Help! How do I introduce Katie to Nigel?
They introduced her to his adult intact male dog in the house and she growled at him. Now they are seperated. I think we will introduce the dogs outside in the backyard where dogs rarely tread. Nigel is still intact, but he is only 5 months old. They never had a problem with her at the rescue. She went out in a yard and played with the other dogs. I am thinking intact and inside were the two issues. She will be here Sunday and I don't want trouble. They should be ok since he is still a pup...she is spayed now. I also think I should bring her back there, not my husband as I think she is becoming protective of him already... what do you think guys? Not getting along is not an option. |
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| Here's the process that my trainer advised for introducing our new pup to our older dog....
Both on leashes Meeting for the 1st time outside, and in the context of "We are all going for a walk together" No meeting directly "face to face"...instead just walk them side by side till they have gotten a sense of each other. The fact that Nigel is a pup will probably help a lot. Abby (our adult girl) immediately claimed Bert as "her" puppy....even though he was 6 months old at the time. 
Remember to be calm and relaxed, as the dogs will pick up on your feelings. Good luck....I'm so excited for you!  |
| I was just worried she wouldn't like Nigel. She is very good with children (passed the test tonight at my brother in law's). She didn't like the adult male dog. They intro'd them in his house and she growled at him. I asked if he was intact, and they said yes. I also told my husband they should have intro'd them outside.
My fault...I wasn't thinking. I guess I figured she would be fine since they told me she did fine in the play yard at the rescue. I know she is a great dog who had a bad start...it has to be ok. I am probably worried for no reason, after all, 5 months is still a puppy. I don't want to neuter him until he is done growing though. Hopefully she will be ok with him. 
I must be a worrier. |
| Don't worry! They will pick up on it. I definitely second the meeting outside while on a walk strategy. It would be great if you and your husband met up while walking them separately for a while before bringing them home. Then I think some time in the backyard before going in the house would be good. I would also pick up all the stray toys and bones in the house before you bring them in together. You don't want some random prized object to cause a fight.
Good luck! Can't wait to hear how it goes. |
wendy58 wrote: I was just worried she wouldn't like Nigel. She is very good with children (passed the test tonight at my brother in law's). She didn't like the adult male dog. They intro'd them in his house and she growled at him. I asked if he was intact, and they said yes. I also told my husband they should have intro'd them outside.
My fault...I wasn't thinking. I guess I figured she would be fine since they told me she did fine in the play yard at the rescue. I know she is a great dog who had a bad start...it has to be ok. I am probably worried for no reason, after all, 5 months is still a puppy. I don't want to neuter him until he is done growing though. Hopefully she will be ok with him. I must be a worrier. You just want everything to work out, and it will. Remember, everything takes time. I brought a puppy (China) into Violet when she was 15mts old. Just bare in mind the things that may cause a fight, food and toys. The previous advise you have been given is excellent. I hope things go smoothly. |
| Maybe she was a little bit scared of him so growled at him to warn him off and make herself feel a bit braver???? |
| I am going to keep in mind that Katie has been traveling since Tuesday...nothing is normal for her yet. We will take them for a walk together to meet. I just hope my husband comes home before dark. |
| I find when we are introducing a foster to the sheepie mafia it is easier if I bring the newbie into the back yard - take off the leash - and then let the mafia out to meet and greet. |
| I've found a long walk is very useful when introducing a foster to our pack. Before the foster even comes into the house, I take the him/her for a walk around the neigborhood (usually around 2 miles). This gives me an opportunity to observe the dog and see if there may be any issues. Then I get my two resident sheepdogs we go for another walk (yet another 2 miles). And then finally, I add my 15 year old American Eskimo to the group...and we continue our walk. This can be for another mile or two. By the end of this all the dogs are used to each other and tired and I finally bring the foster into the house.
Last thought - I always keep the dogs separated when we feed them. Good Luck Jennifer, Baxter, Cassiopia, Sharkey....and Dustin (current foster) |
| She probably didn't want a strange dog invading her space. I really wouldn't be overly concerned about the growling at this point unless she demonstrated this behavior at the shelter too. It was a warning for the other dog to stay back.
We always did introductions in the backyard one-on-one (after the resident dog got to run and play to burn off some of that energy). We let them observe each other through the window of the door (the new comer is outdoors and has gotten to investigate the backyard first). If things went well, they got to sniff each other through a crack in the door. If there was happy dog behavior, we would open the door and let this ONE dog outside. This way a new dog is not forced to stay close to a dog they may fear. They have the ability to get away. If you have a fence, like a wire fence that you can see through, you might also try keeping her on a leash outside the area and Nigel loose inside. This way you aren't forced to control Nigel and keep him from invading her space but they can sniff and observe each other. Just do it slow so she doesn't feel threatened. Hopefully you'll eventually see some puppy bows and wiggles... but it can take time. Note that occasionally dogs can demonstrated aggression while on a leash but be perfectly fine off-leash. Here's an example of a dog that has leash aggression... http://search.petfinder.com/petnote/dis ... id=9381164 Quote: Last thought - I always keep the dogs separated when we feed them.
Definitely. And until you know if there's any possessiveness over toys, don't leave them lying around unattended. A stupid toy that no one really even wants can start a fight. Just take it slow. |
| OK. I am betting they will be home after dark. I can take them out back and put on some lights and keep just Nigel leashed...that way she won't feel confined. He is a 5 month old idiot right now, so that may be safest. I am sure she will put him in his place when necessary. I just may have to wake him up to intro...he goes to bed early. It is probably necessary since it would be worse to wake up to a strang dog.
By the way, Katie slept in bed with my husband last night...OH NO! |
wendy58 wrote: By the way, Katie slept in bed with my husband last night...OH NO! Looks like you are getting your wish that she will be his dog. Unfortunately you may end up with a very full bed.  |
| I would let her have the run of the back yard for a few minutes, to potty and smell etc.
Then I would let Nigel out. He will probably be submissive, and squirm, and might even lay down and roll over in front of her....He will try to be as cute as possible with her...
If she was dog agressive you would know by now. I wold not be concerned at all about the growl. Dogs can't speak, so she was simply telling him to leave her alone, in doggy language. If he is intact, he might have been rude... |
| "How do I introduce Katie and Nigel?"
Ummm..... With your camera in hand so you can take lots of picture to share with us!!!  
Good Luck. Lots of good advice here. I am sending them get along vibes  |
| Wendy, you've gotten alot of good info on the dogs and their response/behaviors. The one thing I might add is human behavior. Try to relax & enjoy but keep an eye on the doggie's reaction. I'm a firm believer that they can pick up on our emotions & fears.........Kathy |
| The intro was fine. They get along great outside . She seems to guard everything indoors. My husband, me, toys everything. I can't have her going after Nigel all the time. I just put her in time out in her crate after some bad behavior. She doesn't want to share anything...that's not how we do things here.
I am planning on taking them to training together...very soon |
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