How do I introduce a new(third) dog to my others?

[psyche]

Hello. Long story here: My mom adopted a dog, now she doesn't want it because he's too hard to deal with. I love the dog and I want to try to take him, rather than him having to go to a shelter. I have a 5 yr old male pug and a 4 yr old female pug and a 7 yr old female cat. The new dog is a 1 yr old male pug. He has lots of energy, which I'm going to deal with by walking him 2 times a day with my other 2...and playing with them all a whole lot. My mother claims that he(the 1 yr old pug) bites her other dog playfully and then gets rougher...I love this dog, he is not aggressive, just too playful. He is crate trained also. Can anyone please tell me how I can make this easier? I don't want my current dogs to be mad about the new one. How do I introduce them? Any help would be great! Thanks so much.

 

[pit lover]

have someone put your 2 on a leash, you put the 3rd on one. don't let the 3rd one into your house until they meet. let them meet on the sidewalk. then take them all for a walk together. they need to meet on neutral grounds so that it doesn't seem the new one is trying to overtake the others' territory.

 

[Chigirl]

Since he is used to the crate, you could bring him home in it & do not let him out, just sit him down on the floor & let your dogs get acquainted with him through smell before physically...OR

You can take all 3 somewhere off of your two dog's territory & let them introduce that way, like taking them all 3 for a walk down a nature trail. This way the 2 you already have won't be possessive over their territory & will have a chance to get to know the new guy on neutral ground!

 

[Smooth Criminal]

ANY time you get a new dog/animal,, you need to take him/her and your current animals on a "playdate" to meet each other and see how they interact. Somewhere neutral territory,, so they don't feel protective,, such as a park is a great place,, so they may also play with each other in a big space. If all goes well there,, then you can bring your new pet into the household. It is also recommended if you don't know as much about dog behavior as you feel confident with,, that you do more than one "playdate" to ensure there are no problems.

 

[paintedrain2]

Neutral area where they can all run and get some exercise so introductions are less "pent up energy" and more relaxed.

A dog park (or any fenced in area that isn't ''claimed'' by any of the dogs) would be great so they could be off-leash and have more to focus on than just the new dog.

A nice walk before heading back to the house will help, too.

 

[Apricot Girl]

The one year old dog could stand to do quite a bit of running. Usually two walks a day for a young dog doesn't cut it. But your other dogs could probably use the exercise as well. Dog parks can become your best friend.

Introduce him the same way you introduced your other animals to each other.