How do I introduce a new dog into our 2 dog home -- today?

Question

We have 2 min. dachsunds - a 12 yr.old spayed female and a 9 yr.old neutered male. The male, Penny, thinks I am his mommy and follows me everywhere and sleeps right next to me. The female, Nike, is a little more independent. She doesn't mind having a life of her own. I'm a stay at home mom, with a son in college and a 15 yr.old son at home. We are huge pet lovers. We saw the sweetest 4 year old abandoned dachsund at a shelter and want to adopt her. She has been spayed and has all her shots. She is a calm, loving dog who is used to running around and playing with a lot of different dogs without a problem. How in the world do I bring her in the house without a lot of chaos with our other two, especially Penny? We are supposed to pick her up at 1:30 today. Any quick suggestions from my fellow animal lovers out there? Your help will be greatly appreciated, I promise! Thank you in advance.
--Nervous momma

Answer 1

I do Dachshund rescue and what I tell people that are adopting from me and have dogs at home currently is: Introduce the dogs in a neutral location. You could take your other two with you when you pick up your new Dachshund and introduce them out on the grounds of the shelter. You would want to spend time, half hour to an hour with them being around each other before taking them all home. When you return home, walk all three into the house together.

Or: Take someone else with you when you go to pick up the new dog. Then, near your home, drop the other person off with the new dog and go get your other two and bring them to this location (parks are great for this) to 'meet' on neutral grounds. Same scenario as the first.

When you go home, you must take all three in together so that your two aren't inside and ready to fight to protect their territory!

Then to continue the adjustment as smooth as possible, give your other two just a tad more attention than the new dog. Give your two their food first and then give the new dog her dish, give your two their treat first and the new girl third. Just don't try to set the pack order for them, let them establish it. Squabbles may be occurring the first several days, over toys, beds, your lap..... Let the dogs work it out but stop it if it is going to get into bloodshed. In time, they will adjust. Trust me, I have made these adjustments constantly since I am always bringing home new rescues and I have 11 Dachshunds of my own.

Answer 2

I've recently had to deal with this, since I brought home a foster dog from the shelter where I'm a volunteer. This is what I've done:

First, take the new dog on a long walk before bringing her into your home. By "long", I mean at least half an hour. Walk her around the neighborhood. Burn off as much of her energy as you can. She'll be nervous after a car ride and all the stress involved in the "bringing home" process, and this will help to calm her down. She may seem calm at the shelter, but you really can't tell what she's going to be like until you get her home. Believe me! I thought I was getting a calm, sweet, quiet pup a few weeks ago, and now she's the most hyperactive dog I've ever seen in my life! LOL

While you're walking the new dog, have someone else take the other dogs on a walk in another area to burn off their energy, too. Meet up in the front yard of a neighbor. This is generally considered to be "neutral territory", and it won't seem to your dogs that this new pup is invading their home right off the bat.

Let them sniff each other and get to know each other the way dogs do. Gradually start walking them toward your house all together (let them make their own little "dog pack" along the way) and make your way inside, letting the dogs socialize as you go. Once you get them inside, keep things calm and quiet, and don't be nervous! If you're nervous, they'll sense it, and your dogs will be on "alert", which is not a good thing when it comes to introducing a new pup to the family.

When feeding them, make sure they all have their own bowls to prevent competition and fighting.

Good luck!

Answer 3

I am faced with this problem frequently - I do dachshund rescue, so I have developed a procedure which always works, just sometimes takes longer with one dog than another.

I bring the new dog up to the family dogs through a fence so they sniff each other, bark, mark, outside if possible. Then I put my dogs into one room or screened area and put the new dog into an xpen. I let them meet and greet, or growl and
sniff, but not have physical contact with each other. Eventually my dogs get used to the new dog - sometimes it takes hours, sometimes days.

You do this gradually, one dog at a time (I have 6),
let your calmest dog get in contact with the new dog first, then another, etc.

Make sure you are there in case any confrontations occur. You can judge how it goes, if there is a problem,you need to stop it immediately and don't leave the dogs alone together until you are absolutely sure the new dog has been accepted.

There is often some dominance juggling, let it be unless someone is in danger of getting hurt - then break it up immediately. Do not berate your dominant dog if she pushes the new one around or show extreme favoritism to the new dog, pay attention and pet them all.

You may have a few stressful days, but eventually the odds are that your dogs will all form a pack order and everything will work out. I have 4 males and, believe me, one is very alpha so new males coming in are sometimes a challenge, but even the worst antipathy eventually resolves itself - just make sure you are monitoring them constantly if they are together.

If you don't have an xpen, use a baby gate between rooms to keep them apart.

Whew, that was a lot - but thank you for being so kind hearted and taking this little dachshund in - that's the breed I love, wonderful dogs, smart and stubborn, but very, very loving and loyal to their families - I wouldn't have any other breed now.

Answer 4

When you first get the dog just gradualy introduce him to the cats and until they get used to him maybe keep him in a room away from them so they dont get in any fights.

Answer 5

This worked for me. Put some of your perfume on all three dogs before you introduce them. Your dogs will recognize the scent as you, and this will make all of them smell alike and fool their noses into believing they all belong together. It worked great when I introduced my new addition. Hope this helps. It was recommended by my vet.

Answer 6

just open the door.
dogs are pack animals and will establish an order and little society