Introducing new dog to current dog question!

[mbphotos09]

Hello! I’ll start off by saying this might be long-winded!Sorry in advance!

So, I’ve had a Great Pyrenees mix for about 5 or 6 years now (that would put her at either 6 or 7 years old). Her name is Kimper and I trained her to guard my chickens when I adopted her. She’s done a great job all these years; I’ve never had any problems with her! But with Kimper getting older and I going off to college in the fall, I decided the best decision was to find a new home for my chickens and retire her to just being a family pet. After finding a good home for my chickies, I had the idea to adopt a second dog (a lab mix that’s about a year old) in hopes that Kimper wouldn’t be lonely and have someone to play with. Both dogs are very friendly and love people.

I’ve taken them on walks together and made introductions in neutral territory, all of which has gone fine. They’ve had great relaxed body posture, wagging tails, and have sniffed each other out. The lab, her name is Ever, has been sleeping on our porch at night while Kimper sleeps as normal in her yard. So they’re constantly around each other but not able to touch unless they are leashed and out of the yard. After about a week of this, I decided we could introduce them in the yard together. We entered through the gate with Kimper going first and Ever following after. All was going well and I unleashed Kimper. We all walked around the yard for a while and everything was still fine until I suddenly saw a change in Ever’s body posture. She got stiff and I made the mistake of not distracting one of the dogs before a fight broke out. They never actually bit each other but Kimper was definitely winning. Anyway, I panicked and we pulled Ever out of the yard. They still have no problems outside the yard and through the porch gate. But I’ve been to scared to try the yard again. I think I might have been too eager to get them together and may have gone too fast? I also think it was a bad idea to unleash Kimper and not Ever.

Am I doing the right things for introducing? Or was it a bad idea to try and bring in a new dog? I’m very inexperienced in this area so all help is appreciated!! Thank you!

 

[SurferchickinSB]

Hello! I’ll start off by saying this might be long-winded!Sorry in advance!

So, I’ve had a Great Pyrenees mix for about 5 or 6 years now (that would put her at either 6 or 7 years old). Her name is Kimper and I trained her to guard my chickens when I adopted her. She’s done a great job all these years; I’ve never had any problems with her! But with Kimper getting older and I going off to college in the fall, I decided the best decision was to find a new home for my chickens and retire her to just being a family pet. After finding a good home for my chickies, I had the idea to adopt a second dog (a lab mix that’s about a year old) in hopes that Kimper wouldn’t be lonely and have someone to play with. Both dogs are very friendly and love people.

I’ve taken them on walks together and made introductions in neutral territory, all of which has gone fine. They’ve had great relaxed body posture, wagging tails, and have sniffed each other out. The lab, her name is Ever, has been sleeping on our porch at night while Kimper sleeps as normal in her yard. So they’re constantly around each other but not able to touch unless they are leashed and out of the yard. After about a week of this, I decided we could introduce them in the yard together. We entered through the gate with Kimper going first and Ever following after. All was going well and I unleashed Kimper. We all walked around the yard for a while and everything was still fine until I suddenly saw a change in Ever’s body posture. She got stiff and I made the mistake of not distracting one of the dogs before a fight broke out. They never actually bit each other but Kimper was definitely winning. Anyway, I panicked and we pulled Ever out of the yard. They still have no problems outside the yard and through the porch gate. But I’ve been to scared to try the yard again. I think I might have been too eager to get them together and may have gone too fast? I also think it was a bad idea to unleash Kimper and not Ever.

Am I doing the right things for introducing? Or was it a bad idea to try and bring in a new dog? I’m very inexperienced in this area so all help is appreciated!! Thank you!

You may or may not have gone too fast, but one thing that seems to cause problems is when one dog is on a leash and the other is loose, so maybe start over with both dogs leashed and walking together again. When you do unleash them, it might be a good idea to use distractions, such as chasing balls or sticks or whatever else they might like, even working with them training and using treats can cause them to have a different focus.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Might want to consider keeping both leashed when they're interacting, and keep them supervised for a longer introduction period.

A few years ago we adopted an Akita/husky to join our shepherd mix, and while introductions seemed fine, the dogs got into two fights on the second day. We called the rescue and they put us in touch with a trainer, who recommended we keep the dogs completely separate while we worked on acclimating them. For 6 weeks we had to alternate having one dog in a bedroom while the other was out, and switch them back and forth every few hours (just so one wasn't spending all day in a bedroom) and any time they were both out of the bedroom, they were leashed and supervised. Each day we'd have them spend about an hour together, and watch their body language for cues on when to move on. Gradually we moved them a bit closer, made them face each other while together, etc. We took a lot of walks with them together to reinforce that we were a pack. Once the dogs were comfortable spending their hour together without showing signs of discomfort or wanting to get away from one another, we started letting them interact off leash while supervised for about another two weeks.

It was a slow process, but our dogs ended up becoming good friends.

 

[mbphotos09]

You may or may not have gone too fast, but one thing that seems to cause problems is when one dog is on a leash and the other is loose, so maybe start over with both dogs leashed and walking together again. When you do unleash them, it might be a good idea to use distractions, such as chasing balls or sticks or whatever else they might like, even working with them training and using treats can cause them to have a different focus.

Might want to consider keeping both leashed when they're interacting, and keep them supervised for a longer introduction period.

A few years ago we adopted an Akita/husky to join our shepherd mix, and while introductions seemed fine, the dogs got into two fights on the second day. We called the rescue and they put us in touch with a trainer, who recommended we keep the dogs completely separate while we worked on acclimating them. For 6 weeks we had to alternate having one dog in a bedroom while the other was out, and switch them back and forth every few hours (just so one wasn't spending all day in a bedroom) and any time they were both out of the bedroom, they were leashed and supervised. Each day we'd have them spend about an hour together, and watch their body language for cues on when to move on. Gradually we moved them a bit closer, made them face each other while together, etc. We took a lot of walks with them together to reinforce that we were a pack. Once the dogs were comfortable spending their hour together without showing signs of discomfort or wanting to get away from one another, we started letting them interact off leash while supervised for about another two weeks.

It was a slow process, but our dogs ended up becoming good friends.

Thanks so much for your responses! I’ll definitely try all of this. I guess I will separate and start over. I really hope they can be friends, they’re both very good dogs separately. I’d love for them to get along!
Thanks again! I appreciate it!

 

[SurferchickinSB]

Thanks so much for your responses! I’ll definitely try all of this. I guess I will separate and start over. I really hope they can be friends, they’re both very good dogs separately. I’d love for them to get along!
Thanks again! I appreciate it!

Yeah, you’ll have to be very careful, just because they will remember their little disagreement for a while. I had that happen when I had two older dogs and I got another one from the shelter and they both got into a fight, which really surprised me because my golden retriever had never been in a fight before, he was 9 at the time. I think the golden got jealous that the new hound started playing with my other labrador retriever, so he attacked the new one. They stared at each other and gave each other dirty looks for probably a good six months after that. I had to yell at them every time I saw them doing that!

 

[mbphotos09]

Yeah, you’ll have to be very careful, just because they will remember their little disagreement for a while. I had that happen when I had two older dogs and I got another one from the shelter and they both got into a fight, which really surprised me because my golden retriever had never been in a fight before, he was 9 at the time. I think the golden got jealous that the new hound started playing with my other labrador retriever, so he attacked the new one. They stared at each other and gave each other dirty looks for probably a good six months after that. I had to yell at them every time I saw them doing that!

Oh yes.. I’m having to be very careful. They definitely remember their little argument lol. I’ve seen multiple stares and a couple of growls so far. They’re both big dogs and with me not being a very big person, I get a little nervous if they fight. My Pyrenees mix, alone, is almost my size! Ha!

I’ll just take it slow for now and hope they forgive each other soon!

 

[rosemarythyme]

I’ve seen multiple stares and a couple of growls so far. They’re both big dogs and with me not being a very big person, I get a little nervous if they fight.

IMO if they're staring at each other, you need to break the stare - clap your hands, shake a can of pennies, etc. something to get them to stop staring. And of course you need to be consistent and assertive so they understand that you're the leader and if you say knock it off, you expect them to stop.

In my case the trainer felt that it was my shepherd's staring that was sparking the fights (think an intense, unblinking stare like a border collie's) - that's his normal expression, but the Akita was taking it as a challenge, and had to take time to learn that it was not. So for a while they could barely look at each other without a lip curl or low growl. Then things swung the opposite way where she would not face his direction at all, which is also not a solution (which is why I mentioned we'd have to position them to face each other while lying leashed at our feet). We only started letting them off the leash when they could sit on the rug together and face in each other's direction without showing much reaction.

 

[SurferchickinSB]

Oh yes.. I’m having to be very careful. They definitely remember their little argument lol. I’ve seen multiple stares and a couple of growls so far. They’re both big dogs and with me not being a very big person, I get a little nervous if they fight. My Pyrenees mix, alone, is almost my size! Ha!

I’ll just take it slow for now and hope they forgive each other soon!

I know what you mean! All three of my dogs were just a little bit over 100 pounds each! I am not a very big person either, but my voice is! LOL! They don’t forget for a very long time! In fact I don’t know if they ever forgot, they just learned how to ignore each other, sort of how my dogs have learned to ignore my chickens.

 

[mbphotos09]

IMO if they're staring at each other, you need to break the stare - clap your hands, shake a can of pennies, etc. something to get them to stop staring. And of course you need to be consistent and assertive so they understand that you're the leader and if you say knock it off, you expect them to stop.

In my case the trainer felt that it was my shepherd's staring that was sparking the fights (think an intense, unblinking stare like a border collie's) - that's his normal expression, but the Akita was taking it as a challenge, and had to take time to learn that it was not. So for a while they could barely look at each other without a lip curl or low growl. Then things swung the opposite way where she would not face his direction at all, which is also not a solution (which is why I mentioned we'd have to position them to face each other while lying leashed at our feet). We only started letting them off the leash when they could sit on the rug together and face in each other's direction without showing much reaction.

Thanks for the tip! Snapping or clapping at the lab seems to bring her out of it most of the time. My Pyrenees just seems uninterested unless they’re in the yard together, so I kind of have to make her look at her. Lol!

I know what you mean! All three of my dogs were just a little bit over 100 pounds each! I am not a very big person either, but my voice is! LOL! They don’t forget for a very long time! In fact I don’t know if they ever forgot, they just learned how to ignore each other, sort of how my dogs have learned to ignore my chickens.

Lol! Dogs are funny. So many people say that they don’t remember things very long.. but I swear they never forget anything!

 

[mbphotos09]

Sorry I take so long in between replies by the way! I guess I don’t have my notifications on.
I don’t know when there are comments until I actually go and check the thread!