A Family of Fur: Maintaining a Multi-Dog Household

 

 

You know you’re a dog person when you walk into an animal shelter and instantly want to take each and every one of them home. While a house full of puppies may seem like a dream come true, with more dogs comes more responsibility and there’s a lot that goes into managing a multi-dog household. Here are a few things to keep in mind, though, as you expand your fur family.

 

Search Intentionally

While you can’t quite help who you fall in love with, it’s important to take some basic factors into consideration when looking for new pets.

 

First, take a look at your current pets. Do you have an older dog with a mild temperament? Maybe an energetic puppy wouldn’t be the best choice for them. Do you have a young large dog at home? Caution yourself if you feel drawn to an older smaller dog. Dogs of different sizes and breeds can and do get along just fine, but it’s important that you acknowledge the personalities of the dogs and try to match them as best you can.

 

Also, be aware of the gender dynamic. Most commonly, a male and female will be the best match typically for a household. Two male dogs or two female dogs may also get along just fine, just know that there might be a need for more training or attention in that situation. Do some research on different dog breeds and how they tend to interact with other dogs.

 

Meet & Greet 

Once you’ve found a dog, you may be ready to add them to your family right away, but your existing dog or dogs might not be ready just yet. This is why it’s important to set up a meet and greet where your current dog and potential new pet can meet on their own terms before you officially bring them home.

 

Many shelters or breeders are more than happy to have your current dog on site. Take advantage of this and meet the new dog or puppy in the space in which they’re currently comfortable. Keep both dogs leashed and be sure to stay calm and relaxed; dogs can sense tension so be on your best behavior.

 

Coming Home

Take a look at your home from your dog’s point of view. Where is their favorite place to lay? Where do they typically leave their toys? What boundaries do they abide by? Before bringing the new puppy or dog home, it’s important that you try to – as best you can – keep things the way they are for your existing pets.

 

Introduce your new dogs in a part of the home that isn’t typically a space your other animals frequent. Allow them to explore the home on their own so have a family member or friend take your other dogs on a walk around the block while the new family member gets acquainted. Ensure that both your new and existing dogs have spaces (either crates or beds) that are solely their own. These are spaces that they should have access to at all times so that in times of stress, they can retreat for some alone time.

 

Keeping the Peace

As your dogs get more comfortable there a few things that you should keep an eye on in order to keep your household happy:

 

• Feed your dogs separately. Give them each their own bowls and physically separate them to avoid territorial issues.
• Give equal attention to each dog, especially your existing pets. Your new dog will probably demand the most attention as they get acclimated but don’t neglect your existing dogs. Especially in the beginning, set aside some special time for just you and your previous pet to bond to let them know you still care about them.
• Sometimes you just have to let dogs be dogs. Definitely keep an eye on them while they’re playing or interacting in any way, but if there are conflicts that arise among your household pack, they’ll most likely sort it out themselves.
• Introduce WINPRO Focus. Any tension or aggressive behaviors your dogs may develop can likely be attributed to stress. WINPRO Focus is the perfect and natural way to combat this and is an easy addition to your morning routine.

 

Multi-dog households require a lot of work and responsibility but there is always certainly enough love (and fur) to go around.