Integrating two dogs
Discussion
Hi all.
We have recently (3AM this morning!) collected a rescue dog from Manchester airport (Cypriot charity) and she is going to be keeping our loveable DdB/Lab X company. He is almost 2, she is 3. Can anyone recommend (from experience or knowledge) on the best way to get them settled in?
We've walked them a couple of times now, on leads, neutral ground. Now we are in the house, where do we go from here?
They both have seperate beds, which they're on now.
And they are getting on okay, with some constant refereeing from the pair of us.
Thanks in advance, Stuart.
We have recently (3AM this morning!) collected a rescue dog from Manchester airport (Cypriot charity) and she is going to be keeping our loveable DdB/Lab X company. He is almost 2, she is 3. Can anyone recommend (from experience or knowledge) on the best way to get them settled in?
We've walked them a couple of times now, on leads, neutral ground. Now we are in the house, where do we go from here?
They both have seperate beds, which they're on now.
And they are getting on okay, with some constant refereeing from the pair of us.
Thanks in advance, Stuart.
I don't have any specific experience of integrating 2 dogs but our dog is an ex-stray from Greece who had never lived in a house before. Erasmia had fear aggression initially as she was overwhelmed by all the new experiences and would lunge and bark at other dogs, vans, bicycles the TV etc. So I’d say take it very slowly with lots of treats for the behaviour you like.
We just added a rescue 2.5 years chocolate lab to our 11.5 years black lab. 4 weeks on, no issues...she still has 2 naughty habits to cure, but in-hand.
So, we bought same beds, parked next to each other....they seem to share, no loyalty to either, but are together.
Same metal bowls for food, but share a metal water bowl.
Added to toys, so 4-5 squeaky and balls around, so no squabbles over 1-2 toys.
Feed same time, morning and night.
Always treat the same, walk together, etc.
But, if new one is naughty, she has some bad habits, she gets the telling off...old boy gets praised, so he knows he is OK, and she sees his praise versus her warning.
Otherwise, both treated equally.
BA
So, we bought same beds, parked next to each other....they seem to share, no loyalty to either, but are together.
Same metal bowls for food, but share a metal water bowl.
Added to toys, so 4-5 squeaky and balls around, so no squabbles over 1-2 toys.
Feed same time, morning and night.
Always treat the same, walk together, etc.
But, if new one is naughty, she has some bad habits, she gets the telling off...old boy gets praised, so he knows he is OK, and she sees his praise versus her warning.
Otherwise, both treated equally.
BA
I got my second puppy a month and a half after the first, both same age so maybe not the same.
They both sleep in the same bed most of the time and get on well. One thing i would say is keep an eye on their playing, you can tell when it goes abit too far and i find a very loud NO! Gets their attention and cools it off abit.
They both sleep in the same bed most of the time and get on well. One thing i would say is keep an eye on their playing, you can tell when it goes abit too far and i find a very loud NO! Gets their attention and cools it off abit.
What problems do you have which require intervention?
When we look after dogs for friends, we just walk them together, bring them in, all dry their feet (whether needed or not) in the hallway together so they all have to sit and wait together. Then they are released into the house. The first time they go into the garden to play we will supervise (our dogs play rough, not every dog likes that).
After that they are all fed in the same area and left to their own devices.
When we look after dogs for friends, we just walk them together, bring them in, all dry their feet (whether needed or not) in the hallway together so they all have to sit and wait together. Then they are released into the house. The first time they go into the garden to play we will supervise (our dogs play rough, not every dog likes that).
After that they are all fed in the same area and left to their own devices.
Keep them separate if you leave them, we came back a few times to find they had some quite nasty fights, often it was when we came home and they both charged for the hallway.
We still keep our separate now if we leave them more than an hour, they seem to prefer it as it gives them their own space, one loves the freezing conservatory , whilst the other loves the warm radiators inside!
We still keep our separate now if we leave them more than an hour, they seem to prefer it as it gives them their own space, one loves the freezing conservatory , whilst the other loves the warm radiators inside!
Jasandjules said:
What problems do you have which require intervention?
When we look after dogs for friends, we just walk them together, bring them in, all dry their feet (whether needed or not) in the hallway together so they all have to sit and wait together. Then they are released into the house. The first time they go into the garden to play we will supervise (our dogs play rough, not every dog likes that).
After that they are all fed in the same area and left to their own devices.
No problems, as such. Just the expected snarling and finding of position. When we look after dogs for friends, we just walk them together, bring them in, all dry their feet (whether needed or not) in the hallway together so they all have to sit and wait together. Then they are released into the house. The first time they go into the garden to play we will supervise (our dogs play rough, not every dog likes that).
After that they are all fed in the same area and left to their own devices.
Biggest issue is going to be her training as she doesn't even respond to her name yet.
She has been in rescue for 18 months, and was found at 18 months old chasing cars on a main road in a Cyprus.
Looking very unwell...
h is 3, dog is 2. Both neutered 
I would remove any toys for the time being, as if one gets a bit possessive over them its an easy way for a fight to start.
The biggest problem is likely to be feeding time, moreso if ones a rescue. Don't give them access to food unsupervised. Feed them at opposite sides of the same room and keep a very close eye on them. Sometimes rescues just go a bit mental with food, trying to eat all their own bowl then get stuck into the other one too which might not go down too well with the current dog
Try and walk them quite a lot over the coming days also - keeping them entertained while you're out then tired when back at home is going to make things easier to deal with.
I've always got rescue dogs coming and going as I foster them. Some have been a nightmare to begin with but at least 90% of the problems have been over feeding time so its definitely where you need to be careful.
Heres my own dog, another rescue dog which is basically mines now, and a foster :
They're all happy in each others company, and all prefer to sleep in a big bed rather than their individual dog beds. I can go out and leave them all like that and I know they'll be fine. I still never leave them unaccompanied with access to food though.
The biggest problem is likely to be feeding time, moreso if ones a rescue. Don't give them access to food unsupervised. Feed them at opposite sides of the same room and keep a very close eye on them. Sometimes rescues just go a bit mental with food, trying to eat all their own bowl then get stuck into the other one too which might not go down too well with the current dog
Try and walk them quite a lot over the coming days also - keeping them entertained while you're out then tired when back at home is going to make things easier to deal with.
I've always got rescue dogs coming and going as I foster them. Some have been a nightmare to begin with but at least 90% of the problems have been over feeding time so its definitely where you need to be careful.
Heres my own dog, another rescue dog which is basically mines now, and a foster :
They're all happy in each others company, and all prefer to sleep in a big bed rather than their individual dog beds. I can go out and leave them all like that and I know they'll be fine. I still never leave them unaccompanied with access to food though.
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