Introducing second dog into house

scarlet_mandy

Hi,

Was just wondering if anybody had any advice on helping to settle a second dog into the house? We got a Lurcher yesterday from a rescue, there has been some play fighting, nothing too serious yet, and was just wondering if there is anything we should look out for, or be doing to help them settle together? Our current dog is a 9 month old Lab, and the Lurcher is 6 months, so both similar in age and opposite sex.

They are nearly identical size wise at the moment, and on walks they are mostly good as gold, just if they are in the back garden or house off lead it's when the fighting starts. At the moment they sleep in separate rooms as I'm not comfortable leaving them alone.

DBB

Hi Scarlet Mandy
The problem with keeping them separate is that you have to keep reintroducing them, and it is usually the reintroductions that are the most fraught! So you're kinda setting yourself up for more trouble than you need to.
I think it is vital for anyone bringing a new dog into a home, whether it's foster or for keeps, is to have a system whereby the dogs can stay together, safely. And to do this, you need either a crate, or a playpen, or at worst, a baby gate to put them into separate rooms but still in visual and limited physical contact.
Given the size of your dogs, the playpen would probably be the best option, but the baby gate set-up is also an option if it suits you better.
By having the dogs in permanent visual contact with one another, they get used to each other far quicker, and the novelty factor wears off quicker.
Best of all, you know you can leave the room to make a cuppa, or go out to work for a few hours, knowing that the dogs are safe but the process of mutual habituation to one another is continuing.
Meanwhile, as walking is a very sociable and bonding pastime, bring them out for several short walks for now, rather than one long one. Keep them in their separate areas or on-lead when feeding them.
Let them play away, but under close supervision, and if you feel things are getting too intense or heated, calmly break it up and divert the dogs for a couple of minutes to calm them down, before letting them play again in a more calm state of mind. You'll get an idea things are getting too heated if one of the dogs keeps trying to get away or take a break whilst the other won't relent.
The first 3 days are the hardest, I think, things usually start to take a noticeable turn for the better after 3-4 days, so you should be nearly there. Ater a couple of weeks, things should be substantially better than they seem now.
Good luck!

scarlet_mandy

Thanks DBB! I didn't think about the reintroduction factor so I will definitely try the baby gate today. Had our new guy in a crate last night but he was really distressed and he cut his tail by hitting it against the bars so hard, so won't do that tonight anyway.

Another thing I've noticed is our current dog is constantly at our new guy, if he settles down anywhere for a rest or to chew a toy, she will stand over him and not leave him alone, trying to instigated a fight almost even when he is perfectly calm. I was thinking it might be just her showing him she's boss??

Tranceypoo

We did pretty much what DBB advised you to do when we got our second dog, if they ever had to be left alone she would be left in the crate, also at night she slept in the crate, this was also handy because we didn't know if she would be a chewer/pooper or not. Now mine would be a bit older, original dog is 6 and newer dog is about 18 months/2 years old and this was only 6 months ago, your 2 are both puppies really so would possibly need a bit more supervision. The baby gate is a great idea especially if the new arrival is distressed in the crate.

Our older dog also still does a similar thing to your dog that stands over the new dog, he sometimes launches himself at her when she doesn't want to play, she usually goes under the kitchen table and he leaves it at that, I always just keep an eye and if I feel he's bullying her I just go over and click my fingers at them both and say 'stop' and that stops them. They now sleep together at night along with the cat, no crate and they're absolutely fine.

They did have a proper fight for a few seconds one night, younger dog walked past older dog who was sort of dozing on the sofa and he just snapped at her and she snapped back, growling and lunging for a few seconds, we pulled them apart and that was it, the thing is, dogs don't bear grudges and it's all forgotten about straight away!! I posted on here about it, I was really upset but the advice I got here was to not make a big deal out of it and just to think of it as a sort of 'brother and sister spat' type thing and it seemed most people who have more than one dog have similar experiences at some stage, the main thing is not to get stressed or upset and think 'that's it, they don't get on, it's a disaster' which was what my immediate thought was!!

Anyways, after all that rambling, my point being, just give it time, let them get on with, don't always be 'hovering' and ready to pounce to split them up if they're messing about with each other, you can really tell the difference between play fighting and real fighting believe me! My two have just spent the day at a doggy event and now they're crashed out on the sofa together sleeping off their dinner!! Good luck with everything!!

scarlet_mandy

Tranceypoo thanks a million! I was having that same thought, oh no they hate each other, glad its not as big a deal as I thought I tried the baby gate earlier but the new guy can jump it in one go so ill have to rethink that, they were almost lying peacefully for a few seconds earlier so that's progress!

Discodog

Your dog knows you & how you react so it is important to be laid back. Don't turn the new dog into a big deal. Try not to interfere in allowing them to communicate & get used to each other. I found my latest addition on a walk so I literally left the house with two & came home with three. I was totally unprepared so the newcomer had to cope but it was easy because my other two were used to meeting other dogs.

KatyMac

They have to figure out who's the boss. I had a collie and a labrador a few years ago. When they were first introduced the lab thought he was the boss, but after a couple of hours you could see that the collie had taken charge and took no nonsense from the lab.
An old lady 'borrowed' the lab for company when her husband died. Once he came back to our house (about 5 months later) the two dogs had to go through the 'who's the boss routine' again. I was watching the lab standing up to the collie and suddenly he stopped and became lower in the pecking order again and that's the way til they died at the ripe ages of 14 and 16.

scarlet_mandy

Hey guys, thanks for all the replies! We are making slow progress but progress when they are on walks its fine, not on bother on either of them so we've been going on a couple of short walks a day. Noticed that though our Lab is the boss so far, the Lurcher can still hold his own, caught her robbing his dentastick from his bed and legging it out the back, but when I looked out he was lying down munching away on it, he's fast as lightning and she just looked confused Every now and then though he does run up to me like 'please save me from her', so then I back her off for a few mins, we're getting there!

scarlet_mandy

Just to add, was wondering if anyone had any idea how to keep the 2 separate but still in view of each other as suggested? Tried baby gate but he can jump it no bother, can't seem to find any online that are any higher...

DBB

scarlet_mandy wrote: »

Just to add, was wondering if anyone had any idea how to keep the 2 separate but still in view of each other as suggested? Tried baby gate but he can jump it no bother, can't seem to find any online that are any higher...

Don't Argos do a gate specifically for dogs that is a good bit taller than a baby gate? I think?! Or it could be one of the online pet supplies shops. But they are certainly available!

Ps, I'd be inclined not to give them chews and pick up toys, bones or any potential flashpoints, just for a few days until they know the lie of the land a bit better.
If you're going to give chews, do it while they're on either side of the new taller gate! Just for now.

mymo

The fighting and playing you refer too is just the novelty of there suddenly being someone else to play with, they are both young playful dogs so naturally see another dog and want to play.
The excitement will wear off and they should calm down a little over the next few days.
Argos do have a taller dog gate, good and sturdy too. Or try raising your gate a few inches off the ground that may be enough.
Try to make a quiet time, if you can, send the dogs to bed and get them to stay there for a few mins at a time. They need to learn to be together calmly, best time for this is after walking or playing and feeding.
I agree with DBB, keep toys and chews to when they are separate for now until you get them settled and see how they are around these things.

scarlet_mandy

Hi all, ok quick additional question about new guy, any ideas how to get him settled at night?? Last night he barked non-stop, full on loud barking and howling, from 11pm until 2:00/2:30am without taking a breath. He took a break then til about 3:20am and continued until 5:00am, then stopped again but my alarm went at 5:30am for work, so I got around 2 hrs sleep last night and am completely zombified at my desk at the moment. He was let out to pee immediately before bed, which he did, so it wasn't that, he had a dentastick going to bed which we hoped would keep him busy for a few mins and help him settle but no joy. He was also walked for about half and hour and some obedience training the hour before bed too so he should have been shattered, I know I was

Any ideas greatly appreciated here!

Tranceypoo

Yep, I had this problem too!! The first couple of nights were fine but then by night 3 the howling and barking started!! All I can tell you is to ignore it, it's really tough I know but eventually she settled down, I can't honestly remember how long it took, seemed like ages but was probably about a week or so, she was sleeping in a crate and she just didn't seem to like the crate, the one night I left her out of it she was fine but she did a big runny poop and a pee on the floor so it was back to the crate until we got her tummy sorted out, she wouldn't toilet in the crate.

All is fine now, her tummy is sorted and she's long out of the crate. So I would just give it time, I wouldn't bother giving anything to eat when going to bed, I think those dentasticks are full of sugar and crap and might even be contributing to keeping him awake, another thing we did was have 'quiet time' before bed, no playing or anything, just lying around chiling out so it would 'wind them down' as it were.

scarlet_mandy

Ah thanks for that, good to know there is an end in sight, doesn't feel like it at 2:00am

Good plan with the sticks, i'll save them for another time so maybe that will help tonight we were gonna try in the same room as other dog but him in crate, see if that helps, as they still at each other most of the time. We were leaving radio on in kitchen with him but didn't help, maybe having her in the same room will make a difference, either that or I'll be too tired to care!

scarlet_mandy

Quick update, we all got sleep last night!! Had a dog trainer out to the house last night who was working on easing him into the crate, and he took to it no problem So we had him in the same room as Juno just in the crate, and after ten mins of barking initially, not a peep until 7am when I got up for work Must have been her company rather than ours he was craving!