ADDING A NEW ANIMAL TO THE HOUSEHOLD...(Part 2)

INTEGRATION: DOGS

Integrating an animal is important when you have an established household with other animals. There are specific things you should consider BEFORE you attempt to do this (Read Part 1: Considerations). The main concerns are: Can you really handle a new animal? and How will your animals react to the newcomer? These questions require some thought and will give you some good ideas as to what to expect. Depending on what type of animal household you have, and what type of pet you are bringing in, will determine how you handle things.

One good way to evaluate how your existing pets might react is to look at the interactions they have with others. Are they good with human visitors? How about animal visitors? Do they have friends that they visit and play with? Do other animals come over to visit them at your house? The more positive interactions your animals have the more likely they will react positively to a new addition to the home.

If your animals react fearfully to new situations, people or things, then the chances are the integration with a new animal will be difficult. Also, you will need to familiarize yourself with how to properly handle any flare-ups should they occur. If you have an older more dominant animal and you interfere with the introduction in the wrong way, you can actually escalate the aggression and make it worse. Remember, it is their home and their territory and you have brought in a stranger....at least tell them you are going to do it and give them praise for tolerating the newcomer. How would you feel if your significant other or spouse brought home a stranger to live with you without telling you? Would you be gracious about it?

TEN KEYS TO SUCCESSFUL INTRODUCTIONS

1. HAVE A NEUTRAL TERRITORY FOR INTRODUCTIONS
2. CONTROL & SUPERVISE INTRODUCTIONS
3. AGE DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE
4. WATCH YOUR REACTIONS!
5. BE ALERT TO NATURAL BEHAVIOR RULES
6. GRADUALLY INCREASE INTERACTIONS
7. TIME FACTOR FOR INTEGRATION
8. ALLOW FOR ADAPTATION
9. CHOOSE A BENEFICIAL TIME PERIOD FOR THE INTRODUCTION
10. HAVE REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS & GET HELP IF YOU NEED IT!

Let's look at a couple of situations with the same species. In Part 3 we will look at different species and get into brief examples of behavior and strategies of dealing with the animals successfully.

SAME SPECIES: DOGS
Younger dogs in the household are usually pretty open to newer pups. It is the older animals who may have a bit of discomfort with the transplanted pooch. Bowser could be male or female, it really doesn't matter since they will have the same complaints. Intact (unneutered) animals will tend to have more difficulties than those who are neutered. My personal preference is to have animals neutered BEFORE relocation. Remember that it can take several weeks for the hormonal surges to calm down after the operation and the animal should be sufficiently recovered before attempting relocation since both activities are stressful.

1. HAVE A NEUTRAL TERRITORY FOR INTRODUCTIONS
When you first introduce any animals it is best to do so on neutral territory. A bad place to introduce a dog would be right next to the dinner bowls! Better places would be in the front yard or on a walk or when you go to pick up the animal.

2. CONTROL & SUPERVISE INTRODUCTIONS
The best type of introduction is where the animals have space to move around. They should always be supervised but allowed to move or get away from each other. Sometimes a friend's or neighbor's fenced yard is ideal. Put the new animal in the area first and then bring your animal in.

This type of introduction can also be done through fencing or with an escape route for one or both of the animals. It should also be supervised by adults. An example would be an introduction in a yard with an escape route into a confined area or an area where you could block the other animal from entering.

With an older dog and a puppy introduction where you are a bit unsure, it usually will be okay to leave the pup with free range and have control over the older animal. Again, it depends on the situation and attitude of your animal. A fearful dog with no friends may be harder to introduce a new animal to. However, in some other cases they are easier to introduce to new dogs because of those tendencies.

3. AGE DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Younger animals tend to be more easily acceptable. They usually will greet the older established animals with the proper social etiquette of submissiveness. (ie., They acknowledge the older dog as the "Big Cheese") The older animal will usually posture and accept the pup or posture and growl or snarl at the newcomer. Many times this is because the happy pup pushes the limits to see where the boundaries are and it is necessary for the older dog to show them the limits.

4. WATCH YOUR REACTIONS!
Since you can trigger aggression by tension on the leash, I do not always recommend having the dogs restrained this way. It is an option if you are worried and have no other alternative. In that case, both animals could be controlled on the leash with the owners far enough away from the dog that the complete leash only allows the dogs to sniff each other and that the owners will only have to take a step back one step to eliminate access. It is best to keep the leashes without tension.

5. BE ALERT TO NATURAL BEHAVIOR RULES
Often, concerned owners will interfere incorrectly. Most times it is better for you to ignore the situation and let the dogs work it out. It is okay to scold the dog if they continue to go beyond a reasonable limit. DO NOT rescue the other dog or pick it up and ostracize the established animal! Why? Because you will make the situation worse. If you do this you are interfering with the natural dog social order and the pup you rescue will have more serious repercussions to face later. Also, you need to praise your established animal for tolerating the changes. Praise what you want and ignore or verbally correct that which you don't.

Another important rule is to always give the older more dominant animal the proper recognition and praise. If the new pup comes up to you with the older dog, follow their rules and greet the older dog first. Praise him for being good and then acknowledge the pup. It will save you all from a tremendous amount of trauma!

6. GRADUALLY INCREASE INTERACTIONS
You may want to allow for some private time for each of your animals. Feeding areas may or may not be an issue. Toilet areas, toys, treats, sleeping arrangements and daily schedules are things you will need to think about handling before introducing the new animal. This could be a very smooth transition if you do.

7. TIME FACTOR FOR INTEGRATION
Depending on the individual animals and a number of other influences, the transition can be pretty fast or fairly long. Some animals adapt immediately while others will take up to six months! Allow for ample adjustment time. The more effort and research you put into this effort BEFORE you get a new animal the smoother and faster you can make the transition. It is critical to not leave the animals alone unattended during the integration process. If you do, chances are you may have opened the window for an opportunity to fighting and chances of injuries from aggressive interactions. Isolate the animals from each other when you are gone until you are sure they get along well and are comfortable.

8. ALLOW FOR ADAPTATION
This is important because sometimes animals will revert to old "bad" behavior problems due to stress. Allowing for minor changes in scheduling or temporary movement of things such as bedding or feeding locations may be necessary. Also, behavior problems related to housesoiling or chewing may be noticed and will need compassionate corrections.

9. CHOOSE A BENEFICIAL TIME FOR THE INTRODUCTION
Vacation time is one of the better times to acquire a new animal. It allows you to get to know the new animal and make the transition easier for all concerned. Weekends are good if you are not close to having vacation time. If you have others living in your home, it is a benefit to temporarily see if you can have scheduled days off that overlap or are consecutive. If your days off are Saturdays and Sundays and your partner's are Mondays and Tuesday it can help a lot.

10. HAVE REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS & GET HELP IF YOU NEED IT!
This is probably the most important consideration when getting a new pet. It is important to recognize the needs of the animal as an individual and as a specific breed with traits toward certain behaviors. If you are unsure or think you have gotten in over your head, seek professional help from a behavior expert or even a trainer.