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How To Introduce New Dogs To Other Pets

July 4, 2016 by Mary Telesz

Getting a new dog is an exciting time! For many dog owners, an important element of this transition is introducing the new addition of the family to an already established furry member of the household. With the right knowledge, this process can be smooth for everyone involved.

Dog’s First Impressions Of Their New Family

big dog and small dog meeting for the first timeWhen bringing a new dog into the family, it is always best to start outside. A fenced in yard is a great place to begin. If you have another dog, let the two dogs have plenty of space, with both dogs on leashes. It is good to let the dogs smell each other, and, if they seem up to it, to let them walk around together. Make sure the dogs are able to get to see and smell each other from all sides. If that goes well, try bringing them inside.

Have A Door Between The Two Dogs

Now that the two dogs are inside, a great exercise is to have them be able to smell each other up close and personal, but with a barrier. If your pet is comfortable with this, bring the dog that was already in the house into a room you can close the door to like a bathroom. Then have the two dogs smell each other through the space between the door and the floor. This is a great way for them to get used to the idea of sharing space, while keeping things safe just in case. With close monitoring, dogs can become fast friends. If they do not get along too well, keeping them in separate areas of the house until they get more used to each other is also an option.

Let The Dogs Pre-Smell Each Other

big dog and small dog smelling each other at first interactionAnother tip is to take a sock or washcloth and let one pet hang out with it for a while. Then give it to the other pet for them to get used to the smell. This can help your new pets get to know each other before they even meet for the first time. Exchanging toys between the two pets is also a great way to have them start getting used to the idea of playing together. They will be happy to remember the smell from their toys later when they meet!

Introducing Cats And Dogs

Things can get a little different when cats get thrown into the mix. The above techniques work well, but really what works best in this situation is time. At first, keep dogs on leashes while greeting cats. Cats will hold their own and set boundaries, so as long as your dog is not too aggressive, they will come to terms on their own time. Many cats won’t be over joyed by a dog’s presence in their home, but they usually come to tolerate them. Be careful for dog’s body language around cats—if they look like they are in hunting mode, you might want to reconsider the relationship.

Cycle Pet Locations

When introducing new pets to each other, it can be beneficial to keep one of the pets confined to one area via a closed door or baby gate while letting the other have free roam of the house, switching periodically. This helps the pets get used to the idea of there being another animal in their area. When you notice that the pet is no longer constantly sniffing around for traces of the new animal, that is when you know it is a good time to start letting them hang out together, monitored of course.

Prepare For Strange Reactions To New Pets

dog next to food bowl not eatingPay attention to the small details when it comes to introducing new pets. Your dog or cat may seem fine, but pay close attention to their eating and bathroom habits. Sometimes pets can express their stress in strange ways like not eating or having diarrhea. Make sure that everything is going normally.

Dog Personality Match Making

One of the most important things when matching pets is making sure that their personas will mesh. If you have a very overactive pet, don’t choose an elderly or slow companion. Many adoptable pets have already been in homes with other animals before. This can be very helpful in easing the transition for the pet you already have.

Pets Living Happily Ever After

If all this goes well, it is time to start letting your pets have unmonitored time together. Still be on the lookout, but with everyone calm and happy, pets can be very happy to have companions when you’re not around. Always monitor the demeanor of your pets, and if things start to change, separate and slow down the introduction process. Soon you will have an even bigger family of furry friends to love!

Filed Under: Pet Advice

Contact Paw Pals for More Information

Paw Pals specializes in professional dog walking, dog sitting, and pet sitting services. One of our reliable, adult staff members will keep your pet safe, while providing your pet the love and care they need when you are away. Contact us to learn more!

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Paw Pals Pet Sitting, LLC
14001-C Saint Germain Drive #213
Centreville, VA 20121
(703) 345-1695

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Paw Pals Pet Sitting
Paw Pals Pet Sitting
4.9
Taylor Smith
Taylor Smith
21:22 03 Oct 21
I never worry when Mary and team take care of my dog!
Michæl Silva
Michæl Silva
21:38 01 Jul 22
Mary at Paw Pals Pet Sitting is the greatest! She has helped me train my pooch Chico how play nice with other dogs and for that I am extremely grateful! A+A+A+A+A+A
Kwi Kim
Kwi Kim
22:37 17 Jun 22
I hired Paw Pals based on my sister’s referral. Meet & greet was very thorough and detailed. I was surprised that my finicky cat came to check the sitter out. Subsequently, a sitter watched my cat over several separate visits, and it was clear through the visit reports that my cat loved the sitter. All the visits were completed having followed my directions & with professionalism.I would highly recommend Paw Pals to anyone who’s looking for a dependable, personable, & professional sitter.
Joseph Walter
Joseph Walter
19:55 13 Jun 22
Paw Pals provided a large number of photos of our pets along with a personalized message on how our pets were doing with every single visit. I would highly recommend using Paw Pals, we'll be continuing to use them whenever we go on vacation.
Ashley Manning
Ashley Manning
09:50 11 Jun 22
Highly recommend as pet sitters!Initially, a sitter from the company will visit the house to meet the pets and learn where everything is. Tatiana took careful notes and we got her some spare keys.While we are away, Paw Pals sends sitters to come and look after our boys. They feed them, scoop litter, bring in mail and packages, and they will even manage trash, recycling, blinds and lights so that everything is comfortable for our kitties. Each time they check in, we receive an email message with updates and pictures, which is so comforting when we are on the road.Also, if you don’t let Paw Pals know when you are home, they assume something has happened and will continue to care for your babies. If something were to happen, I know they would be okay.Five stars for Paw Pals!
Brian Wood
Brian Wood
04:08 22 May 22
We have used Paw Pals for a number of years now and would highly recommend to anyone looking for help with their pets. Great communication from owner Mary and flexibility to make adjustments in schedule as life changes over time. Have had a consistent set of walkers who have gotten to know our pup and the various walking routes around our neighborhood quite well.
Lesley Bush
Lesley Bush
13:58 18 Mar 22
We can't rave enough about Paw Pals. They took care of our 18 year old Cat and 20 year old Chinchilla while we were away and when our flight got cancelled, they were so accommodating and available last minute for an extra day. We worked with Jen to coordinate visits from Miko and Danny. I loved the pictures and updates on how our Lil geriatric guys were doing. Thanks a million, Paw Pals!! Our special pets were so well cared for.
Sebastian Barnes
Sebastian Barnes
01:06 17 Jan 22
I have used Paw Pals for several trips over the last few months, and they have been phenomenal every time! Mary is extremely kind and responsive, and she makes sure that my cat and dog have the care that they need every time I am out of town. All of the pet sitters that I've had have been incredibly sweet to my pets, and they treat them like their own! Will gladly continue using Paw Pals every time I need a sitter.
Julie Shildt
Julie Shildt
17:45 14 Nov 21
It has been a pleasure doing business with paw pals. We have used this company for several trips we have taken over the past 6 months. They have been wonderful caretakers for our 2 cats. Anytime there is ever a question they don't hesitate to give us a call and they leave the best notes and pictures in the emailed report of each visit. We are so glad have found such a great company.
Andrea Hall
Andrea Hall
22:45 03 Oct 20
I wasn't sure about hiring a new doggie walker service... after all they are our kiddos... my babies were in great hands and I felt relaxed having them in their care. Thank you for everything!
Katie McCune
Katie McCune
19:19 15 Jul 21
I honestly cannot recommend Mary and her whole crew enough! We started using Mary originally about 7 years ago to stop by occasionally when our Aussie Lana was younger. Over the next couple years Lana stayed with Mary and her family for a couple weekends when we went on vacation. When we moved to our new house in Manassas, Lana stayed with Sam, who lives in Manassas, overnight for moving day, and did great. Right before the pandemic, we adopted our second Aussie, Goose, and Mary recommended a fantastic trainer for him.We now have weekly walks for the dogs, and they love all of their walkers! Trevor, Paul, Hazel, Sofie, and probably a couple others have helped Goose get used to more people, and have helped my husband and me when our schedules are crazy.Paw Pals is our go-to for any help with our dogs, so I highly recommend them!
Alexandra Hill
Alexandra Hill
22:43 23 May 21
I was a nervous mommy to leave my cats with a sitter service for the first time. Paw Pals went above and beyond to care for my cats and ease a nervous mommy. I already made a reservation to use them again!
Cindy Welgoss
Cindy Welgoss
13:12 27 Nov 20
We have been using Paw Pals for several years, and through a variety of pets that we have loved. Mary and her team have always been *exceptional* in every way. They are professional, courteous, and truly love our fur family! Mary herself is an organized and stellar administrator of her pet care business, keeping detailed records of our pet’s needs, scheduled pet visits, payments, and balance due easy to keep track of as the pet owner. The pet caretaking team is reliable and trustworthy. When our dogs see any of their Paw Pal friends, they get SO excited to see them! Follow up comments are left via text to keep the pet owner informed of the visit and how the pets are faring. Paw Pals has allowed our family the peace of mind to leave our pets at home, for work, weekend getaways and longer times away when necessary, where they are the most comfortable and familiar. We are grateful to Mary and her team for giving us the ability to enjoy pet ownership without feeling tied down. The responsibility of having pets comes with the need to keep them safe and comfortable at all times, and Mary and her team affords us this when our family has to be away.
Dr Tammy Cashion
Dr Tammy Cashion
21:11 12 Mar 19
We have used Paw pals pet sitting on multiple occasions for our bunnies while we are away. Many pet sitters are not interested in small pets however; Mary and her team, are amazing and we trust her implicitly! We are very happy with the outstanding service we have received from her team including texts and photos of our pets when we are out of town. They always go the extra mile and we highly recommend them!
Kristin Conrad
Kristin Conrad
16:00 16 Nov 19
We are so grateful we found Mary and her team at Paw Pals. They are exceptionally responsive, amazingly organized and detail-oriented.We have such peace of mind when we travel knowing our home and pets are so well cared for. Paw Pals is the best pet sitting service we’ve used, and we’re so happy we found them.
Katie Russell
Katie Russell
15:01 17 May 20
Paw Pals is fantastic! I have had a great experience with Mary! Compassionate, professional, responsive, and prompt! Thank you!
Phillip Evans
Phillip Evans
14:38 11 Jul 20
When we adopted our new dog in January, Paw Pals agreed to walk her and give her some outside time so she wasn't in the crate all day. She loved her dog walker and you could see her excitement every time the walker showed up. We moved out of the area but would recommend Paw Pals to anyone needing someone to care for their pets.
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