Introducing Your Dog to Your Other Animals
To limit disagreements, be sure each dog has his own food bowl. Feed them together, if possible, but with the bowls placed so the dogs are not facing each other, setting the bowls far apart if necessary. Most dogs will share a water bowl, however. Each should also have his own sleeping area and toys, but be prepared for each wanting the other's toy, even if they are exactly the same. If aggressive behavior continues, try to identify the precipitating events or circumstances and avoid these situations. Ultimately you may determine that the animals have to be kept separate when you are not home to keep the peace. Your veterinarian will be able to counsel you and may suggest a visit to a behavior professional to learn the best strategies for reducing intraspecies aggression.
Introducing a young pup as the second dog in the house is somewhat easier. Try not to let the puppy's arrival upset the other dog's routines. Even so, the older dog's behavior may temporarily regress and, until the initial adjustment period is over, you may feel like you have two puppies, one large and one small. If you gently but firmly enforce the older dog's obedience, the dog's behavior should soon return to normal. However, unless truly threatening, do not correct the adult's aggressive growls toward the puppy; these reflect the normal adult canine showing the puppy his place in the family. Since the puppy will be fed frequently, divide the adult dog's food intake into smaller meals so that he will eat as often as the newcomer. Allow the older dog to sometimes escape from the puppy's attentions and enjoy some special time with you.
Also be sure that he and the puppy have separate sleeping places, and do not allow the puppy to invade his elder's territory. Even if they become great friends, work with them individually when obedience-training the puppy or reinforcing the adult's training. Finally, remember that canine hierarchy is not static. As the puppy grows and becomes sexually mature, he may reverse roles with the older dog.
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