Many of us consider getting a second dog, in the hopes that she will help keep our existing dog busy and out of trouble. However, if our resident dog is not well trained, it is more likely that our new dog will pick up on his bad habits.
In the end, we will have two furry terrors, instead of just one.
I got Husky puppy Shania, one year after my first dog, Shiba Sephy. I waited a year so that I had time to bond with Sephy and properly train him. Only after I had solved most of his behavioral issues, did I consider getting another dog.
One of the biggest challenges of getting a second or third dog, is the process of introducing her to our existing pack, and getting everyone to accept her. Here, we consider how to successfully introduce a new dog into our home.
1. Meal Time Ritual
Meal time is especially important in a multiple dog household.
Dogs are opportunistic by nature, and during meal times, I have observed that they will try to steal each other’s food. This can often trigger food guarding and food aggression behaviors.
I supervise my dogs during meal times, so that there is no stealing. They each get several interactive food toys to work on, and I make sure they give each other space, while working on their toys.
Often, Husky Shania will work diligently on her items, while Sephy will just lie around sunning himself. He will wait until she is done with her toy, and then pick through what she has left behind.
He is such a moocher! 😀
Sometimes, he will test coming in before Shania is finished, in which case I will step in and body block him away. Through this process, my dogs learn that I will enforce meal-time rules in a fair and consistent manner, so they do not need to do it themselves, with their teeth.
2. Attention, Affection, and Rules
After getting a second dog, it is natural to pay more attention and show more affection toward her, especially if she is a puppy.
However, we must resist that temptation, and try to treat both dogs equally.
If we give our new dog more attention and affection, we may create competition between our two dogs. This may later lead to conflicts and aggression. Instead, I make sure all my dogs follow similar rules, and get similar rewards for good behavior.
If we are too lenient with our puppy and let her get away with more, our existing dog will likely observe that, and pick up on those same bad habits.
I like doing group obedience training with my dogs. This helps them work together as a team, and be comfortable with each other around people, food, and toys. It also helps them to associate together-time with rewards and positive outcomes. I also do their grooming sessions together, including teeth cleaning and fur brushing.
Supervision is very important, especially in the beginning. I teach my dogs what the rules are, and what to do when under stress. In this way, they learn good play and interaction habits. In fact, I still supervise my dogs, but less so now that they are older, and know the rules around the house.
Still, Shiba will always try something from time to time to test his boundaries.
He is that cool! 😎
3. Play-Time Rules
In addition to meal-time rules, play-time rules are also important.
Since Shania is a three legged dog, Sephy may sometimes overwhelm her when he gets over-excited during play. I always make sure he does not get too rough with her.
I manage the excitement level of all of my dogs, by throwing in many play-breaks. During a play-break, I call one dog over to me (the more food focused one), get her to do some simple commands, and reward her well for it. This usually gets the other dogs to join in, so we do a brief group obedience session. These brief breaks help my dogs to calm down, refocus on me, as well as practice doing commands in the middle of play.
I also institute a no-humping rule, because it can be seen as a dominance move by other dogs (especially new dogs). I do not want my Shiba practicing these types of behaviors. The more he practices it, the more likely he is to repeat it; possibly in an inappropriate context. Shania also dislikes it, so humping is a time-out offense.
Some people prefer to let the dogs “work it out for themselves”.
Personally, I think it is best for us to set and enforce play-time rules and household rules. By doing so, I ensure that there is no bullying, and my dogs do not become fearful of each other. Since I am the one correcting their behaviors, my dogs are free to enjoy each others’ company, and need not use aggression. They learn to see each other as playmates and equals. If there is ever any trouble, they can come to me and I will take care of it. To me, that is what leadership means.
4. A Quiet Place to Rest
When I first got a new dog, I made sure that Sephy had a nice and quiet place to rest, away from the nibbles of a playful puppy. Like us, a dog may want some time to spend, in peaceful solitude. This is especially important if our resident dog is older, and tires more easily.
A puppy can be a crazy ball of energy and a big handful, not just for the people around the house, but also for the existing dogs.
I set up a consistent routine for my second dog, similar to what I did for my first dog. I make sure that she has a fixed schedule for meal-time, play-time, walk-time, and sleep-time.
When it is time for sleep, little Husky goes into her crate or puppy pen. In this way, my adult dogs get to rest, and so does my little puppy. Now that Puppy is older, it is no longer necessary to manage them so closely. Both dogs are able to regulate themselves, and give each other space when they need it.
Still, they each have separate crates that they can go to whenever they want, and they also have access to the backyard.
If I am not home, which does not happen often, Husky prefers to stay out in the backyard and Shiba likes staying in the house. I still do not fully trust them to be alone together, because their play can get pretty crazy, they may get over-excited, and end up hurting themselves.
5. Conflict Over Resources
When we get a new dog, there is a lot of uncertainty. Everyone in the family is learning how to interact with Puppy, and Puppy is learning how to interact with everyone else.
Conflicts may arise between our two dogs, when they both want the same thing at the same time; for example, food, toys, sleeping area, or our attention and affection. An effective way to keep the peace, is to be clear about resource ownership and teach them how to resolve conflicts without aggression.
For example, if one dog is chewing on a toy, I am there to supervise and prevent stealing. If I am not fast enough and some stealing occurs, I usually replace what was stolen plus an added interest. The thief has to either go to his bed or go to timeout, thereby temporarily losing his freedom. In addition, I also reward my dogs for staying calm together, and for working together with me.
In summary, I try to maximize positive interactions with the new dog, as well as minimize bad encounters. The more positive experiences my dogs have with each other, the more they will accept each other as part of a team. The opposite is also true.
If we establish clear dog-to-dog interaction rules, our new dog will quickly learn what is expected of her, and our existing dogs will also know what to expect from the new puppy. This reduces uncertainty, reduces stress, and helps everyone to relax and enjoy each other’s company.
Second Dog – Double Trouble or Double Fun?
So which is it?
Is a second dog double the trouble or double the fun?
I think if properly handled, a new dog can be a big enhancement to everyone in the family.
I am very glad Shania joined our family. Everyone has a happier, much richer life, because of her spirit, exuberance, can-do’ness, and overall awesomeness!
However, she was a lot of work, especially in the beginning, and the dog bills are much heftier.
Still, Shania gives a thousand-fold more than she gets, and Sephy will be the first to say that he loves her more than words can say. When she is away, he just spends his time moping around the house.
Thanks to Colleen and Reptar for bringing up this fun and important topic.
recently ive got a new female husky pup 5 months old ,, where i do have a 7 months old pup”male” at the beginning they were not friendly as friendly .. but it was cool for them ..
especially for my male pup as he have been with other dogs for 2 months and it as fine with him,
but for the female that i just brought to the house yesterday she start getting jealous of the male when he comes around me,, and actually she infected im with the same thing ,, as soon as i go out for them they will start fighting and the only way to separate them is to go back inside the house. ive been and still trying to get them along with any ways .. but still the aggression in the middle of them .. n this cse , what should i do
from your experience with the huskies direct me to the way where i can get them along
Some things that help with my dogs-
1. I set up clear dog-to-dog interaction rules. There is not stealing, no humping, no bullying, and I *do not* let my dogs correct each other. I set the rules, and if there are any conflicts, I will resolve them in a fair and consistent manner.
2. I supervise them very well especially in the beginning so that I can teach them what the rules are, and resolve any conflicts *before* it escalates into a fight. The more positive and successful interactions they have, the more comfortable they will be with each other. The more fights they have, the more likely they are to fight in the future.
3. I create as many positive experiences as I can by doing group obedience training sessions, supervised play sessions, and more. In this way, my existing dogs learn to see the new dog as an enhancement to their lifestyle, rather than as a competitor for resources.
I describe more of what I do in the article above. For more serious cases of aggression, it is best to get help from a good professional trainer.
We just lost our 13 year old male GSD……….but are fortunate enough to have his 3 year old son ,whom is also a solid black GSD. We all are still morning the loss of the Dad, he was one of a kind!!! But I sense my male 3year old GSD is morning,I try and keep him busy and play,throw ball,walk ,do the normal, and he seems happy!! we tried bringing him inside,but he cried wanting out,so back in their old pen he went,seems ok ,but he is alone now and I do not know what to do for him ,other then what I am?? Should I consider getting another companion for him or wait?? I have read all the articles on this page…………….still at a loss…….. please try and give me advice???
Thank you!
I am sorry for your loss.
I think we all need some time to mourn, and it is not such a bad thing. I am very close to my Husky Shania, so I know I will be pretty devastated when her time comes. But I also know that she will want me to move on and be happy, because that is how she is – living life, sharing her very best, and always ready for action.
I will always remember friends and companions from the past, those who have touched me deeply, and I will always carry them with me. But when the time is right, I will move on and meet new friends.
I can’t say when the right time is because that is different for each of us. I know though that difficult times are less difficult when spent in the company of friends, family, and those we love. And when the time is right, we will know, and we can help each other make the leap forward together.
He is not alone. He has you and you have him, and that is a very good thing to have.
Hi There!
We are looking at getting a second dog. Currently we have an all black 3 year old Male German Shepherd. We had tried to foster a 2 year old male german shepherd and it was fine for about 20 hours. The GSD we had fostered was over-energized, aggressive, and was not a fan when we would give attention to our black GSD, he would get very jealous. There was also no disciplining the fostered GSD as he would growl, eyes would go dark, and would get into a lunging position. This was TOTALLY different then our GSD as we got him when he was 10 months and trained him very well. Needless to say, the 2 year old GSD we had fostered needed to go back to the rescue and be fostered by someone else who we had found out bit and attacked it’s owner – so I’m thinking the issued lied within the fostered GSD, not mine.
Anywho, we are looking to adopt a 6 month old female black GSD. I feel that this is a better match. Would you find that mixing genders is the best way to go? Our dog plays very well with other dogs both inside our home and out in neutral territory so when we had fostered this other one, we were shocked that it didn’t work. Any advice you can give would be great!
Thanks!
Amy
Yeah, when I started looking for a companion for my Shiba Inu (male), I mostly looked at female dogs. I have read that in general, there are *fewer* conflicts between a male and female.
This is *not* to say that two females can’t get along, but the probability for conflicts is likely greater. I actually have 2 female Huskies and they get along very well with each other and with my Shiba.
I think that while gender does play a role while getting a second dog, there are other more significant factors such as temperament of the dog, background, size, and energy level. My Shiba has a pretty dominant personality, so I made sure to pick more submissive dogs as his companions. He also likes wrestling and high energy play, which works out better with larger dogs. Smaller dogs get easily overwhelmed by him.
I finally decided on a Siberian Husky for a companion, because they like wrestling, they are high energy, and they like to play. They are also affectionate dogs, which works out well for the people in the equation because my Shiba is pretty aloof.
Here is more on how I picked a second dog.
Let us know how it goes and big hugs to your boy!
Thank you so much for your response. I do appreciate it. I think that the second dog we tried to adopt was too dominant and as Gunner is an Alpha as well, the two did not jive at all. I am still on the hunt for my boy and will keep you posted! Thank you for your help!!
I just got a new puppy she is a pit mix with husky …. she is really shy
An when she explores the house my older dog bandit growls at her 🙁 she always has her tail tuckedbetween her feet 🙁 I want her to be happy here an I dint know if bandit will let her
🙁 she always comes an cuddles close to me after he growls .
Also my puppy does not like her harness an leash befor we adopted her she would go for walks without leashes an stuff she is a good dog an listens well I’m trying ti get her use to her name though, her name is sita (s-8-ta), she won’t move if I have the harnass on so i was wondering if I could get some advice
Hello Kylie,
Congratulations on your new puppy.
In terms of keeping the peace at home, I set up clear dog-to-dog interaction rules with my dogs. There is no bullying, no stealing, and no humping. If there are any conflicts, I will resolve them in a fair and consistent manner. I do not let my dogs correct each other.
I also set up a fixed routine and a consistent set of rules for my puppy and I supervise her very closely. A puppy that is still small can get accidentally hurt by a larger adult dog, even during play. That was what happened to my Husky puppy Lara. Similarly, I make sure that my adult dogs have a quiet place to rest and relax away from puppy.
I also create as many positive experiences as I can between my new puppy and existing dogs. In this way my dogs will learn that puppy is a big enhancement to their lifestyle, rather than just a pest or a competitor for resources.
I describe more of what I do with my dogs in the article above.
If a dog has more serious aggression issues, then it is best to consult with a professional trainer.
As for collars and harnesses, I slowly desensitize my puppy to these things, and pair them with good rewards and yummy treats. Here is a bit more on how I desensitize my puppy to a collar.
Here is a bit more on how I trained my puppy.
What does it mean when our new puppy keeps presenting herself to our older dog by continuously putting her bottom in her face. They are both females. Sometimes they get on well and play and run around and other times they are nipping at each other.
It is not possible to say without looking at the dogs.
My Sibes sometimes do “butt-checks” with each other during play. It is kind of a wrestling move.
Presenting the butt can also be a sign of submission, an invitation to play, or something else. It all depends on the surrounding context, and what is expressed by the entire body of the dog. For example, a moving tail accompanied by a relaxed and loose body posture, is very different from a moving tail that comes with a rigid and tense posture.
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-behavior/canine-body-language
Hoping to get advice on merging 2 families. I have a mini Xolo/Chinese Crested, a rescue, 16 lbs. My boyfriend has a standard Xolo, also a rescue, 50 lbs. The standard has been with him 2 1/2 years and from the beginning has been small dog aggressive. I’ve had mine 2 months now. Other than basic commands which we are working on, she’s been a joy to have and love. Our issue is the larger Xolo is so aggressive towards small dogs (she has attacked and left marks on other small dogs), that I am extremely concerned about them together. The larger is very strong and takes along of strength to hold her back once she’s in that mind frame she wants to pounce and attack the smaller. She seems to be getting better around people although there are times she gets visibly distressed when seeing people walking on the road or pathways within sight of her. Any suggestions would be welcomed. Thank you in advance. We really want to get them both introduced and hopefully become comfortable enough to be together on a daily basis.
I did desensitization exercises with my Shiba Inu to help him with his dog-to-dog reactivity issues. The key with desensitization is to start with a weak version of the “other dog” stimulus (e.g. by using distance) and to always keep my dog below his reactivity threshold. In this way, Sephy stays in control the whole time, and is able to learn and reassociate other dogs with being calm and with positive rewards.
http://shibashake.com/dog/dog-to-dog-aggression#desensitize
Note though, that aggression toward small dogs *can* be the result of prey drive. Prey drive is an instinct, so it is not something that can be fully “trained away”. However, with proper training, management, and supervision, we can have it under control.
http://www.dogways.info/the-canine-prey-drive-instinct
Based on what you describe, I would get help from a professional trainer to accurately identify the source of the aggression, and then come up with a good and safe plan for properly managing the behavior.
http://www.apdt.com/pet-owners/choosing-a-trainer/
I was wondering if you would be able to answer a question for me, or give me a little advice on the subject. My husband and I are going to be getting a 2nd dog this week (providing the new dog, and our current dog seem to get along when we introduce them) The issue isn’t really whether or not they will get along as our 2 year old Beagle has always been excellent with other dogs, and has never not gotten along with a dog, and it sounds like the 3 1/2 Border Collie/Jack Russell Terrier mix we are currently looking into has also never had any problems with making friends. Both are males, neutered, and well socialized. My only concern is the day we go pick the new dog up. The new dog, Jake, lives 5 hours away. We will obviously be bringing our Beagle Bentley along with us for the 1st introduction, but we’re not sure how we should set up the trip back with two dogs. Our Beagle rides well in vehicles, but only if he has his crate. (He freaks out if the crate door closes though) according to Jakes current owner, he also travels well, but I’m worried about the stress he’s already going to be under. If it was a short car ride, I wouldnt be so worried, but 5 hours in a new vehicle, with new people, and a new dog, that might be too much for him to take at once. We do plan on stopping at least once along the way to bring the dogs for a walk, but do you have any other suggestions? Jake is not trained to be in a crate while travelling. We do own an SUV if that helps at all. I just don’t want either of the dogs being in an unsecured area of the vehicle in case we were to get into an accident. We just don’t want to cause any more stress on either dog during this introduction period.
Thanks in advance!
Congratulations on getting a new dog.
In terms of long trips, I prefer to put each of my dogs in a separate closed crate. As you say, it is safest that way.
It sounds like it would be ideal if the owner of the Border Collie mix could drive him over to your place. Is this possible? If not, perhaps there could a meet in a closer in-between location?
Given what you say here, I would also consider meeting with the Border Collie without your dog. But this would also depend on Jake’s owner and whether he/she is someone you trust. Why is he looking for a new home for Jake? Would he take Jake back if things don’t work out at your place?
Hello there,
my brother recently brought home an adorable husky named Luna. She is around 11 weeks old i think and she has been biting like crazy! A couple of days after bringing her home, she had an unfortunate trip to the vet due to an injury inflicted on her by one of her brothers prior to picking her up. The cut got infected and needed stitches so she spent the first couple of weeks with a cone on her head, making her very irritable and snappy. Once the cone was removed, she seemed to be acting a bit better, but over the last couple of days, she has reverted back to her biting and naughty behaviour and the things that would once work and calm her down, dont seem to be working. Also, she seems to be getting more aggressive and stubborn. We are all really concerned and at our whits end with trying things to change this behaviour. Im more concerned as in the next couple of weeks, im bringing home a small shitzu puppy and am worried how Luna will interact with her. Luna has intereacted with other dogs, but im nervous about bringing in another dog, especially one remarkably smaller than her, as she seems very territorial when people or other dogs go near her things.
Any help and advice on these issues would be great!
Your dogs are adorable!
Thanks 🙂
Husky puppies are very energetic, and they will want to explore and examine everything with their mouth. Dogs do not have flexible fingers like we do, so they manipulate things with their mouth.
This is what I do to train my Husky puppy to stop biting on me. Here are some general strategies on how I control my puppy’s biting behavior.
As for getting a second dog, it is important to note that Siberian Huskies are independent thinkers and many of them have high prey drive. As such, they may want to chase, hunt, or kill small prey animals which may include rodents, squirrels, birds, cats, and sometimes small dogs. If properly trained and supervised, they can get along with house cats and small dogs, but they must be properly trained to do so.
Here is more on how I picked my second dog.
Here are a couple of discussions on Siberian Huskies and small dogs-
http://www.prodoggroomingsupplies.com/dog-forums/showthread.php?t=73746
http://www.dogforums.com/dog-training-forum/115736-siberian-husky-aggressive-towards.html
Thank you for all the wonderful information. We have quite the pack at home with four rescues. Our oldest is about 3 and he is a Dauchshound/Golden. He has always been a grump. Just recently a small Shepard/Border Collie (about 2) came into our lives and he seems to be very calm and sweet. Our problem is the oldest one wants at times to attack the new comer. They walk great together and I have gotten them to relax near each other (both on leases attached to something). I am pretty sure it’s just a matter of time before the grump accepts the new guy and I am not rushing things but I sure would like to encourage them to be friends as soon as possible and not worry that they would get into a fight. We have had the Shepard mix about three weeks now and he just got fixed the other day.
Heh, yeah Sephy was our grumpy one. He is also the oldest and is not a fan of change. I made sure to keep things consistent for him, and made sure our new dog did not disrupt his schedule and lifestyle. I would leave Sephy to roam as he pleases but have puppy on-leash. In this way, I can keep puppy from disturbing Sephy.
Sephy really loves to play though, and he likes certain types of food. Therefore, I used those things to get him to see new puppy in a positive light. I would engage puppy in fun games, we would make a lot of noise, and invariably, Sephy will come up on his own to join in. I would continue to supervise and make sure everybody follows play rules. The more successful play sessions they had, the more Sephy warmed up to the new dog.
I also do obedience training with puppy using food that Sephy likes, and he will come on his own to join in on those too.
In the end, I think he was able to see that the new puppy would be a big plus to his lifestyle, with very few negative aspects. What worked for Sephy = Maximize successes, minimize negative encounters, and let him make the decision to join in on his own.
Hey there, we have an 8month old siberian husky male. We saved another dog who is also about 8months old and is a Labrador female. Now our husky seems to love playing with her etc but he seems to have gone from our happy, silly playful pup who has a real personality to a really quiet cuddly dog who doesn’t like playing with us as much anymore. Any idea why this would be happening? do u think it’ll just take time for him to go back to normal or does this second dog provide a problem. We show them both the same amount of attention etc, feed at the same time, but separate, play with both of them, they both sleep inside and if need be both get put outside together. Any ideas?
Would be much appreciated
Thanks
Yeah, when we first got puppy Lara, Shania spent a lot of time with her as well. When Lara went into her puppy enclosure for nap time, Shania would be outside making sure she is ok. When Lara wakes up, and goes out for potty and play, Shania will come along too. 😀
After some time though, we all settled into a comfortable routine, and each dog likes spending time with each other, as well as with their people.
Is he still as energetic as before, but just spending a bunch of his energy on his new friend? Has anything else changed, for example with his appetite? When did you rescue the Lab? Has she gone for her vet checkup?
A new dog will usually create changes in routine and behavior for everyone in the family. Here are some things that help with my dogs –
1. I make sure that everyone is healthy and that the changes are not a result of any physical issue.
2. I set up a new routine as soon as possible, and set up consistent interaction rules. Changes in routine can cause uncertainty and stress in dogs. Setting up a consistent schedule and rules will help to reduce uncertainty, and show everyone what to expect.
3. Both Shania and Lara are very food focused, so we do a lot of fun activities together involving food. I follow the Nothing in Life is Free program with all of my dogs.
Big hugs to your two pups!