At Fitdog, we believe that daily activities and socialization helps your dog become the best they can be. We offer three unique programs to help you the most of your dog’s time, when your not there.
fitdog home
  • Asset 4 fitdog club
    • Services
    • Pricing
    • Assessment
    • Login
  • Asset 5 fitdog sports
    • Classes
    • Leaders
    • Sign Up
    • Login
  • Asset 3 fitdog training
    • Programs
    • Trainers
    • Get started
About
Blog: Off the Leash
Questions? Let’s Talk!
contact@fitdog.com (310) 828 - 3647
Follow us on Social Media:
Login to Club
Login to Sports
  • Club
  • Sports
  • Training
  • About
  • Blog
(310) 828 - 3647

Five tips to follow when bringing a new pet home

Collapse
More from

Off The Leash:

Dog Parks: Harmful or Helpful?
December 12, 2022
Your Complete Guide to The Most Dog-Friendly National Parks
July 01, 2022
The Best Dog-Friendly Airlines and Their Pet Policies
June 09, 2022
How to stop your dog from digging
May 17, 2022
Beginner’s Guide to Lure Coursing
November 03, 2021
Deadly Disease: Why Lepto Should be a Core Vaccine
July 21, 2021
Guide to Common Dog Diseases & Parasites
July 26, 2021
The 7 Best Podcasts for Dog Lovers
May 27, 2021
Avoid These Grooming Mistakes With Your Doodle
April 17, 2021
5 Benefits of Teaching Your Dog How to Swim
April 09, 2021
5 tips to re-socializing your dog after the pandemic
February 26, 2021
5 Animal Non-Profits to Donate to This Holiday Season
December 18, 2020
7 Dog-Friendly Thanksgiving Foods
November 26, 2020
10 Best Dog Photography Tips
October 27, 2020
Importance of Developmental Based Dog Training
October 21, 2020
Complete guide to treating dog allergies
September 15, 2020
Overweight Dogs: COVID-19 Made My Dog Fat!
August 19, 2020
Best Pet Tech Products 2020
August 15, 2020
Best Backyard Activities for your Dog
July 30, 2020
Foxtails in dogs: A hidden danger on your hiking trail
July 23, 2020
7 Tips to Teach Your Dog How to Swim
July 15, 2020
How to modify your home for an elderly pet
July 09, 2020
Frozen Dog Treats for Summer: 4 Pupsicle Recipes to Treat your Dog
July 03, 2020
Dog scared of fireworks? Prepare your dog for 4th of July fireworks before …
June 26, 2022
Stop your puppy from biting with stuffables
June 17, 2020
Socializing Your Dog After COVID-19
June 14, 2020
Dog-Friendly Camping: 8 Pet Friendly Campgrounds in California
June 09, 2020
7 Best Easy DIY Dog Treat Recipes
May 26, 2020
Train and Play Philosophy
May 18, 2020
Puppy Socialization: Why your dog needs it
January 25, 2021
Meghan Rowland
Meghan Rowland
November 04, 2021

“Five tips to follow when bringing a new pet home” by Sylvia Wes was originally published in Santa Monica Spotlight.

Bringing a new pet into the home can be a difficult adjustment. Throw in a pet who already inhabits that same home, and that integration can become even harder. Use these 5 tips to make bringing a new pet home an easier transition for all members of the household, both two and four-legged.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS MATTER 

When first introducing your new pets, start in a neutral place outside the home. If you can, take both dogs for a walk together. If your new puppy can’t walk on leash yet, carry them while you walk your existing dog. Tandem parallel walks are a great way to have your new pets spend time together while enjoying neutral space. Continuing this practice can help establish common ground and help dogs find activities to enjoy together.

REMOVE ALL HIGH VALUE RESOURCES

Keep the stakes low by not leaving any food or high value resources like bones or bully sticks out in the open. If your existing dog has a favorite toy,  put it away for the first few months of their cohabitation. Free feeding is definitely not recommended in a multi-pet household as it’s hard to tell who is eating what/when and how to control the most important resource in the house, food. 

CREATE SAFE AND SEPARATE SPACES

Give all pets the dignity of their own space and the option to opt out of interacting with each other. Baby gates are a great way to create separate spaces within the home. Give each pet time to themselves to soothe, enjoy mealtimes and anytime they need to be left unattended. Try giving your original dog a solo walk every now and again so they can enjoy the walk they’re used to with just you.

REWARD CALM BEHAVIOR

When the pets are together in the same space, reward calm and neutral behavior. Try this: Have each pet access their own bed and perform a “sit” or “down” cue. Once there, simultaneously reward each pet from both hands instead of one at a time. Make sure the rewards are small enough that each pet can rapidly consume and not break apart where crumbs or chunks on the floor might become a point of contention.

CONNECT WITH A PROFESSIONAL

Lastly, connect with a certified dog training professional early on in the process, to help ease the changes and create healthy and long-lasting patterns of behavior. It is crucial to manage multi-pet households effectively from the jump to ensure long-term relationship balance. Additionally, latent learning is a primary learning mode for dogs, so ensuring your new dog doesn’t pick up bad habits from the original dog — and vice versa — is very important.

Training both pets together is not only a great bonding activity, it also helps them focus on something other than the other pet in the room. Helping your pets learn to focus and be neutral around one another is one of the most powerful forms of socialization they can learn.

Fitdog offers free in-person or virtual consultations with one of our training professionals. If interested, you can sign up here.

 

Categories:
  • Lifestyle
What’s next?
Why is my dog eating poop?

If you see your dog eating poop, it is definitely cause for concern. Dogs are well known for their questionable palates. They’re the first to seek out that already licked clean chicken wing from the gutter or to...

read more
More from Off The Leash:
Dog Parks: Harmful or Helpful?
December 12, 2022
Your Complete Guide to The Most Dog-Friendly National Parks
July 01, 2022
The Best Dog-Friendly Airlines and Their Pet Policies
June 09, 2022
More Fitdog
Fitdog Home
FAQ
Contact
Fitdog Club
  • Services
  • Pricing
  • Join the Club
Fitdog Sports
  • Classes
  • Leaders
  • Sign Up
Fitdog Training
  • Programs
  • Trainers
  • Get Started
Blog
  • Off The Leash
  • Resources
  • About
  • Become a Trainer
  • Employment Opportunities
contact@fitdog.com
(310) 828 - 3647
1712 21st Street, Santa Monica, CA 90404
Privacy Policy Terms and Conditions
© 2018 Fitdog. All Rights Reserved.
Designed and Developed by