Adopted a dog (need advice)

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punisherthunder

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Long.story.short.

We adopted a 2 year old rescue dog that came from an abusive dog shelter. We currently have an older miniature schnauzer.

Anyone have advice on better ways to integrate two dogs?
 
I’ve had luck taking them on walks together, and get them moving in the same direction - like a pack.

Other than that, I suggest patience. Lots and lots of patience and effort.
 
Dogs have different personalities. I had two dogs: a female I adopted from Arizona Humane Society and several years later, I adopted a male from a different shelter. The female was a shepherd mix; the male, a chihuahua/rat terrier mix. They got along fine. Of course the female wasn’t very competitive and had the attitude live and let live.

The female died. I then adopted another dog, this time a male chihuahua/basenji mix. The two males are in a rivalry with each other. If I pet one, the other gets jealous. As time goes on, I notice the both of them are a little more tolerant as long as I pay attention to both of them and give them each treats at the same time.

I think it does take time and patience, but it’s worth it. Always pay attention to both of them because if one feels left out there’ s apt to be trouble. Sooner or later they will be like typical siblings where one day they play together and the next day they aren’t too friendly.
 
We also have two rescue dogs. Our older Labrador ignored the new puppy we brought into the house for a long time, as if she wasn’t there. Then one day, he suddenly started trying to play with her.

Since then (they are now 10 and 3 years old), he’s been very tolerant of her, even allowing her to push him around. Sometimes he shows her that enough’s enough, by growling and showing his teeth, and she backs off. I would recommend that you have the newcomer neutered or spayed ASAP, if that’s not already been done.

If the dogs are already together at your home, the best thing is to leave them to work things out themselves. They will establish their own pecking order. If anyone’s considering bringing a second rescue dog into their home, it’s usually best to introduce them on neutral territory. We’ve had to turn down two rescue dogs in the past - on one occasion, our existing dog took a dislike to the rescue one as soon as she met it, and the second time it was the other way around.

As you well know, many rescue dogs have been ill-treated. If you don’t get them straight from their mums at 8 weeks of age, there’s generally some challenge or another to deal with. Our Lab has become very snappy around other people when he’s on the lead, yet he’s completely submissive in the home - he’s super-protective of me. What happened to him in the 4 years before we adopted him, we’ll never know. Good luck with your dogs!
 
Thank you all for the advice so far.

This little guy is a 2 year old terrier mix. He actually was raised in a utility closet with 3 other dogs by a senile old woman until they were surrendered to the shelter by her own children.

He’s adorable and zippy, although since we got him on Saturday he has yet to take a poo. He urinates fine and drinks water and has eaten some can and dry food, but we are worried why he still hasn’t pooed yet. Someone told me that stress could keep him nervous, plus he has never been leash and collar trained so we are doing that.

We are trying to make sure that we get a good routine going. Any advice is welcomed.
 
This may or may not apply in your case, but as an experienced dog person I’ll offer this.

It’s too late now, but the best way to introduce a new dog to the family is to have the new dog meet the current dogs in a neutral area such as a dog park, or even just out on the sidewalk or a quiet street. The existing dogs are going to see your house as their “turf” and may not welcome a stranger just walking in. So when possible, introduce them ahead of time.

If you have a problem with them fighting with each other, the best thing to do is just let them fight. Really. As long as it is an even match and there is no serious bloodshed, you should let them work it out themselves and not interfere. It’s the age old pack hierarchy thing. Once each dog learns his/her place in the tier, all will be well.

My :twocents:
 
I’ve fostered several dogs and the stress/anxiety of being in a new place can cause them not to poo. Just keep careful watch; and if it goes for too much longer, ask your vet if there’s something they can give the pup to jump start things. You could also try just some human foods that are high in fiber – make sure to check it’s not toxic to dogs!!!

I would certainly work with a trainer on the leash training – and on some tips to help the two get along. If there’s no real huge issues, generally a good citizen-type of class (offered through local pet stores) should do the trick. If there are some real issues, may need to seek out some more intense one-on-one training with an experienced trainer.
 
Someone suggested to me two ways to help him along this morning.

The first is try feeding him pumpkin.

The second is to try “matching” the dog. I had never heard of this, but this person volunteers at a dog shelter. They say to take either the sulphur end of a match or the paper end, and then insert it into the dog’s rectum. This causes some sort of itching sensation and the dog begins to go within seconds. They told me that a lot of dog show people do this to make sure the show dogs don’t have accidents in the show ring.

Think this should work?
 
I have no advice. I just wanted to say thank you for rescuing. I know getting a pet is a very personal choice but it makes me so sad to think of all the shelter animals waiting for a home who are passed for animals from breeders.

My cat was a rescue from an organization that combs shelters for adoptable pets (even disabled ones), gets them healthy and then fosters them out until a perma home comes along. They are such generous great people.

Good luck with your new little friend.
 
Need some new advice now friends…

How long will it take for our older dog to get adjusted to newer dog?

I tried to google this but found answers from 2 weeks to 5 years :eek:
 
punisherthunder said:
Need some new advice now friends…

How long will it take for our older dog to get adjusted to newer dog?
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There is no certain answer to that. Every dog, like every human, is different. You’ll just have to wait and see.
 
Baby gates work well for supervised introductions. We used to foster dogs so had a lot of experience! 👍
 
You should also speak with your vet since he or she knows your animals better than we do and will be able to give you the best advice as the two dogs get to know each other.
 
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