04/07/2025
Meet Finn and Mac! Mac was adopted by his now owners from someone who kept him confined in a crate for nearly his entire life. When Mac was adopted, his owners also had a dog named Luke. Mac and Luke ended up being friends, despite Mac's lack of socialization with his previous owners. Sadly, last year Luke crossed the rainbow bridge. This year, Finn joined the family. As a precaution, his owners hired me to ensure a smooth transition. If you have an existing dog and plan on bringing in a new puppy, you need to have a plan in place on how to introduce them.
Tips for bringing in a new puppy:
1. Learn dog body language, particularly precursors for the established dog. Whale eyes, side eye, a stiff body, a furrowed forehead and pinned ears are just a few examples of what to look for. Intervene appropriately and as needed when these behaviors are observed.
2. PUPPY MUST BE ON LEASH! My general rule of thumb is that a puppy must earn the right to be off leash in the house; this especially applies when there are other animals or children in the home. Because will not have verbal control over your puppy yet, the only form of control you will have is the leash. Not only is it unfair for your other pets or children to get clobbered, it is your job to make sure that everyone stays safe and to set everyone up for success.
3. Teach basic behaviors ASAP. Recall and place are priority.
4. Any form of controlled interaction is beneficial. Side by side training sessions or walks together are a great example.
The more that you practice and train throughout the day, the faster your success will be. I often get asked "how many sessions will I need" or "how long do you think this will take"? Those questions are limited by two factors: each individual dogs personality and the amount of work that you put into meeting your goal.
Jamie has put an immense amount of work into these two pups and it shows. It's only been three weeks since our first session. Additionally, Finn is only 12 weeks old. This is incredible progress for a puppy of that age. This is also remarkable progress for Mac, who couldn't even be in the same room as Finn when we met (he was unsure and avoidant; that made Jamie uncomfortable). When you do your homework, it pays off, y'all. This is proof.
*Not all dogs will progress this quickly even with hard work; some dogs are going to take longer than others and every case is different. But if you don't consistently complete your homework, it will take even longer*
