Introducing a New Pet Into the Home

What’s better than one furry friend? Two, of course! Whether you have one pet or three, it’s always a big transition for your pets when a new pet is introduced into the house. If you’re thinking of adding a new pet to your family, or if you want to join our incredible team of Foster Heroes, there are a few things you may want to do to prepare.

“Wait, but my dog loves the dog park. Do I still need to take it slow?”

Your dog may love playing with their doggy friends at the dog park or at doggy daycare, but having a new sibling can be a big transition. Just like some human kids get jealous of a new baby, your pet is going to need some time to get used to the idea. It’s totally normal for your pet to be frustrated that a strange animal is sleeping in their house, so don’t be discouraged if your pet and their new housemate aren’t best friends right off the bat.

Start Small

Animals are naturally protective of their territory, and for domestic animals, that means your home. With dogs, you may want to have am on-leash meet and greet in a neutral territory, such as at the shelter or at park.

Once you bring your new pet home, you will want to keep them separated from your other animals. Depending on the size of the animal, a bathroom or small bedroom is ideal. Avoid using a room that your pet spends most of their time in. For the first week, swap items from your pets and the new pets, such as a blanket or towel, so that they can get used to each other’s scent. Once you complete this stage and your animals aren’t demonstrating signs of stress, you can open the door and put up a baby gate so your new pet and your current pet can visually inspect each other.

Supervise

For the next few weeks, it’s a good idea to avoid unsupervised interactions between your pets. Watch how they play or otherwise interact with each other, looking for signs of resource guarding of toys, treats, food or even members of the family. Resource guarding is when an animal displays defensive or aggressive behaviors when they believe a person or animal is going to take it away. Physical signs can include lip-licking, raised hackles, growling or hissing, or even snapping or swiping. If those things are happening, we highly recommend you continue to separate them unless supervised and get in touch with a behavior specialist.

Getting Along

If the pets seem to be getting along, or even ignoring each other, you can start leaving them alone together. We still recommend keeping high-value treats such as rawhides, and food, out of reach when you are not in the room. Make sure to give equal attention and toys or treats to all of your pets to avoid jealousy and competition.

With preparation and patience, introducing a new pet into the home can be successful for all people and pets in the family. Our behavior team is always available to answer your questions and help you with the transition. You can email the SPCA of Texas Behavior department at behavior@spca.org.
For more behavior and training tips, please visit spca.org/pettips.