Tips for Adding New (second) Pup to Home?

[crock239]

Wife and kids talked me into adding a second dog to our house. Already have a well-behaved 3yr old female lab that's great.

Hot tips or best practices for introducing a new puppy to the fold? Don't want to upset the apple cart.

Wish JLS was still around...dude was a veritable treasure trove of dog training know-how.

 

[cityslicker]

I did it a year ago. It's not as stressful as it seems, just more of a time commitment. Make sure the puppy has its own crate. That takes care of a lot of things for you. The puppy will need extra sleep time. Slowly and gradually increase the free time where the dogs are allowed together. The first week I spent the night in a separate room with the puppy in its crate. After about a week, I moved the crate into the bedroom with our other dogs. Amazon sells a stuffed dog with inserts of a warmer pad and small heartbeat-like ticker. I put that in the puppy crate at night and it helped with sleeping. The breeder may also give you a toy or blanket with the pup to leave in the crate.

Feed the dogs separate and give them toys separate. Also, try to avoid intervening between the dogs. Let the adult put the puppy in its place. So long as the adult doesn't freak out and become overly aggressive. Which is unlikely if you have an even-keeled adult lab.

The Guide Dog Foundation has a really good puppy raising manual. It has a lot of good advice even though you're not raising a guide dog.

PuppyRaiserManual

www.guidedog.org

 

[seeth07]

I guess the first indicator for you would be how does your dog do around other dogs in general or have you not had that kind of opportunity where you live/go with your dog?

 

[A207X2]

We just did this exact same thing 2 weeks ago. We brought home a GSP 9 month old female (who went into heat 1 day before we picked her up <UGH>). We have two other dogs (schnauzers, one 6 y/o one 12 y/o). The way we introduced them together was for me to walk the pup on one leash, while my wife walked one of the other dogs on a leash. We kept them apart while walking for about five minutes, then gradually brought the two of them together. They then sniffed each others butts, and that was it. Puppy is kept in her crate, the 6 y/o is the Alpha of the house, but even when he tries to express his Alpha-ness, she now just ignores him.

No problems at home. Both Schnauzers are males and both neutered.

 

[OntarioHunter]

We are talking Labs. You will have no problems. My older Labs always took to the new puppy in the house like it was the child they never had. My French Brittany pretended to ignore Lab puppy Ellie for first six weeks. Unknown to us, she was playing with the puppy in the back yard when no one was watching. Lab Opal took to Ellie the first afternoon. I have a photo of the puppy curled up beside her as they napped. Lab Pearl was the same with Opal when she first arrived. And both of them welcomed the Fr Britt "Puppy." She is now thirteen and Ellie is nine. Wish I could get another pup. But I will be 72 this fall. Longevity does not run in my family. Time to think about preparing for an exit. Sigh.

 

[Goodfish]

I don’t think you’ll have any problems with a lab being in the house first. My labs have always welcomed another buddy. We had a dachshund once that tried to kill every new puppy for a few weeks until he accepted them so that was always stressful. Our labs are 12, 6, 4 and we have another on the way. I wouldn’t worry—they’ll work it out and be buddies in no time. Two dogs is a minimum and way easier! Post up some pics! For training I would watch some Stonie Dennis you-tubes. Edit—my dogs are all girls so they are less rough and three works great.