Ideas To Help Bring Home A Second Dog…

There are many reasons you may want to add a second dog to your family…maybe you had a second dog and it is no longer with you, so you want to fill that void – maybe you’d like a friend for your current dog – maybe you would just simply like 2 dogs in your home. Whatever your reason may be, try to avoid being too impulsive and just doing it.

First, consider the dog who already lives with you…

• Does he/she play well with others, on playdates, on a walk or at the dog park?
• Has he had the experience of sharing his home with another?
  • Is he territorial?
  • Although dogs are “pack” animals, there is still the chance that he/she will feel threatened by someone new to share his domain.
• Has he spent a lot of time around other dogs?

The making of new friends

1. Before you bring Fido home to meet Buddy, it might be wise to have them meet on neutral territory first, such as a dog park or another open area, where Buddy doesn’t feel possessive. Give them a chance to sniff and check each other out.
   1. There will be 2 dogs, so there should be 2 people to handle them if at first sight they aren’t too happy to meet.
2. When you are ready for them to meet in the home, remove all of Buddy’s toys, beds, blankets and food temporarily, in order to prevent Buddy from being too possessive, which could cause him to be aggressive. Once they seem comfortable with each other, you can bring out some toys…give Buddy one or two of his toys, and give Fido something that is “his”. Make sure each dog has his own bed and food bowl. To minimize possible conflict, feed the dogs in their own bowl and in separate places for a couple of weeks.
3. Don’t give Fido all the attention (which would be normal to do, because he’s new), give both dogs good one on one time.
4. It’s good for them to have time together, hopefully playing, but for the first couple of weeks, it’s a good idea not to leave them playing unattended.
5. As they play, be aware of their body language…it’s typical for dogs to wrestle and to play fight or bite, but it could turn into something more serious.

Watch for these signs…

Good signs:

• Wagging tails and wiggling bottoms
• Body is loose and relaxed
• Open mouth
• Bouncy movements or play bowing (putting elbows on the ground and bottoms in the air

Bad signs:

• Stiff body
• Staring and growling
• Ears forward
• Tail held straight up and moving back and forth like a pendulum
• Mouth closed

There may be moments when you wonder if your dogs will be compatible, but give them a little time and supervision and you’ll probably end up as one happy family.

At BowWow Fun Towne, dogs are our business, and our friends, and we understand how important your dog is to you.