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Introducing Dogs & Dogs
Even if you are introducing dogs that are accustomed to living with other dogs, transitions are very stressful on animals. Dogs are territorial creatures and each has an individual personality. Just because a dog lived with a dog before does not mean that introducing a new animal is guaranteed to be smooth sailing.
Dogs that get along well with other dogs at dog parks and other public locations also may not be so welcoming of another dog entering their home. Sometimes the new dog is seen from the beginning as an intruder and sometimes a dog starts out ok with a temporary “house guest” but after some time, jealousies develop and conflict may arise. Every animal is different.
You will need two adults to safely introduce two new dogs. Recruit a friend, relative or neighbor to help you. Begin introductions slowly using the following steps (the timeline after day 1 is suggested but some animals may progress faster or slower. When in doubt, remember slow and steady wins the race):
Day 1: The very first introduction of two dogs should be on neutral territory. Ideally, it is best to select a parking lot, yard, or park area which is not a place that the resident dog regularly spends time (off the usual path you go for daily walks.) Keeping both dogs on leash (DO NOT USE RETRACTABLE LEASHES), allow the dogs to greet by walking in a circle so they meet “nose to butt” and allow them to sniff each others’ rear ends. Next, take both dogs on a long walk around the neighborhood side by side. Finally, walk the dogs back to your home, allowing the resident dog to enter the home first. Coming into a new home is a stressful and exciting experience for any dog. This is NOT the best time to proceed with the introduction because the dogs are already highly stimulated. Introductions are most successful when everyone is calm and comfortable. Take a break. On day one, confine each dog to a separate area of the home. Give the new dog some time to get used to the new surroundings and to chill in his crate. Rub a towel or blanket on each dog and place it where the dogs sleep. This will get both animals used to the smell of the other. Give everyone 24 hours to calm down.
Day 2: Introduce the dogs on opposite sides of a door by letting them sniff each other under the door or crate the new dog and allow resident dog into the room so they can see each other and resident dog can explore the new dog safely. Feed the dogs on opposite sides of the door so that they associate the smell of the other dog with the positive experience of food. If these encounters go well, and you have a fenced yard, you can take them outside for some supervised playtime. Leave the leashes on both dogs, but let them go. Have a hose, bucket of water, or strong spray bottle on hand just in case the playing gets too rough and turns into a fight. If the dogs begin playing to rough, start with a verbal command, “Enough” or “Leave it” in a firm voice. Have each adult grab hold of the leash and walk the dogs away from each other until both have calmed down. If the verbal command is not successful and the dogs are too entangled to safely grab the leashes, dog fights can be interrupted with water from the hose, bucket or spray bottle. NEVER PLACE YOUR HANDS OR BODY IN THE MIDDLE OF A DOG FIGHT. If a dog fight does occur, make sure that no medical attention is required for either dog and contact us so that we can recommend a professional trainer to assist you with future introductions.
Days 3-7: If the outside encounter has gone well, you may begin to integrate both dogs inside the home. PICK UP ALL BONES, TOYS, TREATS, AND FOOD BOWLS BEFORE BRINGING BOTH DOGS INTO THE HOME TOGETHER. ONLY ALLOW TOYS, FOOD, AND BONES UNDER CLOSE SUPERVISION AND INITIALLY ONLY WHILE ONE DOG IS CRATED. Keep the leash on the new dog at all times in the house for the next week or two. This is only temporary but keeping the dog on leash, accomplishes two things. First, it is a precaution in case the dogs start to growl or fight, you have the ability to correct the dog and prevent them from harming each other. Also, tethering reduces a dog’s urge to react to the other dog because it makes him focus on the person as his leader. If the dog barks or growls at the other dog, stares intently at the other dog, or starts to “hump” the other dog, give him a vocal correction "LEAVE IT" in a firm voice, grab the leash and walk him in the opposite direction of the other dog. Take the dog out of the room, ask him to sit, stand with him and wait for him to calm down, then give him a treat and let him accompany you back into the room. If he starts looking for or barking at the cat again, repeat until you walk back in the room and he is calm, or interested in something else.
Day 7+: You can also practice the command "WATCH ME." Point to your eye and encourage the dog to sit and make eye contact with you. When he sits and makes eye contact, say WATCH ME and give him a treat. Once he has learned this command, you can transition away from using the leash and if he starts paying too much attention to the other dog, you just say “WATCH ME”, and refocus his attention on you instead of the other dog.
Even if dog interactions are going very well, NEVER leave dogs alone together for at least several weeks. Animals act differently when we are around than when we are not and you don’t want to risk someone getting hurt when no one is around to help. Keep dogs in different rooms while you are out or crate one or both dogs.
Introducing Dogs & Cats
Even if you are introducing dogs and cats that are accustomed to living with other dogs and cats, transitions are very stressful on animals. Cats and dogs are both territorial creatures and each has an individual personality. Just because a cat lived with a dog before or vice versa does not mean that introducing a new animal is guaranteed to be smooth sailing.
If a cat has never lived with a dog before, sometimes it can take several months for the kitty to return to normal behavior. Dogs are big, loud, scary creatures which will take time for kitty to get used to (even if the dog is not behaving in a threatening manner toward the cat.) EVENTUALLY the kitty will accept the dog and everything will calm down. You'll see improvement gradually over that time, but for the cat and dog to totally ignore each other and accept living together, several months is not an unusual time expectation. As long as you are not concerned about the physical safety of the cat (ie dog is trying to attack and kill kitty) do not be overly concerned about kitty's mental health. Animals are resilient and kitty will come around eventually. It may be distressing to watch, but it's not so stressful forever.
Make sure kitty has a space in the house that is away from the dog where kitty can go to relax and not have to worry about the dog following her at all. Putting a baby gate at the top of stairs works best or installing a "cat hole/cat door" so that the kitty can have access to a room while keeping the dog out. You should put the litter box and cat food in this place. As long as she has a sanctuary, give her time and she'll come around eventually.
Begin introductions slowly using the following steps (the timeline after day 1 is suggested but some animals may progress faster or slower. When in doubt, remember slow and steady wins the race):
Day 1: Coming into a new home is a stressful and exciting experience for any dog. This is NOT the best time to introduce dog and cat because the dog is already highly stimulated. Introductions are most successful when everyone is calm and comfortable. On day one, confine kitty to one area of the home and dog to another completely separate area of the home. Rub a towel or blanket on kitty and place it where the dog sleeps. Rub a towel on the dog and place it where the kitty sleeps. This will get both animals used to the smell of the other. Give everyone 24 hours to calm down.
Day 2: Introduce cat and dog on opposite sides of a door by letting them sniff each other under the door or crate the dog and allow kitty into the room so they can see each other and kitty can explore the dog safely.
Days 3-7: Keep the leash on the dog at all times in the house for the next week or two. This is only temporary but keeping the dog on leash, accomplishes two things. First, it is a precaution in case the dog goes to chase the cat, you have the ability to correct him and prevent him from harming the cat. Also, tethering reduces a dog’s urge to react to the cat because it makes him focus on the person and not the cat. If the dog barks at the kitty, stares intently at the kitty, or starts to chase after the kitty, give him a vocal correction "LEAVE IT" in a firm voice, grab the leash and walk him in the opposite direction of the cat. Take the dog out of the room, ask him to sit, stand with him and wait for him to calm down, then give him a treat and let him accompany you back into the room. If he starts looking for or barking at the cat again, repeat until you walk back in the room and he is calm, or interested in something else.
Day 7+: You can also practice the command "WATCH ME." Point to your eye and encourage the dog to sit and make eye contact with you. When he sits and makes eye contact, say WATCH ME and give him a treat. Once he has learned this command, you can transition away from using the leash and if he starts paying too much attention to the cat, you just say “WATCH ME”, and refocus his attention on you instead of the cat.
Even if cat and dog interaction is going very well, NEVER leave them alone together for at least several weeks. Animals act differently when we are around than when we are not and you don’t want to risk someone getting hurt when no one is around to help. Keep cats and dogs in different rooms while you are out or crate the dog.
For the lifetime of both pets, make sure cat food and kitty litter are in a place inaccessible to the dog. Not only is it important for cats to have a private place of their own, but many dogs enjoy eating cat poop from the kitty litter. In addition to being really gross, if you use clay kitty litter, it is very hazardous for dogs to ingest clay because it can cause intestinal obstructions.
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