You’ve decided to welcome a Brittany into your fur family – hooray!
Although Brittanys are generally social and playful dogs, introducing a new one into the family can sometimes be tricky. First impressions are very important, especially if your resident Brittany is used to being the only dog vying for your attention. Here are a few ways to help your current Brittany accept your new pup.
How to Prepare for Introducing a New Brittany
Prior to bringing your new Brittany home, place anything your resident dog might guard in one area. This may include food bowls, bones, beds, and toys. Make sure the new Brittany has a separate area for all of their items. Even if your pet has never been possessive in the past, it’s best to be cautious and avoid putting the Brittanys in a position to fight over toys or food.
Avoiding clutter is also important; congested areas may trigger aggression between dogs if they feel forced on each other. You may even try using a tall baby gate to keep the dog’s spaces separated until they’ve had time to get used to each other.
What to Do During the Initial Meeting
For your Brittanys’ first meeting, secure help from a family member or friend so someone can pay attention to each dog. The meeting should be in a neutral environment like a park or front yard (not back yard). It’s best to avoid introducing the dogs in the house where the resident dog may become territorial. Open areas are ideal, as there are a lot of interesting sights and sounds to keep the dogs distracted.
Follow this step-by-step guide for the first meeting:
- Head to the meeting spot with the dogs separately.
- Try bringing the dogs together and let them greet each other. Human escorts must keep the leashes slack so the dogs don’t feel as if they’re being held back. Also so they don’t feel your stress through a tightly held leash.
- Expect the dogs to sniff, circle, play, urinate, or simply ignore each other.
- Let them do what they want to establish a relationship – with as little mediation from the owner as possible.
- If the animals try to fight, it’s time to intervene.
- But don’t pull the dogs away by the leash. Instead, wave a treat over or in front of the dog’s noses to lure them away from each other.
- Keep the initial interaction brief.
- After the dogs meet, try going for a short walk together, side-by-side.
- If the walk together goes well, your dogs may be ready to meet on home turf.
Advice for Bringing Your New Brittany Home
After a successful first introduction, your new Brittany and resident dog can try meeting at home. To do so, start at a neutral location. Walk home with the dogs together and act as though nothing has changed. If you have a yard, let the dogs hang out there for a while as you supervise. When they’re ready, let them in the house.
If your dogs have gotten along well at the park and in the yard, allow the resident dog to be off the leash first. Let the new Brittany explore the house on the leash, and if the resident dog demonstrates friendly manners, remove the new pet’s leash as well. If the resident dog displays any aggression or territoriality, it’s best to keep them separated while they adjust.
What to Do During the First Few Weeks
Try to keep your routine as normal as possible. When it’s mealtime, feed the resident dog just like usual. Feed your new Brittany in a different room, so there’s no stress over food. Keep up your regular walking and playtime schedule, making sure both dogs get plenty of love and attention.
Keep the dog’s interactions closely supervised for the first two weeks, until both dogs are fully accustomed to each other. Do not leave the dogs alone together until you’re sure they’re comfortable with each other. Reinforce positive behavior with lots of treats and pets – treats are a great training tool!
Watch closely for situations that could lead to conflict, such as jealousy, fighting over toys, or becoming overly excited. Be on the lookout for signs either dog is anxious or uncomfortable, such as growling, snapping, showing teeth, back-hunching, long stares, and raised fur.
If either dog displays these signs, be ready to distract or separate them to avoid conflict and continue monitoring their interactions.
Over time, your dogs should learn to tolerate each other, or even become best buddies.
If you still run into issues, we encourage you to find a professional dog trainer or animal behaviorist to help.
It’s always exciting to welcome a new pet into your family. Following these steps can help ease the transition for your new Brittany and resident dog.
And, finally, congratulations on your growing Brittany family!
Disclaimer: This blog provides general information and is not a substitute for professional veterinary or animal behavior advice.
