Congratulations on your new puppy! You have many days and weeks of learning ahead for both you and your new addition.
One of your initial concerns might be about how to introduce your new puppy to the other animals already living in your home. This is a valid concern, as different animals, depending on their personality, may react to a newcomer in different ways. You can make introductions much easier on everyone involved by following a few simple steps:
Make sure you have set aside a whole day for your new puppy to get comfortable with their new surroundings. Do not get a puppy and leave them alone a few hours after bringing them home. It is best if you can have a full day, uninterrupted, to help your new puppy acclimate himself to the unfamiliar area.
The new pup should only be given a small area of the home to begin with. Gradually increase the area he is allowed into at a pace you are both comfortable with.
CATS:
If the other animals you are introducing the pup to are cats, there are a few rules to put in place:
The puppy should be on a leash the first few times he meets the cats. This will allow you to pull him back if he is too rambunctious and overwhelming. Cats will generally warn an intruder about territorial rules and invasion of space with a swat on the nose, and this is completely acceptable.
Make sure the cats have somewhere to escape to. This goes along with the pup only being allowed in certain areas when he first arrives in your home. Ensure the cats have someplace high up the puppy can’t get to, or a place they can run to without being followed.
Keep the puppy away from the cat’s belongings, including cat litter and food. The puppy will obviously want to explore, but he should be informed immediately that these things are not for him.
It is completely normal and acceptable for cats to take up to a week to be social when the puppy is around. Even then, for some time after, it may be only on the cat&rsq
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