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Permalink Reply by Bev Levy on August 6, 2014 at 8:29am

The number one thing you can do beforehand is to make sure that your current dog is well trained with recall and leave-it. When you bring the new puppy home it is usually recommended that they meet on neutral ground. I actually have always (for various good reasons) just brought the new pup in and made sure that the pup did not bother the older dog too much. Make sure that your other dog gets attention too and don't allow very rough playing for awhile.

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Permalink Reply by Jane Christensen on August 6, 2014 at 9:47am

I agree with Bev. I would also allow the pup a little time to smell without the older one being there. I also would invest in a  pet fence and crate for the babe to be when you are not able to watch the 2 together and to give the older some time/room. I have never had a problem introducing pups but mine are well socialized with other dogs.

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Permalink Reply by Vicky Hay on August 6, 2014 at 11:24am

I second Jane's suggestion about the pet fence  & the crate. After Ruby the Corgi Pup was introduced to the seven-year-old Cassie the Queen of the Universe, the X-pen turned out to be THE best puppy investment of all the puppy gear.

One trick learned some years ago from the greyhound people is to introduce the dogs out on the sidewalk, where they'll be off the resident dog's perceived territory. Then walk them into the house together. We tried this when I brought home Walt the Greyhound, and it worked. At the time I had a German shepherd that desired nothing more than to eliminate the plague of dogdom from the surface of the earth -- except, of course, for herself.

We also muzzled both dogs until we were sure they would not try to take each other out  -- the muzzles came off after about 15 minutes. Greyhound handlers use a type of hard plastic muzzle sort of like a doggy catcher's mask -- it doesn't bind the dog's mouth shut, so Pooch can pant and even drink water through the thing. Halti makes something sort of like it, and it seems to come in different sizes. If you really think your older dog is dangerously possessive, it might be worth ordering one from Amazon or waypoints.

But those were adult dogs, one of which was a menace on four wheels. A puppy + an adult dog may be a different matter. Cassie has twice accepted a puppy's presence with no problem, seeming to recognize the new beast as a "baby" and behaving differently toward it than she does toward some other dogs. But Cassie is not dog-averse, nor is she especially dominant. In her case, the issue is to keep the puppy from wearing her to a frazzle by jumping and climbing her.

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Permalink Reply by Anna Morelli on August 7, 2014 at 9:10am

If you are bringing home a very young puppy ( 7 to 10 wks. ) your 18 month old may overwhelm him.  They are in a fast growth period and still need a lot of sleep, so I would make sure he gets that quiet time.  I would't worry about jealous, I would be more concerned about setting limits, then both will know where they fit in and how they are expected to behave.  I second the ideas of training for the older one and X-Pen or puppy gates / crate.  I would, as Jane says, allow the pup to get used to his surroundings without the other one around at first, as a new environment can be scary to some pups, then make sure the older one will be gentle, or leash him.

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