When a new dog is brought into the home there is often a struggle in the pack. Many people believe that the dogs will work this out themselves, and I’m amazed how many calls I get from people who feel this is good advice. Usually, by the time they call me, they’ve figured out its not a good idea. There are the exceptions where it does work out, but usually its a recipe for disaster.
Introducing a new dog into your home is something that should be done in a specific way and is often best done by a professional. Allowing the dogs to work it out presents 2 problems.
1. The dogs are left to work it out, when in fact they need you to guide them along. What can they do, what not. It is imperative that YOU work it out and make sure any dogs that live in your house understand that its your rules and you will not “allow them to work it out.” This can be highly unfair to your current dog. If your dog suddenly feels threatened by another dog and you do nothing about it, it can be very damaging to your own dogs personality.
2. The cost of vet bills can be considerably more expensive than the cost of the professional you should hire.
On a further note it is important to mention that establishing the roles in the pack is something that will effect the entire life of the dogs. Dogs are very comfortable with roles that are clearly defined and clearly established. However, many people allow their dogs to be aggressive toward one another in hopes that they will work it out. The problem with this is that if one dog is aggressive toward another, the other dog has two choices, take it and submit or fight back. If the submissive dog becomes aggressive as well, it becomes a nightmare to fix the behavior of these two dogs. If one dog acts aggressive toward another the aggressive dog needs immediate attention. This CAN NOT be ignored. It will fester and possibly spread to the other dog. If the aggression is addressed quickly, for the most part, it can be fixed. There are exceptions to this rule, in which case two dogs just can NOT get along and need to always be kept separate, but it takes some time to figure out. A professional trainer / behaviorist is your best bet. Trying to figure this out is very intensive. There are also certain things you can do to restructure your pack, and when followed correctly, can change a dogs behavior.
A dog reacts differently to different dogs he is introduced to. My goal is to have my dog look to me for direction no matter what the behavior of the other dog may be. My dog sees me as his leader and doesn’t make a decision, he looks to me to make them for him. This keeps him safe and strengthens the bond between us. People who feel that their dogs should be free to “be a dog” should not own dogs unless they live on several acres where their dog does not have the risk of endangering themselves by being hit by a car, biting a child or destroying a house. Clear and fair leadership will lead to a happy and content dog. Freedom leads to disaster.