Another dog in the house

Parodius

Parodius

In a few weeks we have some family friends visiting for the day. Unfortunately they can’t find anyone to watch their 8yr old Westie so have asked to bring him along. In theory I have no issues with this as Neo gets on fine with the majority of dogs we come across outside and is normally either playful or indifferent to them, however he’s never had another dog in ‘his house’. We plan on having them meet at a nearby park and all being well, walk back together to the house for chewies etc but was wondering if there are any other things I could do to help nurture friendly vibes all round. Has anyone had any issues with their dog not taking kindly to a visiting dog? Any tips? Thanks.
 
HAH

HAH

Moderator
Location
Devon, UK
We had a different situation where we had to look after a friend’s dog for an emergency weekend - we met in neutral space, and had chews separately in the garden before moving into the house but it was quickly clear that visiting dog was overly interested in Kipper and this made Kipper super uncomfortable. So I’d have a back up plan - we used a baby gate to give them separate areas which was really successful, and in evenings they each had enrichment activities (snuffle mats, cardboard boxes with scrunched up paper in to hunt through, lick mats etc) in their separate areas. I’d put all Neo’s toys out of the way beforehand, feed them in separate spaces and keep a close eye on managing calm behaviours round pinch points - doorways, corners, narrow corridors etc. Hopefully it’ll all be fine and easy, but this way you’re setting everyone up for the best chance of success!
 
Atemas

Atemas

UK Tour Guide
Location
North Cambridgeshire
Parodius said:
we have some family friends visiting for the day
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We too have this happening in a few days time. Thank you for posting this and I hope Neo is ok and you all have a good day. Red has already met their dog who is a very big Irish Water Spaniel a year ago. She was very bouncy and all over the place. Red was very wary of her. Also she resource guarded when I gave her a kong. We have other people coming so there’ll be a group of us and the two dogs. This means we will be more preoccupied with hosting. Have been so busy I haven’t given it any thought but you have reminded me I need to think 🤔 about what ifs
 
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Parodius

Parodius

Thanks for the tips, much appreciated 🙂 We still have baby gates up for when workmen come to the house etc (Neo is very nosey and wants to be involved!) so should be easy enough to separate them if need be. Hadn’t thought much about the snacks or toys side of things so will be cautious with that. Luckily Neo has never been possessive with his things, he’s had his ball taken by other dogs when out before and other than looking to me with a sad face to say ‘sort it out hooman’ he’s not been overly bothered, however I guess that could be different in his house. He always has to greet people with a toy though so will have to leave something out for him as he panics if he can’t bring you anything. Hopefully it will go well and he will have a new friend 🤞
 
Parodius

Parodius

Neo had his 4 legged visitor yesterday, it was a very busy day for him as in addition to the visiting dog there were several adults and a couple of small children too but he coped really well and made me super proud 🙂 The little westie was quite keen on Neo and we had to separate them a few times so Neo could rest but they had a couple of nice walks together and overall it went well. Thanks again for your tips, here’s a pic of the good boys.
IMG_0595.jpeg
 
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