How to introduce a new dog into my home: What do I need for a new puppy to adjust to my family, that includes kids and dogs, and babies too?

Yippee! You just got a new dog, or you’re finally bringing a puppy home. Exciting, right? However, you may wonder about what to buy for a new puppy or how to prepare for a puppy with your family. You may also be lost when it comes to deciding how to introduce dogs to your family.

You want the best way to introduce dogs to your family, especially if you already have family dogs, cats, puppies and kids, and newborn babies. If you want to minimize conflict as much as possible and keep everyone in the family happy, you have come to the right place!

How to introduce a new dog or puppy to family dogs. Are you unsure of what to do when it comes to effectively introducing your puppy to your older dog?

The number one most important thing you need to keep in mind is that puppies are young and still have a long way to go with developing their communication skills and learning all the house rules. They are bound to misinterpret social cues that you and your older dog(s) present. When you are first bringing home a new puppy, the puppy will immediately start searching for a buddy to play with.

Your older dog may find your puppy’s energy overwhelming, which will likely cause your older dog to growl. That’s his way of saying he’s uncomfortable and the pup has crossed boundaries, so do not reprimand him for growling, as long as your pup is not physically injured! Instead, you should try your best to supervise all interactions and reward both your older doggo and new pup for good behavior! You should also take them both on walks and give them breaks from each other throughout the day.

Here are a few dog behavior training tips to keep in mind:

• If you notice your older dog is starting to become overwhelmed, it’s time to separate your pup and older dog. A great way to do this is to put the pup behind a gate or in an exercise pen or a crate.
• Crate both dogs several times a day. This will give your pup and older dog time away from each other, which will give both dogs much needed breaks.
• Make sure to not rush communication between your older doggo and your pup, your pup’s communication skills will develop slowly and gradually with patient dog socialization training activities and your pup and doggo will eventually be best friends!

I’m taking my dog on a walk… What are the best ways to introduce dogs to non family dogs?

When you and your doggo are out on a walk, you will almost always come into contact with another dog. The number one thing you should always remember to do is ask the other owner if it’s okay to interact with their dog as different dogs display different dog behavior patterns. We know some dogs may be timid and some may be reactive, and dog socializations with them may not be ideal for either dog. If interactions have been approved by both you and the other owner, you can proceed to let the dogs meet.

Initially, normal dog behavior will be displayed, and the dogs will sniff each other as their way of greeting each other. Then, you will see signs of whether the interaction is going well and your doggo has made a new friend or it just was not meant to be.

Signs that the meeting is going well(yay!) include:

• Relaxed facial expressions
• Play bows(when either dog stretches their front legs out in front and leans down on their elbows)
• Tails wagging fast
• Wiggling their hind ends.

Warning Signs that the meeting is too much for either dog may include:

• Yawning
• Lip licking
• Turning their heads away from the other dog
• Tense jaws
• Tails held low
• Shaking
• Hair standing up along their backs.

If you see these signs, it means the dogs are nervous about the meeting, and it is best to separate the dogs and continue on your walk on your own before the situation worsens.

I’m not just a dog mom or dog dad, I have kids and don’t want any fights between my new puppy, kids and dogs!

You may or may not find this surprising, but puppies and kids actually have a lot in common! They are curious, impulsive, and for the most part, cute and loveable. When you are first bringing home a new puppy, you need to remember that the new puppy needs time to get acclimated to a completely different environment. And while we know that your kiddos cannot wait to play and cuddle with your new pup, you need to try your best to help your kids understand that they need to be gentle and patient with the puppy and supervise all interactions.

In order to strengthen the bond between your kiddo and pup and help your kids learn about puppy and dog behavior, you should bring your kid along with you every time you walk your pup. Let them assist you with taking care of the pup and participate in puppy training, where they will learn about various puppy and dog training techniques, and most importantly, how to take responsibility. Of course, make sure your pup and kids both get quiet time. Kids and dogs alike need alone time.

Here are some extra tips to foster positive interactions of your dogs and puppies and kids:

• If you have children under 10, you should never let them walk your pup by themselves as they are too young to do so, but you can by all means take them along with you to walk your pup and teach them all about dog behaviors including holding a leash and stopping for puppy bathroom breaks.
• Young children can help you with puppy care tasks such as bringing over the doggie food bowl when it’s meal time or handing you the leash when it’s walking time. Children over the age of 10 can feed, help clean after, and walk the pup.
• Remember that there will be mistakes to be made. Your pup needs to learn many new house rules and your young children need to learn that your pup is not a stuffed animal and requires time away from your kiddos. Miracles won’t just happen overnight but with positive reinforcement, your puppies and kids will surely share an undeniable bond in the years to come.

I’m about to bring a new baby home…how can I effectively introduce dogs and puppies and babies?

The most important thing to remember is that your dog is smarter than you think. Your dog will notice all the changes going on in your behavior and in the environment, whether it’s new furniture or room rearrangement. You and your pup and dog all need time to adjust to the new norm. Your doggo may get jealous from no longer being the center of attention for a while. This requires you to give your doggo dog behavior training lessons and more crate time with some of their favorite dog toys at least two or three weeks before you bring your newborn home. For the first few days of your newborn’s arrival, in order to ease anxiety for your doggo, you should try to mask your anxiety when your dogs and babies are in a room together. If you make it obvious that you’re anxious and worried, your doggo will take that as a sign that there is something to be worried about, which there isn’t. You want to make sure you give your doggo enough enough attention when the baby is around, or else your doggo may interpret that as a sign that good things can only happen when the baby isn’t around. Also, as with dogs and puppies and kids, be clear that the dog crates are by no means playhouses for kids and keep your kids and babies learning to crawl away from the dog crates, especially during your pup or doggo’s alone time. Therefore, you should NEVER, under any circumstances, leave any dog or pup unattended with a baby or small child!

Some additional creative ways to ease the transition to a new environment:

• Play recordings of various baby sounds in your house for periods of time so your dog can adjust to the new sounds before you bring the baby home.
• Once the baby is born, bring an article of the baby’s clothing or a baby blanket home so your doggo can get used to the newborn scent. Eventually, you may allow your doggo to sniff your baby while on a leash, and even further down the line, off leash, once your doggo is comfortable with the baby’s smell.
• When you first arrive home with your newborn, greet your doggo alone so your doggo doesn’t jump all over the baby.
• When you need to put your baby down for a nap or change diapers, you can keep your doggo out of the baby’s room with a gate to stop your doggo from jumping on the crib or changing table.

Hooray, now you have tips to effectively introduce kids, puppies, and dogs and newborns to each other ! You are now guaranteed to have a harmonious family where everyone is besties with each other, right? Not so fast! If you follow all these tips to effectively introduce your puppy to your older dog and kids, but fail to be patient, you will not only be instigating aggressive dog behavior, but aggressive kid or baby behavior as well. Oh no, we don’t want that right?! So, take things step by step and just be patient. Good things take time.

Want to learn more about dog training, dog behavior and dog nutrition?

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