Acclimation of an adult to new home

Plenty of routines for a while....eat, sleep, toilet at the same time each day....
Plenty of walks...Plenty of belly rubs and plenty of short grooming sessions...
Consistency....if you don't want him on the furniture in 6 months...don't allow it in the beginning...
Doors and baby gates will be your friends for a while....it is amazing what new dogs can find intriguing that existing dogs totally ignore!

Have fun!!

Congrats on your new pup! Never adopted one so not sure if I'm much help. Just show plenty of love and keep whatever toys the previous owner had. I would keep similar walking schedules, food, etc.....for the time being. Is the pup crate trained? If so.....keep the crate.

I would just try and keep things going as the pup has been familiar with before converting to new food, schedules and the like. And don't forget about your other dog. Sure don't want to let the older one feel left out. Hopefully the the 2 will get along fine. How to introduce the 2 can better be answered with others that have gone through a similar situation. Good luck!

One thing I read & don't know if it is helpful or not, but the 1st time they are introduced should be on neutral territory. That helps them know each other without having to guard their own territory.

Traz said:

One thing I read & don't know if it is helpful or not, but the 1st time they are introduced should be on neutral territory. That helps them know each other without having to guard their own territory.

Click to expand...

I've had luck with having someone bring the 'old' dog along and meet up with me and the 'new' dog in a nearby park. The dogs can meet each other briefly, then we all go for a walk together before heading home. This technique has worked well for me.

Don't expect it to be seamless. Expect that from time to time in the beginning, your dogs may not get along beautifully - it's all about pack order and boundaries. As long as they get along most of the time in the beginning, that's fantastic. Expect that it's going to take time for the new dog to get comfortable in his new house with it's new rules and that in the beginning, he may "act out" more. Expect that this will be very hard for him - it will take time for your family to be his new people as he will be greatly missing his prior owners. Expect to be reaching out for help here when things aren't going so seamlessly.

Traz said:

One thing I read & don't know if it is helpful or not, but the 1st time they are introduced should be on neutral territory. That helps them know each other without having to guard their own territory.

Click to expand...

Absolutely. We plan on taking our dog to pick up our new pup, and maybe we'll take him for a walk at my co-workers place and 'happen to bump into' our new pup on a walk too. I was thinking this would be the best way, as it would be neutral territory for both.

Great advice!

Make sure both dogs, especially your older one, has a place to "get away" from the other. An older dog, even if he enjoys the new buddy, can often get grouchy at times, and will need some space.

I had to pick up my "old" dogs toys for a while when I brought my "new" dog into the house. After a while I was able to reintroduce the toys starting with the "old" dogs least favorite. Mind you the "old" dog was only 2 at the time.

All good advice so far. I would suggest you consider him a "puppy" for a while--not a trained 2 year old. Do everything as if you are bringing an 8 week old puppy home. Lots of outside potty breaks (more than he probably needs) just to establish exactly where you want him to go. Little by little, give him more freedom as he earns your trust. And, I should have said this first, CONGRATULATIONS!

It really helps to train your new dog if you post pictures on the forum

These are all good ideas.....I guess most of this stuff is a lot of common sense and really trying to think of what is best for the pups. I'm sure it will be a learning experience for everyone!

I'll upload some pics of Lloyd when he comes to his new home!

I've done this many times over the years. Main thing is patience, routine and consistency. Do not underestimate how stressful this will be for both dogs even though they may appear to be having great fun.

You will be amazed at how long this can take. After a month you will say to yourself "Wow, the new guy is really settled in!". Then, at 4 months you will be amazed at how unsettled he really was at the end of one month.

No matter what it takes, it will be worth it in the end. You will wonder how you ever got along without a Golden.

Every dog book I've ever read (many) has said the same thing along these lines. Make sure to introduce the dogs OUTDOORS, even if it's your own front yard. They are more comfortable this way and your Min-Pin won't feel as if there's an invader in his/her home. The walk together and introduction outside the home has done wonders for me all three times I've done it. Good luck & congrats!!

Jackson'sMom said:

I've had luck with having someone bring the 'old' dog along and meet up with me and the 'new' dog in a nearby park. The dogs can meet each other briefly, then we all go for a walk together before heading home. This technique has worked well for me.

Click to expand...