HenriettaPizzaNolan
Raising Layers and Meat Birds in the City
Firstly, see if the shelter has a return policy in case it doesn't work out. And if not, you can surrender him if it's just not a good mix with your current dog.
With the new dog, be aware of basic safety stuff. I adopted an adult dog and he bit me in the face when I reached for something he was chewing on. You hear all the perfect fairytale stories of adopting shelter dogs, but sometimes they have some really complex behavior issues that are very dangerous. I had never had a dog with resource guarding/food aggression and did not even think twice about this, but it is a REAL thing, and is especially common in dogs that had bad backgrounds and may have had to fight for their food out on the streets or in the wild. Look for basic signs that the dog is upset or could become aggressive in all new situations you bring them in: growling, "whale eyes", ears pinned back, showing teeth, raised hackles, straight tail, etc.
Keep the dog leashed in all new situations until you see how he reacts. See how he reacts to petting, touching his collar, etc., and find a safe way (leashed and not in biting distance) way to test for food aggression or general aggression with humans or dogs.
Others have covered other topics here but I just wanted to give my two cents on safety and aggression stuff. Even the sweetest of dogs can have unknown issues with very particular things, and it's best to go about things carefully and not find out the hard way like I did. Don't just throw him into your routine with your other dog and expect things to go okay (by posting this and asking all these questions, I assume you wouldn't anyway). Take your time, be cautious, and get to know him slowly.
And by the way, the dog that bit me in the face is doing very well and I still have him today. He's just taken hundreds of hours of training, but he's a great boy. I hope you have a good boy on your hands as well! Well, minus the need for the hundreds of hours of training lol.
With the new dog, be aware of basic safety stuff. I adopted an adult dog and he bit me in the face when I reached for something he was chewing on. You hear all the perfect fairytale stories of adopting shelter dogs, but sometimes they have some really complex behavior issues that are very dangerous. I had never had a dog with resource guarding/food aggression and did not even think twice about this, but it is a REAL thing, and is especially common in dogs that had bad backgrounds and may have had to fight for their food out on the streets or in the wild. Look for basic signs that the dog is upset or could become aggressive in all new situations you bring them in: growling, "whale eyes", ears pinned back, showing teeth, raised hackles, straight tail, etc.
Keep the dog leashed in all new situations until you see how he reacts. See how he reacts to petting, touching his collar, etc., and find a safe way (leashed and not in biting distance) way to test for food aggression or general aggression with humans or dogs.
Others have covered other topics here but I just wanted to give my two cents on safety and aggression stuff. Even the sweetest of dogs can have unknown issues with very particular things, and it's best to go about things carefully and not find out the hard way like I did. Don't just throw him into your routine with your other dog and expect things to go okay (by posting this and asking all these questions, I assume you wouldn't anyway). Take your time, be cautious, and get to know him slowly.
And by the way, the dog that bit me in the face is doing very well and I still have him today. He's just taken hundreds of hours of training, but he's a great boy. I hope you have a good boy on your hands as well! Well, minus the need for the hundreds of hours of training lol.
