So you’re thinking about adopting a second dog? Do you have a vision that both dogs will be best friends, play and run around the backyard together, and then snuggle on the dog bed together at the end of the day? We have almost always had two dogs at the same time in our family.
But wait, how do you know they’ll be best friends? Are you friends with everyone you meet? Most of us have people we are acquaintances with because we have to be, then we have a small group of close friends that we go out and have fun together.
Don’t expect your dog to love every dog just because you do. And don’t be disappointed if your current and a newly adopted dog don’t hit it off right away. It’s okay for them to just coexist, they don’t need to snuggle and be best buds just because you want them to.
Just as a side note, I am going to refer to your current dog has HE or HIM and your new dog as SHE or HER, just to try and make things less confusing.
Prepare for Adopting a Second Dog
Step 1: Start off by selecting the right dog to be his companion
Think about your current dog’s personality. Try to find a new dog to adopt that will complement or match your current dog’s energy and personality traits.
Is your dog fearful or lacking in confidence? A perfect companion may be a confident dog to help teach him to become more confident in himself.
Is he a senior or low-energy dog? Then, bringing in a puppy or a high-energy dog may just annoy him. Puppies like to play, bite, and crawl over and will not leave your adult dog alone. Consider adopting a 3-5-year-old dog or even another senior dog.
If your dog has any behavior issues, please ask yourself, “Should I get another dog”? Those bad behaviors are only going to get worse when getting a second dog.
Also, consider gender and size.
Opposite sex may get along better than same sex. In general, I recommend adopting opposite sexed dogs. When that is not possible, the second best option is to have two males. Two females are the most likely to have issues.
Bringing Home Another Dog: Day 1
Step 2: Keep the dogs separate
Here are certain steps to take when introducing a new dog to your pack. These steps are very important to keep the balance in your house.
I learned about this process when we first started fostering. The rescue insists that we keep our foster dogs and resident dogs separate for a minimum of 24 hours. I’ll be honest, when I first heard this, I thought they were crazy. How was I going to possibly keep our dogs separate for an entire day? But they are right; it really works and creates a much smoother transition.
I’ve personally gone through these steps many times. Not only with my own dogs, but every single time we bring in a foster dog. It works; as hard as it may seem, these steps help create a calm and balanced transition.
Even the easiest, happy dogs can get stressed when another dog enters their home. It’s only 24 hours, one day of separation that can change the relationship of your dogs forever.
Step 3: Bring the new dog inside the house.
Do not allow the new dog to run loose in the house yet. Keep her on a leash; in fact, I recommend keeping her on a leash for several days until you get to know her behavior inside the house.
Use a bedroom or a baby gate to separate an area in your home for the new dog to relax and adjust to his new surroundings.
Keep this separation for 24-48 hours, depending on the dog. If they seem to be calm and both dogs are easygoing, then 24 hours is more than enough.
Remember, your newly adopted dog is undergoing a lot of new things and can easily be stressed out. If your resident dog won’t give her space, then consider a bigger separation.
Read the Bringing Your New Dog Home and the 3-3-3 Rule for more details.
Day 2 or 3 with Your Dogs
Step 4: The first meeting
After the 24-48 hour separation period and both dogs are calm, you can start the introduction stage. You need someone to help you with this step.
Never introduce your new dog inside your house.
If you have more than two dogs, introduce one dog at a time. Starting with the calmest and easy-going dog first.
Take both dogs for a long walk. The resident dog in front of you, the newly adopted dog behind with your helper (in a single file, not side-by-side yet).
Walk parallel to each other about 10 feet away, slowly working your way
closer together.
After a good long walk, when both dogs seem calm, allow them to sniff each other’s rears (it’s a dog thing).
Watch the dog’s body language, showing of teeth, growling, stiff erect tail, stiff body stance, ears back, or raised hackles. If any of these occur, give a firm NO, and continue walking. Do not allow this to escalate; as soon as you see ANY of those signs, separate the dogs and start to walk again.
Keep these first interactions short and sweet. Don’t overwhelm either dog with too much sniffing. Once they have a minute to check each other out, start walking again. Repeat several times until everyone is calm.
Once this meeting is successful, you may go on to the next step of bringing the dogs inside the house. The resident dog should be allowed to enter the home first, then allow him to welcome the new dog inside.
Step 5: Giving the new dog more space
You can take down the baby gate now and give your new dog a little more freedom. I still recommend restricting one area or floor of your home; in fact, I recommend this for up to a week or more.
If you have a fenced backyard, then allow the dogs to run around free outside together. Keep these sessions short, again, not to overwhelm either dog. Allow both dogs to come inside and investigate each other.
Never leave the two dogs alone. If you cannot closely supervise them, then put them in their crates or separate rooms.
Step 6: Resource Guarding
If your dog has never had another dog in the house, you may not know if he has resource guarding issues.
Resource guarding can be the guarding of people, food, toys, dog beds, or any object the dog feels it needs to claim. You need to be super-aware of the signs, and if you’ve never witnessed it before, it may catch you off guard at first.
Watch for a showing of teeth, growling, stiff erect tail, stiff body stance, ears back, whale eyes, or raised hackles. This is a time you really need to learn your dog’s body language.
If you have a resource guarder, then you will need to be super vigilant on feeding time, bones, toys, dog beds, or whatever he likes to guard. Even if you don’t think either dog is going to resource guard, I still suggest having separate feeding areas.
Read Why is My Dog Aggressive with Food – Resource Guarding?.
Day 4 and Beyond with Two Dogs in Your Pack
Step 7: Continue taking it slow
Take a lot of long walks together as a pack. Keep both dogs tired by giving them more than enough exercise. A bored dog equals trouble. Continue being super aware for several weeks or even months, depending on the dog’s personality and temperament.
Read Top 5 Reasons to Take Your Dog for a Walk.
Watch for any signs of stress in either dog. If either dog gets overwhelmed, reduce the time they have together and slow it down even more.
Why is it so important to slowly introduce the dogs?
A newly adopted dog is under a tremendous amount of stress. The resident dog is wondering who the heck this new dog is and why she is in his territory.
Mix these feelings together, and you will get a dogfight. Not because either dog is aggressive, but because it takes time to unwind and to help both dogs understand the situation.
Is it better to have two dogs?
Having two dogs is better for our family, but maybe not for yours. Consider everything that goes into owning two dogs: including picking up more dog poop, more dog hair, more training, and more expensive vet bills. Does your current dog really want a companion, or is it all about you?
I wish you all the best of luck with the new addition to your family. Having two dogs can be a lot of fun. Leave a comment below and let me know all about your new dog and how the introductions went. Any additional tips to share with the Rescue Dogs 101 Community?
Up Next:
We are adopting a 13 week old catahoula mix (possibly a poolahoula) named Roxy later this week and already own a 1.5yo wirehaired pointing griffon named Rowdy.
Roxy has not been on walks yet, and is not fully vaccinated to do so. The two did meet at the foster’s house, but Roxy was shy with Rowdy. What is your recommendation for the safest transition into our family?
Take all the steps mentioned in this post. Slow intros are key, even though they’ve met already and Roxy is a puppy. Feel free to join us in our free Facebook group for other rescue dog parents! https://www.facebook.com/groups/690535831406635/
Very helpful. Wish me luck as I introduce a second dog today!
Good luck! Remember to just take it slow 🙂
I couldn’t do the introduction the way I wanted Lu lu is a year and half had her since 8 weeks Savanna is a year had her dropped off at my home this is her 3rd home and her forever home but Lu is having a hard time with it ur advise is great we shall work on our issues
I have a 2y.o. wonderfully behaved pup (German Shepherd mix) who loves to socialize with people and dogs. When we don’t see others on our walks, or are ignored/ avoided by others (no judgement), my doggy ends up looking disappointed/depressed (the chin on ground sigh). I play with him and do lots of training, but he just has the personality of an ambassador. For this reason, I have decided to get a second dog. Just wondering if I am overlooking something.
Thanks,
Martha, how does he do with other dogs in your home or yard? Every dog is different, so it’s hard for me to say if you are doing the right thing by adopting another dog. Many dogs like to be around other dogs, and there are many dogs that prefer to be alone. You know your dog best, do what you think is right for him. Maybe consider fostering a dog and see how it goes. That way if it doesn’t work out, there is no long term commitment.
Hi Debi,
Your article was really insightful for me. I’ve spent the past few days doing research on the second dog matter, since my partner and I are passionate about dogs and are intending to adopt from a local shelter, but I’m afraid I’ll have to work on my dog’s personality first.
We have a two-year-old female who was rescued from the streets at a very young age (about three weeks old) and maybe that’s why she’s easily scared and feels like we (her human family) are always there to protect her.
We’ve tried introducing her to other dogs before and she always hides behind me. I do believe she would love having a dog buddy, she’s the sweetest, but now, after reading your article, I’m starting to wonder it’s not the right time for her, or even if it’ll ever be.
We spend half the day out at work and she’s home alone, so one of the reasons we want to adopt another dog is really to keep her company.
So, my question is, should I keep working on having her meet other dogs before we bring in a brother or sister? Or should I start considering she was made to be an only child?
It’s a good idea to keep working with her to build the confidence. If you do decide to adopt another dog, make sure it is confident dog. Maybe an older dog that is more calm and can be a support to your current dog. Finding the right fit will be key in it all working out.
Hi Debi,
Thank you for the information! I have fostered my first pound dog she is aprox 2yrs old. We have her in our home already and was scheduled to be fixed however she is in heat 2nd day into fostering. I also have another female dog around the same age. I was too quick at introducing them and which lead to my foster becoming defensive and aggressive, since then I have had my foster separated in another room and leashed when out of the room. This is my fosters 6th day do you have any advice on how to handle a dog on heat and in a new home with another dog? I have ordered a crate also. Any further advice would be much appreciated.
Lara, this is a tough situation to be in for sure! The best advice I have is to keep them separate until her cycle is over and you can have her spayed. A lot of hormones running through your house right now along with stress. Good luck!
Hi Debi
Thanks for the information on this website. Unfortunately we found your website a bit late after introducing a 2nd dog into the house. It is a six month old young Jack Russell. Our older dog is 18 months old. Both female. Probably worse case scenario. We missed all crucial steps first up. Unfortunately we introduced them in the house, with the older dog going off like crazy. Problem we having is that the younger dog(who is a bit heavier) is dominating the older dog. Do you have any tips or ideas, or have we blown this.
Regards Chris and Yolanda
It’s never too late to start over. Read The Truth About Adopting Two Dogs at Once, that may help with some suggestions on how to work with two dogs of the same sex. I recommend resetting and start over. Don’t be afraid to separate them at times and seek a behaviorist if you feel it’s getting worse.
Hi! My current rescue sleeps with me, has free roam of the house, and although I know the experts say not to do so, but I free feed her as well, (she has never been an over eater, she’s very healthy). SO, I’m thinking of bringing in another rescue. I’m planning on crating him while I’m at work, until he is comfortable, with his schedule, and with my current dog, my question is, would it also be best to crate him at night? He will eventually be allowed to sleep with us or where he is comfortable when he is ready. Thank you ahead of time for your advice.
Yes I would recommend crating him anytime you can not watch him, so that includes at night when are sleeping. You will also need to reconsider the free feeding. It’s impossible to free feed two dogs in the same house and know which one is getting the food… unless of course you are watching them 24/7. Food left out can also cause some resource guarding in even the sweetest dogs. So I suggesting transitioning your current dog to a feeding schedule. Good luck!
Hi.
I have a 1 year old and am collecting a 4 year old rescue dog in a few dogs. Both are very friendly.
Does it matter that the new dog is older than our current dog?
Age shouldn’t really matter. Just keep in mind that the 1 year old may have more energy than the 4 year old. I would abide to the same set of rules. Good luck!
About to pick up our second dog today! I work night shifts and have been reading the vast majority of your articles. I feel a lot better about introducing the rescue(Nyla) to our pack. Thank you for the insight and advise! I’ll be happy to update in the following days or even ask questions!
Awesome, congrats on your new dog! I’m so excited for you. I would love to hear the updates.