How To Introduce Your Puppy To An Existing Dog: A Step-By-Step Video Guide

A scent article allows both dogs to be able to get used to each other’s scent before they actually meet in person.

How to introduce your puppy to an existing dog: a step-by-step video guide

Adopting a new puppy is such a special occasion. Every member of your family is excited for the big day when you can bring your new furry friend home, right? Maybe not! Have you thought about how to introduce your puppy to an existing dog in your home?

What if your existing dog isn’t ready for a new canine companion? Maybe he likes it just the way it is. You need to be sure that your existing dog will want the company of another dog, especially a puppy.

Oftentimes this is nothing to worry about. Most dogs enjoy spending time with other canines and learning how to introduce your puppy to an existing dog won’t be a problem. However, not every dog wants a new friend.

If your existing dog is a senior, he may not be able to handle having a puppy around full time. Perhaps it is better that you adopt another adult dog or wait until your current dog is gone before thinking about bringing another home.

Think about all the activity and chaos that comes with having a puppy in your home. Is that really something that your existing dog is going to want to deal with? When learning how to introduce your puppy to an existing dog, the first step is deciding whether or not this decision is the best choice for every member of your family (even the four-legged members).

Before you bring your new puppy home, you may want to consider having a scent article. As I explain in my video guide, this is what we did before bringing home our first puppy. A scent article is any cloth item of your choosing.

A scent article allows both dogs to be able to get used to each other’s scent before they actually meet in person.

We used a small blanket, and let our existing dog sleep with it for about a week. Her scent was all over the blanket, and then we gave it to the breeder of our new puppy. She allowed the puppy time lay with the scent article. They kept it for about a week and we brought it back home to give to our existing dog.