Paw-Sitive Beginnings: How To Introduce Dogs To Each Other
Thinking of adding a second (or third) dog to your household? Here's how to introduce dogs to each other, catch on early to any disruptive behaviors & plan ahead for an emergency.
Adopting a dog can be a ton of fun – but how about when you’ve already got dogs at home? You wouldn’t be the first to puzzle over how to introduce dogs to each other and get them off to a paw-sitive start.
Because no matter how much of a sweetheart your dog is, you never know how they’ll react to a new sibling. Will they like each other – or have you just introduced your buddy to their mortal enemy? Or is your new buddy going to influence your dog to bark their heads off at everything, chase after other animals…or even run away from home?
So here are a couple of tips to prevent your buddies from getting off to a ruff start and on the wrong paw. Let’s go!
With these steps, you’ll set them up for success – and for a long, paw-sitive relationship by your side.
Keep these factors in mind when picking your new adoptee
Before adopting, it helps to keep in mind factors like age, size, breed, temperament, activity level, past experiences, and any health issues. (And definitely before bringing your new dog home.) Your shelter staff can help you stay abreast of these details – and your vet can help you address them appropriately.
All of these factors can play a role in your dogs getting along – and how it might go. For example:
An age gap, like with a puppy and senior dog at home. This can result in your puppy intruding on your senior dog’s space. (Which your grand-paw might not appreciate.)
A highly active new dog might demand more time and energy than a more chill, low-maintenance one. (Or just need more exercise in general.)
A bigger dog will need more space than a smaller one.
Some dogs might be more aggressive towards others of the same gender.
A newly adopted shelter dog that’s experienced mistreatment or even violence in the past might also have separation anxiety. Which can result in all sorts of disruptive behavior. (Including runaway attempts.)
“Dogs do not learn as we do, but there are situations where they can certainly pick up behaviors from other dogs around them – for better or for worse.“
So make sure to work with your shelter and vet to keep these details in mind. Pick a dog you think can fit you, your lifestyle, your capacity, your budget, as well as your other dogs.
And once you have…
Introduce your dogs on “neutral” territory
As any experienced dog parent might tell you, it’s not ideal to just bring your new dog home and assume everything will be fine. To your home-buddies, this new “stranger” may be intruding upon their territory. Or your new buddy might not be familiar with the rules to follow or which boundaries to respect.
Some dogs have better social skills than others – especially when “territory” is involved. So when you’re bringing in a new pack member, try and arrange the first meeting in an environment that’s not familiar for either of them.2
This might be an area you haven’t gone walking with your home-buddies – and ideally, one your new dog isn’t familiar with either. (Like a friend’s backyard or similar, one where neither dog feels the need to defend their space.)
This can help both dogs size each other up on more neutral terms – not as “territory leader” and “stranger” instead. Which can just lead to endless barking and unnecessary trouble.
Start slow and get your dogs used to each other bit by bit. This will help them gradually learn that the other isn’t a threat and can be a welcome member of the pack.
Keep both your dogs leashed on the first couple of meetings
As your buddies meet and slowly get used to each other, it’s wise to have each dog on leash.
Keep the leash loose. If you grip it too tight, it might cause tension on the leash – which can signal to your dogs that you’re worried or afraid.
This can pass on to your dog and make them tense up as well – which might result in barking or protective behaviors.
Rather, get a friend, loved one, or shelter staff to keep your new dog on one leash – while you have the other on another leash.
Keeping your dogs leashed helps you maintain control over the situation during these initial introductions. So you can intervene right away if things get tense.
Watch your buddies’ body language as they interact
You might have interacted with your new adoptee by taking them out on a walk or playing with them. So the same should apply to any dogs you already have at home. They should ideally walk around, play with, and interact with your new buddy as well before you bring them home.
As they interact, watch your dog’s body language closely – and pay attention to the entire body. Watch out for these signs of aggression in dogs, including:
Yawning, or licking of the lips
Ears pinned flat against their heads
Crouching or lowering the body
Tucking the tail under the body
Avoiding eye contact by squinting or turning away
…and the more obvious signs, like growling, snapping, or biting
Because like it or not, some dogs…well, just aren’t a good fit. They might have conflicting personalities (like one being more dominant than the other) or one might influence the other negatively.3
But if, over a few meetings, your dogs don’t show any signs of hostility towards one another, you could try taking them to an enclosed area, drop their leashes, and let them play around and interact with each other a bit more. So they can get to know each other with a bit more freedom to run around and explore.
Make sure your dogs have met at least 2-3 times
Using the same neutral location, make sure your dogs have met, played, and interacted at least a few times before you bring your new buddy home.
You could take them both out on walks – with your dogs walking on the inside and you in between.
Playing together can help you get an idea of what behavior to expect once you do bring your new buddy home. (Like if they’re more dominant – or if their behavior triggers any resource-guarding in your dog.)
Stay calm throughout these meetings. Your buddies can pick up on your emotions through small, barely noticeable signs – so you can help them feel more at ease and less likely to get nervous or aggressive.
Keep these meetings short and sweet to prevent any overstimulation – and gradually increase their length to get you buddies used to each other.
Always supervise these meetings. Hover over your dogs at first, but gradually, take a few steps back and supervise from a distance.
You could also reward your dogs for getting along by patting and praising them plenty when they DO behave. (Not just intervening when they don’t behave.) Keep some treats at hand and be consistent when you offer them. So your buddies can slowly learn that “getting along = reward.”
Before you bring your new dog home, be 100% sure that your dogs are comfortable with each other. Rope in the shelter staff to help you understand the difference between dogs getting to know each other – and what signs to look out for if they don’t seem to be getting along.
How to introduce dogs once you’ve brought them both home
Your home is a new, unfamiliar space for your new adoptee – and your home-buddy is going to show them who’s boss super quick. (Which might result in at least a few “This is MY toy!” tussles.) Making introducing dogs to each other in your home space as important as the first few meetings.
So you’ll find it helpful to:
Establish a “space” for each dog at home
Experts recommend keeping your dogs separated with a tall baby gate.4 (Or some kind of barrier through which they can still interact.) While it might seem counterintuitive, this can actually help your buddies gain a sense of “space” in your home without feeling defensive or threatened by the other.
Monitor their interactions through the baby gate or barrier while at home.
Make sure to reward your dogs with pets, praise, or treats when you do see them behaving or getting along
Keep any food, toys, or treats in separate areas, so each dog can get a sense of what’s “theirs” without fighting.
Help your new buddy adjust to your home environment by establishing a specific sleeping, feeding, and playtime area. (Ideally, just a little away from your other dogs.)
Play together with your dogs at home – and take a time-out if either one gets a bit too excited. A few minutes in their crate with a chew toy can help calm them down.
There’s no substitute for regular training, but make sure to train your dogs separately. So each gets to spend some time with you and establish a consistent system of rewards for “good” behaviors. The presence of another dog might be confusing for them, especially in the early stages.
💡Each dog has their own unique personality – which also includes the spots they like to hang out in, around your home, backyard, or even outdoors!
Your dogs might like hanging out in specific spots in your backyard or even outside – which they might end up “defending” if your new dog ends up sniffing around and exploring in.
But by figuring out which areas these are, you can both understand your dog’s behavior better, avoid any unnecessary conflict – and also know where to look first in case one of them goes missing.
It’s why dog parents around the world – just like you – are monitoring their dogs’ favorite hangout spots with their trusty Tractive devices.
Wouldn’t it be nice if just mimicking your home-buddy sitting, staying, or dropping it would train your new adoptee? Turns out, these “trained” behaviors don’t pass over. Rather, dogs are likely to influence other dogs to mimic instinctive behaviors – like barking at passing cars, digging in specific spots…or running off in the same direction.5
“…although it is possible that your better behaved dog may eventually have an effect on your rowdy one, the opposite dynamic is just as likely.
Therefore, you should never bring a new dog into a home until the first dog is well trained and under control – and not likely to fall back into bad behaviors.”
This is why it makes sense to invest in one-on-one training for your buddies – and reinforce “good” behaviors consistently, so one is more likely to follow the other.
In more difficult scenarios, it also makes sense to enroll your new buddy in an obedience training school. So they can socialize with other dogs and people, learn what’s acceptable behavior (and what isn’t), and help you leave some jobs to the pros.
⚠️ Just remember: certain instinctive behaviors – like chasing or running away – might end up as a result of another dog’s presence. Or, for example:
Woodland animals, which might trigger a dog’s prey drive
Fellow runners or walkers, especially for dogs that have been historically trained as guard dogs
And in specific cases, like if your new adoptee has a more…well, strident personality than your dogs, they might influence them to chase down or run off the same way as them.
Which is why it makes sense to…
Escape proof your home & backyard
Sadly, newly adopted dogs might often be considered “high flight risk” – with anxieties and fears brimming just beneath the surface. All of which can increase their chances of running away at the slightest threat.
Even worse, these signs are often easy to miss, especially when you’ve adopted a seemingly “jolly” dog whose behavior belies any anxieties or stress.
“...many people are unprepared for the challenges of living with a newly adopted dog who may be shy, fearful, or stressed due to the changes in their lives.
We consider these dogs as “high flight risk”. They go missing with alarming frequency from either their new owner or a foster family.
Owners bring home their new dog; and then many of these dogs who are already stressed slip out of their collars, the yard, or the house.
By far, the greatest risk to these dogs when they go missing is that they will be hit by a car and killed.“
💡So imagine the relief and peace of mind from knowing you can immediately tell your dog’s escaped – with just a glance at your phone?
With your trusty Tractive device, you can set up a “safe zone” around your backyard – and get an escape alert if your new buddy tries sneaking past it, jumping the fence, or digging under it.
Ensure your new buddy is a familiar face in your neighborhood
So your friends, family members, and neighbors can all keep an eye out for them – especially in case they’re:
Wandering around looking for new “territory”
Exploring their new neighborhood – and aren’t 100% familiar with the way home yet
Venturing a little too close to your neighbors’ backyards for comfort
Taking out your dogs on regular walks can go a long way this way – plus it can also help your new buddy figure out their new environment better, familiarize themselves to it, and also socialize with other dogs and people.
We’d also recommend ensuring your new buddy is easy to identify in case they do end up wandering off somewhere without you noticing. I.e., a collar and dog ID tag at the very minimum – and ideally, also a microchip to help someone identify them and contact you.
⚠️ Just remember: neither a microchip nor an ID tag can help you actively search down a missing dog. They can only help someone identify your buddy if they pick up them outdoors.
Rather, that’s where it makes sense to…
Plan ahead for an emergency – especially when your new adoptee is concerned
All dogs have a chance of running away while out on a walk or left to their own devices – but especially so for newly adopted dogs. So it makes sense to plan ahead for a “runaway dog” situation, much in advance.
“…they might still be prone to anxiety – be it from their past experiences or the stress of a new environment. All of which make them more likely to suddenly run away, despite all the safety measures we take.
Ultimately, even a few seconds of negligence can be enough to make a dog run away.”
And it’s exactly for these moments that the Tractive tracker is the perfect solution to find your dog again as quickly as possible. Especially since the dog does not yet know where their home is during the first period – neither do they know nor trust you as much.“
💡With a Tractive GPS strapped to your buddy’s collar, you can follow your dog’s every step – as they make their every step – no matter how far they wander. All this from just a glance at your phone and hitting “LIVE” on your Tractive app.
“(I would recommend Tractive to)…every pet parent, hands down. If my friends get a dog for the first time, I always suggest they get a Tractive device, first thing.
And to be completely honest, I don’t see why people wouldn’t! It’s convenient, safe, comfortable – and you never know what could happen to your pet when out on a walk together.
You can train any animal to stay close to you and work together, you could have the best-behaved dog that stays by your side all the time – but you have to consider the worst case scenario as well.
They could get hit by a car or a bike, attacked by another dog or animal (like my dog Charlie was, twice now)…you just never know what could happen!
Which is why I would suggest all dog parents just strap a Tractive device to their dogs’ collars. So you know you can always find them.”
Introducing dogs to each other can be a challenge – but with patience, consistency, and a clear handle over the situation, you can avoid a ruff start and build a paw-sitive relationship with time.
So before adopting a new dog, make sure to keep in mind factors like their age, size, gender, breeding history, activity level, health issues – to make the best choice for a dog that’s a good fit for you, your lifestyle, and your other pets.
And once you’ve made your choice, here’s how to introduce your dogs to each other with ease:
Pick a neutral environment for them to interact in, ideally one that doesn’t trigger any territorial instinct. This could be a friend’s backyard, for example.
Keep your dogs leashed initially to maintain some control over the situation.
Supervise your dogs’ body language as they interact to watch out for any signs of aggression. Reward any “good” behaviors, like if they do behave or seem to be getting along.
Make sure your dogs have met around 2-3 times before bringing your new adoptee home.
Next, here’s how to introduce dogs in a new home environment – especially your new adoptee.
Let your dogs interact while separated initally, like through a tall, sturdy baby gate. This can help each of them establish their own sense of “space”, especially if you keep food and toys separated.
Make regular training a priority for both your older dogs as well as your new one. This can help prevent them from influencing each other for any disruptive instinctive behaviors, like running off in the same direction, barking, digging, or chasing around each other (or other animals or people.)
Escape-proof your backyard. Newly adopted dogs may still be prone to anxiety and might run off at the slightest threat.
Ensure your new dog gets familiar with their new neighborhood through regular walks and introductions to other dogs and people. This can also help in your search in case they go missing.
And finally…
Plan ahead for a “runaway dog” situation.
Because at the end of the day, it only takes a moment’s negligence for you to lose control of your buddy’s leash – or for something in your environment to trigger their runaway instinct.
“I fostered an…anxious Labrador a couple years ago..she liked people, and was very jolly and friendly with me, and seemed perfectly content to hang out with me, but her constant panting and tense ears belied the jolliness.
Her tension was confirmed the first time I unclipped her leash and let her out the back door of my house – unbeknownst to her – into a very securely fenced backyard. She ran like a demon was chasing her.
Only when she discovered there was no way out, no open gate, (or) no low or rickety fence, did she turn back toward me, smiling as if that little escape effort hadn’t happened.”
Dealing with your new dog’s escape artist tendencies can be hard work – requiring tons of time, patience, and trust.
💡But in the meantime, you’ve got your key to preventing them from running away from safety right in your hand – all on one device, built with love for dogs and for your peace of mind as a dog parent.
Always know where your dog is
Follow every step in real-time with unlimited range. Get alerts if they wander too far. Keep them happy & healthy with Wellness Monitoring. And let others – like walkers or sitters – keep an eye on your dog too.
