# Introducing adult dog to new puppy



## Melissa Woods (Feb 21, 2019)

Oliver loves dogs. But he’s also the only dog, super attached to us. I want this introduction to go smoothly and for him not to feel jealous or even left out, with all the work surrounding a new puppy. We’ll make sure to acknowledge him first, take him on his walks, etc. I brought the shirt home I was wearing and the new puppy was snuggling against and licking while I was holding her. He seems very interested in sniffing it. Any other tips?


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

We really had no problem with either of our introductions, but then we have very stable, friendly dogs. When we brought each puppy home, the puppy was first placed in an expen for introductions. When it was pretty clear that everyone was going to be friendly, we lifted the puppy out so they could meet on the kitchen floor. 

In Pixel’s case, Kodi was delighted the first day. By the second day he was wondering when she was leaving. LOL. We had to be very careful to make sure that not only did Kodi get plenty of attention (that was easy, because of all our training time) but that he ALSO had ways to escape from her, because she was relentless. She would hang from his ears and even his lips with her needle sharp teeth, and he would only whimper and ask for help. We really had to protect him from her until “puppy license” was over. Then she bit him one time too many, and he turned around and yelled in her face. Just once. She rolled over on her back, said “Don’t eat me! I’m a puppy!” And that was it. From then on, their relationship normalized.

With Panda, we introduced her the same way, except she got “checked out” by Kodi and Pixel together, which I think was a bit intimidating! OTOH, she had a built-in playmate with Pixel, because they were only 8 months apart. Kodi had learned his lesson with Pixel, and didn’t take the constant abuse from Panda. If she got rough, he’d give a little growl under his breath, and she’d run off to find Pixel to play with.

But there was NEVER any agression between the old dog(s) and the newer puppy. Here are some photos of Panda first meeting Kodi and Pixel. I thinkk it’s really cute how they are so clearly doing inviting little play bows toward her, while she’s not quite sure about them!


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## Melissa Woods (Feb 21, 2019)

krandall said:


> We really had no problem with either of our introductions, but then we have very stable, friendly dogs. When we brought each puppy home, the puppy was first placed in an expen for introductions. When it was pretty clear that everyone was going to be friendly, we lifted the puppy out so they could meet on the kitchen floor.
> 
> In Pixel's case, Kodi was delighted the first day. By the second day he was wondering when she was leaving. LOL. We had to be very careful to make sure that not only did Kodi get plenty of attention (that was easy, because of all our training time) but that he ALSO had ways to escape from her, because she was relentless. She would hang from his ears and even his lips with her needle sharp teeth, and he would only whimper and ask for help. We really had to protect him from her until "puppy license" was over. Then she bit him one time too many, and he turned around and yelled in her face. Just once. She rolled over on her back, said "Don't eat me! I'm a puppy!" And that was it. From then on, their relationship normalized.
> 
> ...


Thank you so much! Breeder was very encouraging, said she'd never seen an older dog of hers not accept a puppy in 20 years of breeding. I definitely don't plan on introducing them on say, my bed, first. He'll still get to sleep with us, and if she does it will be way later. My room is his safe space from where the kids are crazy. He loves dogs, is so sweet to everyone. I just want to be prepared. I'd never considered the fact she'd go all puppy daggers on him, too lol


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## Melissa Woods (Feb 21, 2019)

And those pictures are ADORABLE! I’m so excited!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Melissa Woods said:


> Thank you so much! Breeder was very encouraging, said she'd never seen an older dog of hers not accept a puppy in 20 years of breeding. I definitely don't plan on introducing them on say, my bed, first. He'll still get to sleep with us, and if she does it will be way later. My room is his safe space from where the kids are crazy. He loves dogs, is so sweet to everyone. I just want to be prepared. I'd never considered the fact she'd go all puppy daggers on him, too lol


Oh, it is PROBABLE that she will become relentless. The gentler he is with her, the MORE likely it is that she will use him as a giant punching bag and tooth sharpener. 

That said, it will all be in good fun, and they will eventually work it out. Kodi is just a very gentle soul, and took WAY more abuse than he should have. Both Panda and Pixel will (gently) put a young puppy in their place if they get too rough, which is, I think, pretty typical of the way female Havanese deal with puppies. The boys just put up with it and suffer.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Melissa Woods said:


> And those pictures are ADORABLE! I'm so excited!


I absolutely ADORE the one of both Pix (in her still-long hair) and Kodi in downs, trying to coax her over to them. Pixel, who is now smaller than Panda, looks so BIG in comparison!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Also wanted to add... I've also never heard of a Havanese not accepting another Havanese into the family. Maybe it happens, Pam and Tom King would know! But in general, this is a breed that loves others of their own kind! It always amazes me when we have Havanese play dates at our house. And that's not puppies, that's adult dogs, many of whom have never met. We always have a couple of ex-pens set up IN CASE there are problems, and people are encouraged to leave girls in heat home. But we almost NEVER have had to use the ex-pens. They just all sniff butts, sniff noses, then run around together. The REALLY shy ones sit under their owner's chairs and the others respect that.


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## Melissa Woods (Feb 21, 2019)

That’s funny you mentioned females in heat. She said that’s the only time she’s had trouble—with those hormones lol. But said Oliver would get along great with a female or male. Plus, we keep in touch because she’s so amazing, and sadly she’s moving to Kansas. She’s like, oh you have to see this girl! And of course, I was planning to get my next pup from her in say, two yrs. but I’d have to make this huge drive. Even now, I wasn’t planning on a puppy, but we met her and even my husband said, “welp, that puppy has totally decided you’re her mama. we need her” LOL


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Melissa Woods said:


> That's funny you mentioned females in heat. She said that's the only time she's had trouble-with those hormones lol. But said Oliver would get along great with a female or male. Plus, we keep in touch because she's so amazing, and sadly she's moving to Kansas. She's like, oh you have to see this girl! And of course, I was planning to get my next pup from her in say, two yrs. but I'd have to make this huge drive. Even now, I wasn't planning on a puppy, but we met her and even my husband said, "welp, that puppy has totally decided you're her mama. we need her" LOL


I was NOT looking for a puppy AT ALL when Panda waltzed into our lives either. Sometimes it is meant to be! <3

ShamaMama reminded me about a video I had TOTALLY forgotten about. Here is Panda first meeting Kodi and Pixel!:


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## 31818 (Oct 29, 2014)

krandall said:


> Here is Panda first meeting Kodi and Pixel!:


I have never seen that video, very cute! Panda was a little overwhelmed then, but today she is the Queen of the House. Having seen your three dogs, it is unbelievable how Panda towers over Pixel now.

I recall some posts when you first brought Panda home and a discussion of her future name (I insisted on caller her Panda, you're welcome). I recall you saying something to the effect of Kodi thinking, "Hey, nice puppy,,,,,,,,Oh My Dog, she's moving in with us!" ound: I'll never forget that.

Ricky's Popi


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## Wulfin (May 3, 2019)

Denver met Keeper at the breeder’s, but I posted in my thread what I did from there. Basically had them together unless one or the other needed a break and weren’t being left alone. There were a few iffy times at first (mostly when Denver was tired), but they figured it out. After about 4 days, Denver started getting a bit more snarky and had the “is he going home soon?” look. But they figured it out. 

Keeper has just now lost his “puppy pass”, so Denver is being less forgiving about rude puppy behaviour, so it’s a bit louder around here - it’s just a teaching phase


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Ricky Ricardo said:


> I have never seen that video, very cute! Panda was a little overwhelmed then, but today she is the Queen of the House. Having seen your three dogs, it is unbelievable how Panda towers over Pixel now.
> 
> Yes, she was a little overwhelmed. She was used to a posse of 8 brothers and sisters, and had met VERY few (if any) adult dogs other than her parents.
> 
> ...


She actually DOESN'T tower over Pixel. She has more "mass" and is heavier, with a bigger ribcage, but she is almost 1/2 inch shorter than our little bird-boned "flier". Panda is just barely over 10", Pixel is 10 1/2". Also, remember how much "coat" adds. Think about what Ricky looks like wet.  But with all the fluffy coat on her back, and Pixel in her "velvet cut, Panda does look bigger. (Panda WEIGHS 2 1/2 lbs more, and NONE of it is fat)

Yes, Panda arrived with the litter name of "Mona" (the entire litter had "M" names) All I could think of was "Moaning Myrtle". That name wasn't staying. Her registered name was already a done deal, and I was definitely leaning in the direction of "Panda", but both the others have call names that are related to their registered names. Just couldn't come up with anything that worked with "Compact Flash". ("Flashy" didn't do it for me either)

And yeah, Kodi thought they were both cute for about 24 hours. He is always a generous host for about that long. Then he USUALLY wants dog-guests to Vamos! And these girls just kept staying and staying... and bossing him around...


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## ShamaMama (Jul 27, 2015)

That is a really great video! What I find noteworthy is how much talking to the puppy you were doing to reassure her that all was well.


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## Melissa Woods (Feb 21, 2019)

Oh I love those videos! So cute!!!


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## Ditto's Mom (Apr 29, 2007)

Love the video too!:smile2:


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

ShamaMama said:


> That is a really great video! What I find noteworthy is how much talking to the puppy you were doing to reassure her that all was well.


LOL! I fo talk to my dogs alot! And I guess I could tell that although she wanted to make friends, she WAS felling a little out of her depth!


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## EvaE1izabeth (Nov 14, 2017)

I can’t believe how calmly Pixel and Kody are both greeting her! Maybe I should be more concerned about how excited mine gets about meeting other dogs.

It was suggested to us that we introduce a new puppy to our current Havanese in a neutral location since we never have other dogs in our house. Did you consider it the first time around, or was it not a concern since Kody spent so much time around other dogs? I assume with Panda there wouldn’t be a need since you already have two Havanese sharing space.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

EvaE1izabeth said:


> I can't believe how calmly Pixel and Kody are both greeting her! Maybe I should be more concerned about how excited mine gets about meeting other dogs.
> 
> It was suggested to us that we introduce a new puppy to our current Havanese in a neutral location since we never have other dogs in our house. Did you consider it the first time around, or was it not a concern since Kody spent so much time around other dogs? I assume with Panda there wouldn't be a need since you already have two Havanese sharing space.


Both Kodi and Pixel had been socialized to many, MANY other Havanese from the time they were tiny puppies. In our house and elsewhere. I really had no concerns how they would behave ih a Havanese puppy. Pixel was actually having a VERY hard time with larger dogs that she didn't know at that age, but she never had trouble with other Havanese. (as you can see  )

Also, in Pixel's case, bringing her home was a LONG trip. I didn't get home for NC until after dark. (2 hr drive from the King's to the airport, then all the time in the airports, plus the flight, then another hour and a half drive home from the airport in Boston). I really didn't have the bandwidth to orchestrate a meeting someplace else. These are little dogs. You are going to have an expen anyway. It is easy enough to put the puppy in the expen and just limit contact to through the wire until everyone's excitement level comes down to a reasonable level. And when you think it's Ok to introduce without the expen, the minute the excitement level is getting to hih, you cheerfully separate them again. It's nobody's fault, nobody did anything "wrong"... hugs all around, and some cookies WHEN everyone has settled down. Meals NEAR each other, but ALWAYS separated, and before long, even if it's not the first day, they will do fine together.


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## Melissa Woods (Feb 21, 2019)

EvaE1izabeth said:


> I can't believe how calmly Pixel and Kody are both greeting her! Maybe I should be more concerned about how excited mine gets about meeting other dogs.
> 
> It was suggested to us that we introduce a new puppy to our current Havanese in a neutral location since we never have other dogs in our house. Did you consider it the first time around, or was it not a concern since Kody spent so much time around other dogs? I assume with Panda there wouldn't be a need since you already have two Havanese sharing space.


Ours likes other dogs but we haven't had them in our house. I'm considering introducing them in the backyard first. It's hard to decide because I am certain he'll LIKE her. The question is, will he be okay with her staying. LOL Honestly, I've decided I'm overthinking it.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Melissa Woods said:


> Ours likes other dogs but we haven't had them in our house. I'm considering introducing them in the backyard first. It's hard to decide because I am certain he'll LIKE her. The question is, will he be okay with her staying. LOL Honestly, I've decided I'm overthinking it.


Just make sure you pay lots and LOTS of attention to the older dog. He will need it MORE than the new puppy!!!


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## Melissa Woods (Feb 21, 2019)

krandall said:


> Just make sure you pay lots and LOTS of attention to the older dog. He will need it MORE than the new puppy!!!


I plan on it. New puppies actually tend to get a bit overwhelmed in my house at first. LOL. She is so so tiny, I literally keep calling her a kitten. I am just going to have to be really cautious until I know how gentle he'll be. Not that I believe he'd intentionally hurt her. But she is the smallest of the litter of 3. Breeder was thinking she'd be on the small end of average as an adult, but my breeder often has girls in the 7-8 lbs range. At first she thought more average, 10-12 but the caveat is that since there were only 3 girls, and they tend to "look" like they're going to be bigger while still nursing. In any case, this pair has a history of breeding small but healthy dogs at times (a grandma was very tiny). And as they grow and have weaned her predictions on weight change, which is the case with Roxie. (I'll ask more about how things have progressed)

None of this concerns me. I fell in love with her for her temperament. She is so sweet and mellow and absolutely loving. As long as she's healthy, it's all good. But at the moment she reminds me of a kitten....or squirrel. I've seen Oliver interact with 4 lbs yorkies and toy poodles to giant doodles and boxers. He loves them all.

But he's going to understand she's a dog, right? &#128514; He chases squirrels with zest...

Also, I have a question about my bedroom, which is Oliver's safe haven. I will not immediately put her on my bed (for potty training reasons and I also think that COULD make him jealous, as he sleeps with us, cuddled up to one of us all night, or to my 4 year old son, who sleeps there too. welcome to my life, haha). I'm definitely setting up an ex-pen and crate, but thinking of maybe not having it directly beside my bed like his was. I'm not anticipating problems but I also want him to feel like, okay, this is still my space, even though mom and dad are getting up with her multiple times at night. Does that make sense?


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Melissa Woods said:


> I plan on it. New puppies actually tend to get a bit overwhelmed in my house at first. LOL. She is so so tiny, I literally keep calling her a kitten. I am just going to have to be really cautious until I know how gentle he'll be. Not that I believe he'd intentionally hurt her. But she is the smallest of the litter of 3. Breeder was thinking she'd be on the small end of average as an adult, but my breeder often has girls in the 7-8 lbs range. At first she thought more average, 10-12 but the caveat is that since there were only 3 girls, and they tend to "look" like they're going to be bigger while still nursing. In any case, this pair has a history of breeding small but healthy dogs at times (a grandma was very tiny). And as they grow and have weaned her predictions on weight change, which is the case with Roxie. (I'll ask more about how things have progressed)
> 
> None of this concerns me. I fell in love with her for her temperament. She is so sweet and mellow and absolutely loving. As long as she's healthy, it's all good. But at the moment she reminds me of a kitten....or squirrel. I've seen Oliver interact with 4 lbs yorkies and toy poodles to giant doodles and boxers. He loves them all.
> 
> ...


He will NOT think she is a squirrel. He's smarter than that! LOL! He can smell she is a dog, and instinctively, most dogs are very gentle with little puppies. CERTAINLY, watch them carefully, but try to be calm and not let your worry infect the situation.

I would definitely have the puppy's crate in the bedroom with you at night. The puppy DOES need that, and I think it is right expectation to set for Oliver too. She's not taking over the bed, but she is part of the family too. By the time she's READY to be on the bed, he and she will be buds" anyway!

BTW, I ran across these photos of "baby Pixel" yesterday, and they were so cute and reminded me so much of your little girl, I thought I'd share!


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## Melissa Woods (Feb 21, 2019)

krandall said:


> He will NOT think she is a squirrel. He's smarter than that! LOL! He can smell she is a dog, and instinctively, most dogs are very gentle with little puppies. CERTAINLY, watch them carefully, but try to be calm and not let your worry infect the situation.
> 
> I would definitely have the puppy's crate in the bedroom with you at night. The puppy DOES need that, and I think it is right expectation to set for Oliver too. She's not taking over the bed, but she is part of the family too. By the time she's READY to be on the bed, he and she will be buds" anyway!
> 
> BTW, I ran across these photos of "baby Pixel" yesterday, and they were so cute and reminded me so much of your little girl, I thought I'd share!


OMG baby Pixel is so cute. She does remind me of Roxie! And thanks for the reassurance. It's true, they can feel your nerves!


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