submissive? How possessive is he around his toys, his bed, and his water bowl, and even you? Being territorial, assertive, or fearful need not rule out getting another dog, but it will give you an indication on what areas you should probably work before the big introduction, and what potential issues may arise. Perhaps consider working on some of these issues with your friend’s dog being present before moving forward with bringing home another furry companion.

What would certainly help reduce the chance of friction would be to select a second dog that exhibits a different attitude or interest from your current one. So if your current dog is hyperactive, then finding a pooch with a calmer disposition might be in order. Similarly, if you already have a tennis ball-mad mutt, then selecting a dog who couldn’t care less about a fuzzy green blob whizzing past his peripheral vision could be the solution. By selecting for difference, you are reducing both the risk of competing personalities as well as competition for resources.

Now that you have chosen your new furry addition, its time to bring him home. While you could adopt the scent-introduction method mentioned above prior to the visual introduction, another means by which to achieve a positive meeting is to have it take place in neutral territory, such as a park. Have a friend or family member take your dog to the park and meet you there with the newcomer. Have them sniff each other and then immediately proceed on a walk together. At the end of the long walk, once both dogs have been fully exercised, return to your home with both dogs and monitor their interactions.

Be sure to have cleared away all your dog’s favourite toys prior to going to the park, so as to mitigate any chance of a squabble breaking out from the off. Also have a separate bed ready for the new dog. Both dogs should be fed at the same time, but be sure to place their bowls down a distance apart and ensure that you pick up both bowls and return them to the cupboard after feeding. While some dogs don’t mind others sniffing at their bowl when it’s empty, it’s good practice to remove bowls after each feeding so that both dogs understand it is you that controls their feeding and will prevent any bowl guarding.

There may be some posturing and a few tellings-off between the dogs as they work out their pecking order within the pack, but be careful not to scold either dog during this process. Rather assume a neutral authority, breaking up any minor squabbles with a clap of the hands or other distraction technique. You can help promote a sense of pack identity by training both dogs together. In fact, if you have already trained your first dog, having him or her be part of your newcomers’ training will give your new dog the opportunity to learn from example, mirroring your first dog’s actions during instruction and helping to further pack cohesion.

DOGS & CATS:

While it tends to be easier to introduce a new dog to a cat household than the other way around, it is certainly not impossible. A cat that is confident and laid back, or has had prior experience with dogs, is a much better candidate for either scenario, rather than one that is either aggressive or timid. Young, malleable puppies and older, calmer dogs tend to fare better toward positive integration with cats than unruly adolescents or untrained adult dogs.

We would recommend by beginning with the scent-introduction method, as outlined above. This can easily be achieved having already brought the newcomer home, as it is best that for the first few days that the animals be kept apart. In cat households, you will want for your cat to retain the space that has access to the cat flap, while in dog households you may wish to keep your new cat in a separate room with bedding, food and water bowls, and a litter tray. Exchange of scents can be done across these separate areas.

In preparation for the visual introduction, train your dog in the commands as listed above. One helpful tip, if you allow your dog onto the sofa, is to train him to stay there. When introducing the cat, let it explore the room, notice the dog, and decide whether to approach or retreat of its own accord, while you split your time between both animals, transmitting their respective scents as you stroke each one in turn.

It might help for you to distract your cat with some interactive play. The less your cat focuses his attention on the dog and breaks eye contact, discovering that there are no negative consequences for doing so, the sooner both animals will learn to relax in each other’s company. For the dog, it would also be good to learn that not all cat play behaviour is necessarily a solicitation for him to join in, as indications of play often is on the canine social scene.

Do not rush this process. If at any point either animal becomes anxious, or if the dog becomes too exuberant, then separate and begin again later.

Once successful introductions have been made, continue to ensure that the cat has sole access to the room with the cat flap. If both animals begin to share the garden, then it might be worth considering having a second cat flap installed higher up, such as in a kitchen window, so as to give the cat a vantage point through which to view the garden before exiting. Multiple access points also means the cat flap becomes less of a target for potential ambushes from an ever eager pooch looking to play with his strangely aloof new friend.

Be sure to keep separate your cat and dog’s sleeping areas, food and water bowls, and toys. Your cat’s litter tray should also be kept well out of paw-reach of your dog, lest its contents be taken as a dog-friendly buffet served on a blanket of pellets or granules.

DOGS & OTHER SPECIES:

As with cats, we would recommend first introductions being undertaken through the scent-introduction method as outlined above. However, it is most important that the dog’s scent not be rubbed anywhere in or around that animal’s cage or hutch. If you decide to give your rabbit or ferret, for instance, opportunities to roam within your house (which we would certainly recommend), then let them explore your dog’s scent well away from their nest.

Even the most well-trained dog should be securely leashed for the initial visual introduction, and knowing the five commands as laid out previously – sit, stay, settle, leave, and instant down – is absolutely essential.
Prey species, such as rabbits and rodents, are especially susceptible to stress, so their housing should always be kept in a room or area separate from the dog. Having a potential predator hovering around their home is in no way conducive to any little fuzzball’s mental wellbeing!

Nor should you ever leave your dog unsupervised with another of your smaller pets, no matter how well they seem to get along. Accidents can happen, whether it is your larger, heavier dog causing injury by treading on his furry little friend or a playful nip from his ferret playmate precipitating a sparring match that then tips over into aggression.

Whatever you do, never introduce a dog that has been trained for the hunt or for racing to a small animal. Even hunting or herding breeds that were never raised or trained to hunt may still harbour instinctual predatory drives. In these instances, it would be better to be safe than sorry. You may need to seriously reconsider acquiring that small pet in the first place, or prepare your home for a case of perpetual separation.

CO-HABITATION VS SEPARATION:

We all would hope and wish for our family members to get along, but often in spite of our best efforts this proves to be impossible. There are varying degrees of separation: from complete co-habitation (most often achievable only between same-species), partial co-habitation (in which interactions are always monitored or where there is a shared space alongside secure areas for both parties), to complete separation.

At the end of the day, whatever choices are made should be for the welfare of the animals. One should think not only on your pet’s physical safety but also on their emotional security. Long-term stress can be just as detrimental to an animal’s health as a short-term wound. Knowing what signs to look for in a stressed animal is part and parcel of your responsibility as their owner.

Sometimes it may mean making small changes to your pet’s living conditions – giving your cat a few additional safe perches within the home or moving your hamster cage upstairs and away from the sound of your barking dog. But sometimes it may also require more radical changes, such as installing baby gates across certain doorways to create cat-only spaces.

These are just some of the considerations you need to make when considering bringing a new pet into your dog-friendly home. Whether it is a cat, a bird, a rabbit, or a rodent, read up on our housing requirements for that species and seriously reflect on the home that you have, pooch included. Are you able to offer that animal both the security and freedom you would want for it to enjoy? And should things not work out, do you have both the space and the will to create separate areas, so that your furry family members may thrive, under the same roof and yet apart?

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