Before you introduce a new pet to your home, it’s important to keep your current pet and new one separate. You should give them a few days to get used to each other. If you can, allow the new pet to see and sniff around before introducing them. If you’re not able to separate them immediately, introduce them in a neutral place, like a park, someone else’s house, or a quiet area outside of your home.
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Avoid repeated visits to a pet’s new home
If you have a pet already in your home, add a new pet in a separate room or crate, and provide a comfortable place for both pets to stay. Give each pet their own bedding and water, as well as toys and hiding places. Be sure not to hold a pet in your hands, as they may react by biting or scratching you. Instead, have a second person help you with the process. This way, you can monitor each animal individually, and ensure they are not interacting with each other.
The new pet should be introduced slowly and carefully, as the existing pet may not be ready for it. A dog, for example, may be too old to play well with a cat, and a cat may be too small to interact well with a new dog. If the new pet does not like the resident pet, consider asking around to find another pet that would be a good match for both pets.
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Allowing pets to see each other
When adding a new pet into a home where there is an existing resident pet, supervised interactions between the two animals are critical for the new pet’s adjustment. You should limit the amount of time your pets spend with each other and supervise interactions at all times. The resident pet may need some time to adjust to the new pet and could scare it. Likewise, feeding the new pet and the resident pet separately may help them adjust.
Before allowing your pets to meet, be sure to introduce them to each other’s scents. Many animals rely heavily on their sense of smell. You can introduce them to each other’s scents by swapping bedding or by placing a sock on one of them and rubbing them with the other.
Ideally, your new pet should be separated from your current pet for a few days before introducing them. Allow your current pet to sniff the new one, but restrict physical contact between them. It is also best to introduce them in a neutral location such as someone’s home, a park, or outside your home.
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Keeping a dog away from food preparation
When adding a new pet to a home with an existing dog, it is important to keep the new pet away from the food preparation area. This way, your resident dog will not feel threatened. In addition, you will avoid the possibility of conflict. The resident dog might act aggressively when the new dog approaches. If this occurs, get up and leave the area.
If possible, introduce the two dogs separately. Pay close attention to how they interact and watch for signs of potential conflicts. If the dog displays guarded body language, it may not be a good introduction. If the dog does not react well, separate the dogs and wait a while before interacting with them. Also, be sure to keep interactions short.
If the resident dog is possessive of certain items, such as food bowls, bones, beds, toys, and other items, it may react aggressively to the new dog. It is also important to set aside a separate area for the new dog. This will prevent the new dog from feeling too cramped and confined in an area. Having a baby gate between the two areas can also help keep the two dogs apart.
It is important to remember that a puppy may require slight variations to the guidelines outlined above. Puppies, for instance, are overly excited and may not recognize warnings or signals from the older members of the species. This is why it is best to leave puppies with their mothers as much as possible, so they learn about species-specific manners.
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