Bringing home a new furry family member is an exciting time. You’re thrilled to have your new buddy join the household and see their forever home, but that doesn’t mean your other pets will be as excited. How can you make this integration as smooth as possible? The pet training team from Almost Home Pet Resort in Ft Mitchell, KY, shares three tips they recommend using when introducing a new dog to the family.

Introduce a New Dog to Your Family With These 3 Tips From a Pet Training Team

1. Start Out on a Leash

Don’t let the pups into the backyard and see what happens. It’s better to have control over each dog to see how they do. Keep both pets on a leash, each with a separate person holding the reins, and slowly let them say hello. 

2. Read Your Dogs Emotions

Watch how your original dog reacts. You should know their emotions and tell whether they’re interested in the new pup in a friendly manner. If the dogs are wagging their tails and sniffing one another's rear ends, that’s a great sign. If the pups begin trying to play, give them the chance while leaving them on the leash for a few minutes. 

3. Practice Supervised Time

Even if everything goes well during the initial meeting, you shouldn’t let your dogs be alone together for a while. They need time to get to know one another while under supervision. That could mean keeping the pups in crates while you’re not home.

Give each dog their own solo time in separate areas of the house where your family will love on them individually. This prevents jealousy and provides precious solo time, so the dogs can relax and calm down, especially after all the excitement of playing with a new furry sibling.

With some care and control during their first few weeks together, your dogs will hopefully be fast friends. For help with this introduction, or otherwise managing your pup’s behaviors, consider calling the pet training team at Almost Home Pet Resort at (859) 356-8181. Visit the website for information on their over 40 years of showing, breeding, and training. The company offers indoor and outdoor dog runs as well as deluxe rooms in their kennel and boarding facility.