Other Pets and your Dog
You have probably noticed that your dog is a territorial creature, likes and defends his / her own patch of land. Now introducing another animal to the equation is not always an easy task.
When you consider Noah and his incredible ark it makes you wonder just how he managed to keep all those different species together in the same area for forty days and nights without them throttling one another!
Your dog has an inbuilt sensor that tells him / her to chase unwanted beings away from their territory. This is great if it is an intruder or someone that you do not wish to let into your house but what if it is another pet?
Well the trick is to reprogram your pooch to accept them as part of the happy ‘pack.’ They need to understand that chasing the little cat, rabbit or iguana away is just unacceptable behaviour. Obviously the safety of the animals must come first so ensure that the new pet is safely inside a pet carrier and placed completely out of harm’s way, or in this instance Fido’s way!
Your dog needs to be able to observe the other pet at a safe distance and also be able to smell it and vice versa. Now when your dog is calm praise and reward, keep this going. If your dog displays any undesirable behaviour towards the other pet say a firm ‘no’ and leave it at that, do not push it any further that day let your dog calm down and the other pet relax.
When you feel they are coping well with meeting at a safe distance you can move on to the next step which involves another person’s help. Your assistant needs to hold either the dog or the new pet and the two need to meet at closer quarters than before, just be careful and watchful.
Any signs of panic or stress from either animal indicates that it is time to stop for that session that is not to say that you cannot try again later that same day though.
Eventually the two should learn to accept each other but remember they will always have their off days, even the best of friends argue from time to time. Do not expect them to be the best of chums all of the time and always be vigilant and you will be fine.
