Do Dogs Get Sad When You Get Another Dog?
Bringing a dog home requires a lot of planning and preparations, especially if you already have one. You obviously have to think about how your older canine friend would react to the entry of a new dog.
Do dogs get sad when you get another dog? The reaction of your dog to the entry of another dog depends upon its breed characteristics and personality traits. And actually, it is quite normal for dogs to feel sad and replaced by a new member at home. In such a situation, dogs will start behaving strangely. Some dogs might become aggressive, and another set of dogs would become depressed.
So, here in this article, we will discuss how it would be getting a dog to your home while you already have one. You will move across the possible ways in which your older dog reacts. Also, you can grasp some tips to make their introduction and relation better.
How Your Dog Would React When You Bring Another Dog Home?
Actually, different dogs react very differently when you bring another dog home. Some may get along with the new member easily. At the same time, some dogs would take a really long time to get used to the presence of another member.
Some of the dog breeds that easily get along with other dogs are:
- Great Dane.
- Pug.
- Siberian Husky.
- Labrador Retriever.
- Beagle.
- Cavalier King Spaniel.
However, some breeds of dogs would absolutely hate the arrival of other pets into their territory. Here are few such breeds:
- Pit Bull Terrier.
- Akita.
- Chihuahua.
- Boxer.
- American Bulldog.
So, the breed of your dog definitely has a role in how it reacts to the arrival of another dog.
However, dogs are just like humans. They get jealous, sad, and excited. And when you bring another dog home, it is quite normal for them to feel replaced and sad.
But you can definitely act wisely and try out not to make your older canine friend sad with the arrival of a new one. Show them more love and make them feel they are still safe and loved, and definitely not replaced.
Dogs obviously get jealous when a new dog comes home, and all love and attention move to the newcomer. So, up to an extent, you are responsible for how your first dog would feel with the homecoming of a second one.
If you are wondering how your dog would react when you bring another dog home, here are the most common ways in which dogs react.
1. Anxiety
With the arrival of a new dog to your home, your first dog may start becoming anxious. Your first dog may literally freak out at the sight of a new dog at his territory and might escape from the scene as soon as possible.
The cause for the anxiety can be different reasons. First of all, the first dog might be frightened at the sight of the new one. It might foresee an attack from the new dog in the house.
The anxiety is common in your first dogs for a few days after the entry of a new dog at your home. But, if it continues for a longer time, it would be better to seek the advice of a veterinarian.
2. Depression
Some dogs may get super sad and jealous by the arrival of a new dog into their family. In such situations, you will find your first dog silent, calm, and slowly moving away from you.
The symptoms of depression in dogs include loss of appetite, withdrawals, hiding away from their master and favorite people, restlessness, and even aggressive characteristics.
To help your dog get out of depression, you might have to spend more time with them. Show more love to them. Keep them engaged. Go out for evening walks with your dog.
3. Excitement
Certain dogs would love the company of another dog. Such dogs would be super-excited with the arrival of the second dog to their home.
The first dog of yours might be overjoyed for having a company. In such situations, you will find your first dog following the new dog everywhere and nagging it for a game.
In such cases, the two dogs will bond over easily. You might even find them sharing even food bowls.
However, keep an eye on the two dogs for the first few days. Also, make sure that the newcomer is not getting annoyed with your super-excited first dog.
4. Suspicion and Cautiousness
Sometimes a dog will always watch another dog with a lot of suspicion and cautiousness. The same thing can also happen with the arrival of another dog at your home. You will find your first dog suspicious and cautious of the newcomer.
It is quite normal for your first dog to take time to trust the new dog at home. Things will change well after some time. You will soon find both your dogs cuddling and enjoying the company of each other.
However, you can seek the advice of a veterinarian if things are not going well even after a few days.
5. Protectiveness
Your dog might become aggressive at another dog you bring home, especially if your first dog possesses an over-protective trait. The aggression is not always because your first dog doesn’t like the arrival of a new dog, but it is suspicious of the newcomer to hurt its master and family in some ways.
Such aggression only lasts for a while. Once your first dog builds trust upon the newcomer, everything will be fine and good between your two canine buddies.
So, that are the quite common emotions seen among dogs when their master gets another dog home. It is also normal to find your dog undergo a mixture of all these emotions. You will find each dog react very differently to the entry of another dog to their territory.
However, you can also make the entry of a new dog into your home smooth without affecting your first dog much. For such a thing to happen, you have to, first of all, make the introduction of the dogs smooth.
So, take some tips from the next section of the article to make the introductions smooth and not make your first dog sad and replaced.
Tips To Introduce Your First Dog With Another Dog
As it is said that the first impression really matters, how you introduce two dogs also really matters in determining their future relationship.
Yes, how you introduce your first dog with the newcomer is really important. So, here are a few tips to make things smooth and super-good.
- Bring a swap scent to your home before you bring the real dog home. Dogs are great smellers, and a swap scent will help your first dog to be conscious of the arrival of another dog.
- Plan the introduction on a neutral ground. Keep both the dogs on leash.
- Introducing dogs by a parallel walk across a park or road works great.
- Don’t plan the introduction on the first day of the arrival of the new dog. You should give time to both dogs to get used to the existence of each other.
- It would be better to keep both dogs in separate spaces or crates. Make use of howdy crates.
- Don’t plan an introduction during mealtime.
- Show a bit more love and care to your first dog for not making it feel replaced or jealous.
Conclusion
Now you know how not to make your first dog sad when you bring another dog home. You just need to be a little cautious of overloving the new buddy at home. Actually, do the vice-versa. You should shower your first dog with more love when you bring another dog home.
However, it is quite normal for your first dog to feel sad when you bring another dog home. Things will get better as they get along well with each other. You can seek the advice of a veterinarian if you find your older dog sad and strange even after a few weeks.
