How To Introduce a New Dog to Your Dog

Introducing a new dog to your current dog requires planning. Dogs are social animals, but they can be territorial or reactive if introductions and integrations aren’t handled carefully.

A bad first impression can lead to tension or fights, while a good one can set the stage for a lifelong friendship. Even if your current dog has already met your new dog, that doesn’t mean you can put them together from day one and expect everything to go smoothly.

Here are some tips to safely and successfully introduce and integrate a new dog into your home when you already have a pup.

1. Remember the Most Important Rule: Take It SLOW!

You can never move too slowly with this process. However, you can move too fast.

Rushing things can backfire, especially with shy, anxious, or previously solo dogs. Positive reinforcement, calm guidance, and patience go a long way.

If you had a successful meet and greet with your dog and your new dog, that doesn’t mean things will continue to go smoothly once your new dog is in your home. So, if you want to avoid major issues as everyone settles in, just take it slowly.

Learn More: What To Do When Bringing Home a New Dog

2. Brush Up on Dog Body Language Cues

Dogs communicate discomfort long before growling or snapping. If those early signs are missed, situations can escalate quickly.

To stay one step ahead of any discomfort that could progress into disagreements between dogs, now is the time to brush up on dog body language cues. Make sure you understand warning signs like stiff posture, lip licking, yawning, or tucked tails.

Learn More: Dog Body Language

3. Reinforce Your Dog’s Training Before Your New Dog Arrives

A well-behaved resident dog helps set the tone for the newcomer. Brush up on basics like:

• Sit, stay, leave it

• Walking nicely on leash

• Coming when called

• Being calm in their crate or on a place bed

If your dog can’t reliably respond to these cues, now’s the time to practice. You’ll need these tools during the integration process to prevent overexcitement or redirect unwanted behavior.

4. Let Your New Dog Decompress

It can be tempting to let your new dog interact with your current dog immediately. While this might work out depending on temperaments, it’s better to remember that your new dog needs time to decompress.

The first few days your new dog is in your home, you should take things slowly and give them time to get their bearings. Keep the 3-3-3 Rule in mind, and make those first few days calm and low-key.

Make sure your new dog and your current dog have their own space in your home during this time.

Learn More: The 3-3-3 Rule

5. Work on Training With Your New Dog

Just like with your current dog, making sure your new dog understands some basic commands can be helpful as you start integrating everyone.

Start working on commands like sit, stay, and leave it. Also, start helping them learn how to walk calmly on a leash if they don’t already know how. This will put you ten steps ahead of the game once you start doing parallel walks.

6. Put Away All Toys and High-Value Items

Before you start allowing interactions between your current dog and your new dog, clear the decks! This means removing any items that a dog might view as high-value and try to resource guard from other dogs.

Put away the following:

• Favorite toys

• Food bowls

• Treats and chews

• Beds or cozy spots

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, resource guarding is one of the most common causes of fights between dogs. You can always reintroduce items once both dogs are comfortable and calm around each other.

7. Use Crates To Evaluate Interest and Reactions

A good way to evaluate your dog's interest in each other is using crates. By having dogs crated in the same room where they can see each other prior to introductions, you can see if their interest is curiosity-based or if there's any reactivity or fear.

With your dog and the new dog safely crated in the same room, evaluate their reactions to each other. Reward calm behavior.

The goal is dogs who can coexist calmly around each other.

If the dogs are able to stay calm, you could try rotating crate time. Keep one dog in the crate and have the other out on leash. This allows for closer observation for each dog while ensuring everyone stays safe. Make sure each dog gets a turn outside of the crate.

Short, frequent sessions to get the dogs used to being around each other can help make the initial greeting on neutral turf easier and give you a better idea of what to expect, whether it's excitement, neutrality, or potential reactivity.

If you witness any aggression or concerning reactivity, enlisting the help of a professional trainer before moving forward with introducing your dogs is advisable.

8. Start on Neutral Turf

Dogs are territorial by nature. That’s why the first meeting should happen somewhere other than your home, like a quiet park, large sidewalk, or a friend’s yard.

Bring both dogs on leashes held by separate people so that you have full control and space to move freely. Try to keep the leashes loose since tension can increase reactivity.

Pro tip: Exercise each dog separately first so that any extra anxiety or excitement isn’t as pronounced once you start these walks.

9. Go for a Parallel Walk

Start by walking the dogs parallel to each other, about five to 10 feet apart. This lets them:

• Get used to each other’s scent and body language

• Burn off nervous energy

• Focus on the environment instead of fixating on each other

As they relax, you can slowly bring them closer together.

10. Allow Short, Calm Meetings

Once both dogs seem relaxed, let them greet each other briefly for just a few seconds at a time. As you allow these meetings:

• Watch for loose tails, soft eyes, and relaxed bodies.

• Avoid face-to-face greetings. Dogs prefer to sniff side-to-side.

• Interrupt tension early and cheerfully guide them apart before it escalates.

Repeat short greetings with praise and treats for calm behavior.

11. Enter the Home Leashed

Once both dogs have had successful outdoor interactions, it’s time to go inside together.

Enter as a group, with both dogs on leash. Avoid letting your new dog walk in solo. Walking in together signals cooperation instead of invasion.

Keep leashes on for a while indoors just in case redirection is needed.

12. Supervise Closely

Even if the first hour goes great, don’t let your guard down. Supervise all interactions for at least the first few weeks, especially once you start adding toys and treats into the mix.

Look out for:

• Stiff body posture

• Freezing or growling

• Mounting or intense staring

• Resource guarding once you start reintroducing toys

If things get tense, calmly separate the dogs and try again later. Use crates, baby gates, or separate rooms when needed. Gradually allow longer supervised time together as they adjust.

13. Feed Separately

Feeding time can spark competition, even between dogs who otherwise get along.

Feed dogs in different rooms, behind closed doors or baby gates. After a few weeks of peaceful coexistence, you can experiment with feeding closer together if both dogs are relaxed.

However, our recommendation is to always feed dogs separately. Why take the risk of a scuffle if you don’t have to?

13. Give Each Dog Personalized Attention

Adding a second dog doesn’t mean your first pup should feel replaced. Spend one-on-one time with each dog daily.

Take your resident dog for solo walks, complete training sessions, and have cuddle time. This reinforces your bond and helps avoid jealousy or insecurity.

14. Separate When Left Alone

Until you’re 100% confident they’re safe together, keep the dogs separated when unsupervised.

Use crates, baby gates, or closed doors to create a physical barrier. It’s not a lack of trust. It’s smart prevention. Even well-matched dogs can have misunderstandings.

We also highly recommend never leaving dogs out together if you are not home. We’ve heard too many horror stories, and we don’t want you to become one of them. If you are leaving the house, separate your dogs for their safety and your peace of mind. Better safe than sorry.

15. Be Patient (and Consult a Trainer if Needed)

Some dogs become fast friends. Others may need days or even weeks to adjust. That’s okay.

Slow, positive introductions are far more effective than rushing things. If you’re seeing consistent tension or aggression, consult with a trainer or behaviorist.

Final Thoughts

The key to a successful dog-dog introduction? Time, structure, and calm leadership. With slow progress and plenty of supervision, your dogs can learn to respect and safely coexist with each other.

Remember: Go at your dog’s pace, not what’s most convenient for you. Slow and steady wins the race.

Sources

1. Schade, V. (2024, August 16). How To Introduce Dogs to Each Other. Retrieved from https://www.petmd.com/dog/behavior/how-to-introduce-dogs

2. Animal Humane Society. (n.d.). How to Successfully Introduce Two Dogs. Retrieved from https://www.animalhumanesociety.org/resource/how-successfully-introduce-two-dogs

3. Best Friends. (n.d.). How To Introduce Dogs to Each Other. Retrieved from https://bestfriends.org/pet-care-resources/how-introduce-dogs-each-other

4. Dogly. (n.d.). How To Introduce a New Dog to Your Resident Dog With Parallel Walks. Retrieved from https://dogly.com/posts/how-to-introduce-a-new-dog-to-your-resident-dog-with-parallel-walks?follow=616