introducing a new dog

[diggerbez]

as per post below i'm going to pick a new puppy tomorrow. he should be ready to come home in a few weeks time, all being well and if we like them when we go to see them tomorrow)- how do i introduce a new puppy into the home so that my current dog accepts him? he's an 11 month old whippet and he's alway been really friendly with other dogs (if maybe a bit hyper and wanting to play constantly

) so fairly confident he won't be aggressive...
other thing is current dog won't tolerate being crated, he goes bonkers- to the point where he actually broke out a couple of times

Do you think he might tolerate being crated if we use a bigger crate and put him and puppy in together? or is that asking for trouble? do i just put puppy in crate on his own? please help, not had two dogs together before and don't want to cause any problems

 

[soloabe]

If you want to use a crate i would suggest getting one now and having your current dogs bed in it but never closing the door just so he doesn't freak out over it. Make sure its a bigger crate than he needs.

I wouldn't put them in together but i would start to crate train puppy as soon as you can.

 

[Clodagh]

I wouldn't shut older dog in a cage with the puppy, he might have enough of it and pup can't get away. When we got our pup she was shut in the cage to give the older dogs time out. She soon loved it and only recently stopped sleeping in it - with the door open.

 

[CorvusCorax]

I wouldn't put them in together either, putting them in close confines when they are not used to each other, and in a situation that the older dog finds stressful, is not a good idea - I agree with advice given by previous two posters.

 

[diggerbez]

ok thanks guys, hadn't thought about things that way but very sensible!

so if i put the puppy in crate in the kitchen would you then just leave older dog loose in house and maybe put his bed in kitchen too to encourage him to keep pup company?

my worry is that the pup might get really lonely at night? older dog normally sleeps upstairs...don't want to stress new pup out?

 

[queenb]

I posted on here a few weeks ago about getting a JRT puppy to join my 13 month old JRT. I was really worried how it would go, the first few days were terrible and I did worry we had made a mistake. Our first dog would not be in the same room as the new puppy let alone play ! Also he would not go anywhere my other half who was the baddy as he carried new puppy into the house !! bad daddy !! After about 4 days I took both dogs to my mums for the afternoon and we had a break through ! I dont know if it was the neautral territory but the interacted for the first time, then once they were home it just got better and better. Now 3 weeks on the play all the time and cause havoc !Im so pleased we got the puppy they love playing with each other.
We have create trained the puppy and when we go out she is in the kitchen in the create and the old dog is left to roam the rest of the house. I wouldnt put them in the same create, ours both travel in a create in the car but not in the same one.
Good luck !

 

[diggerbez]

ooh thats good to know queenb! i asked the breeder today and she said to keep pup in crate and let my older dog loose- she reckoned it would stop older dog stressing as much when we go out- fingers crossed eh?!!