Got A Rescue Dog And Already Have A Dog At Home? 3 Tips On Bringing The New Dog Home
If you have decided to get a rescue dog but you already have a dog at home, you will have to do things a little differently. To help you get started, below are three tips on bringing the dog home so each of your dogs can get started on the right foot.
Take the Rescue Dog to the Vet
The first thing you should do is to take the rescue dog to your vet. This way you can be sure the dog is in good health. For example, if the dog has any type of pain this will cause them to be much more aggressive. The vet can also check the rescue dog for parasites, heartworms, hook worms, and more. The vet will do blood tests to check the dog's iron level.
If the dog is very underweight the vet will put it on a special diet to help it get up to its normal weight. The vet will offer treatment that the dog needs, such as heart worm and flea medication. This will ensure the dog is safe for the dog that you have at home.
Let Your Dog and the Rescue Dog Meet
Never walk the new dog into your home without first introducing your dogs. This could cause your current dog to become immediately defensive and would take much longer for each dog to get along. Instead, ask someone to help you.
Take each dog somewhere away from your home and let them meet casually. For example, if you live in a quiet neighborhood you could start out walking the dogs around the block. The first time walk them in separate directions, so each dog can meet in the middle.
Once the dogs meet, let them sniff each other for as long as they want. If any dog growls at all, then pull them away from each other and try the same thing again later. If the dogs do not growl, keep walking them in the same direction.
Bring Dogs Inside Your Home
Once the dogs get used to each other walk each dog to your home. Make sure your friend walks your dog up the driveway first and then then you walk the rescue dog behind them. Let each dog interact outside for a while and when you want to go into the home let your dog enter the doorway first.
It will take your dogs time to get used to each other. For this reason, never leave them alone in the beginning.
A veterinarian, such as at Countryside Animal Hospital, can give you many more tips to help your dogs get along with each other.
