Q&A: Introducing a Pup to an Adult Dog
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Q&A: Introducing a Pup to an Adult Dog
Q: How can I introduce a male puppy Rottweiler to my 18-month-old female Rottweiler?
A: In most cases, this is the easiest type of introduction. Female dogs generally will "mother" a puppy. We introduced a male Siberian Husky puppy into our home where a 12-month-old female Siberian Husky already lived. They soon were pals, and one of our favorite pictures of the two of them sleeping together.
Now, if your female is especially possessive of you, you might have a case of jealousy. You want to make sure that you give the older dog plenty of love and attention. If you give the pup all the attention, you could create a problem. You need to set the tone right from the start that you love both dogs, and will give hugs and petting to both.
In addition, you want to make sure the pup doesn't pester the older dog excessively. If you see any indication of annoyance on the part of the older dog, you'll want to be sure the female has a place to go to escape the puppy. Still, because she is just 18 months old, she likely has a good bit of puppy playfulness in her and will welcome the puppy as a playmate and they should get along well.
If in fact they like to play, then you also have to make sure your female isn't too rough with the puppy. You need to supervise their play interactions so you can help the female learn that. Again, I think you will have a good experience, but you want to make sure that's the case.
Here's a Web site with an article on introducing a new puppy to current pets. It offers some additional ideas:
http://www.petsmart.com/dog/answers/your_new_dog/articles/article_877.shtml
