What’s the best way to introduce a new dog to my resident dog?

Start the introduction on neutral ground such as a park or street that is not on your dog’s walking route. Have someone else take your dog and you can meet them with the new dog at an assigned spot. Let the dogs greet and sniff each other. If this is successful, you may be ready for a leash walk on the home front. The dogs must be supervised and rewarded for good behavior as they are getting to know each other. Be careful so that there are no items such as food bowls, special toys, or rawhides laying around that might provoke a fight. You should probably feed them separately where they can’t see each other as well. They must establish a relationship between themselves and this may go smoothly or not so smoothly depending on the individual dogs. Do not mix an old, geriatric dog with a puppy. It is too hard on both dogs. For more detailed information, see our handouts on Canine Rivalry and Introducing a New Dog Into Your Household.