Introducing a New Dog into Your Home

If you already have a dog, bringing home a new dog may not be a happy occasion for your first dog. Many dogs can eventually learn to live together harmoniously, but some effort is required on your part for this to occur.

As territorial creatures, dogs do not like another pet taking away time from their master. Male dogs in particular may be dominant and resent your new dog. This dominance may cause your current dog to get in fights with the new dog, play roughly, and even eat the new dog's food. As dogs are pack animals, your current dog will want to establish his position as the alpha dog, and the new dog will need to be subordinate to him or her.


When you first bring home the new dog, keep the dogs separate. Both dogs will smell the each other's scent and know that there is another dog around. At the first meeting, make sure both dogs are on leads so that you can separate them quickly if there is trouble.

Gradually allow the dogs to spend more time together under your supervision. Do not leave the dogs unattended together at first, as they could fight and injure one another. Be sure to treat each dog equally as in having the same treats for each dog and spending the same amount of time with both dogs.

If fighting starts and the dogs are not on leads, spray water or make loud noises to stop the fighting. Trying to grab one of the dogs could lead to an injury for you. When the first dog minds your commands about leaving the other dog alone, reward him with lots of praise.

Eventually, your dogs will probably become friends or at least learn to tolerate each other, so that you won't have fighting and can leave the dogs together unattended.