How To Introduce Your Dog To The Family
When welcoming a dog into the family, whether it be a puppy or a rescue dog, supervision is essential when introducing them to family members and other pets for the first time. These initial meetings will set the scene for any future interactions so it is important that they are positive.
You and your family are likely to be very excited about bringing home a furry friend, but meeting new people or pets can be stressful for dogs and puppies so it is important that introductions are carefully handled. Follow these tips to help it go smoothly for everyone involved.
Introducing a dog to other dogs
Care and patience is needed when introducing your new dog to other pets in your home. You should introduce your dogs on neutral ground whenever possible. Meeting in a calm, neutral environment will mean that neither dog will be territorial so they will be more relaxed.
If your new dog is old enough to go on walks, then you should introduce your dogs at a suitable point on a walking route. Ensure they are both on a lead but avoid tight leads or pulling the dogs apart as this can evoke a negative reaction.
Introduce them slowly, allowing the dogs to sniff each other, and use plenty of positive reinforcement. Then walk them together to let them get to know one another before you take them back home together.
Introducing a dog to a cat
You will need to introduce your cats to your new dog or puppy slowly. A common method is to keep them separate in the house at first before allowing them to spend time together for a short amount of time, then slowly build up the amount of time they spend in the same room together.
Be sure to supervise their time together to see how they get on and to teach them boundaries. Reward good behaviour and positive interactions. If either animal gets aggressive, stressed, or overexcited, then you should separate them for a short while before reintroducing them.
Introducing a dog to people
There is no way of knowing how your new dog or puppy will react when meeting new people but there are things you can do to try and make the introduction as stress-free as possible.
Avoid overwhelming your dog, by allowing them to meet one person at a time. Meeting everyone at once will be stressful, so give the dog time to meet each person individually. This will help the dog to settle and give each person quality one-to-one time with them.
Do not encourage people to approach your dog as this may appear threatening to your dog and cause them to snap out of self-defence. Instead, get people to sit down and hold out a treat or toy to encourage the dog to approach them. Always be present and remain calm.
When introducing a dog to a group of people, keep your dog in a separate room whilst everyone gets sat down. Remind everyone to stay calm and quiet and to not approach your dog. You may want to give them treats or toys to encourage your dog to go up to them.
Once everyone is settled, let the dog out and allow them to go up to people. Use positive reinforcement to encourage good behaviour. Always ensure they have a quiet space they can get to, where they will not be disturbed, if they wish.
For further advice and help in ensuring that your dog thrives, the team at WitsEnd is on hand to help, through physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, laser therapy, individual training sessions, and behaviour therapy.
Working with people from all over the country, we have had over 2000 success stories! To book an appointment or for more information, please call us on 0116 244 2455.