Bringing home a new puppy is a life-changing experience for the whole family, including your current dog. Of course you want your new puppy and your dog to be BFFs — and properly introducing them to each other is a crucial part of that process.

In this article, we’ll walk you through how to introduce a new puppy to your dog, with expert tips for making the transition as smooth as possible.

How To Introduce Dogs: A Step-By-Step Guide

Wondering what’s the best way to introduce dogs? Our first tip is to try to keep your household as calm as possible, giving your dog and your new puppy a peaceful space to acclimate to each other. Don't throw a “welcome party” on your puppy’s first day home — too much excitement could overstimulate your dogs, and end in chaos. 

To help the initial introduction go smoothly, we’d recommend following these steps:

Make Sure Both Dogs’ Vaccinations Are Up-To-Date

Before introducing a new puppy to your dog, make sure that both of your pups are up-to-date on their vaccinations. This includes making sure that both dogs are clear of parasites like Giardia and Coccidia, as well as worms. Certain illnesses are easily transferable from an older dog to a puppy — even if your older pup has had their vaccines in the past — so it’s better to play it safe.

Introduce Them in a Neutral Location

We recommend that you first introduce your dog to your new puppy in a calm, neutral location away from home, with both of them on leashes. Pick a safe place like around the corner from your house, or at a nearby park. 

Why does this matter? Because it will help mitigate any territorial behaviors from your older dog. Introducing your pups in a neutral location will allow your older dog to engage with your new puppy without feeling like their space is being invaded.

Pro tip: On the day of the first introduction, enlist the help of a family member or friend to help keep an eye on the two pups and handle their leashes. It helps to have some support!

Pay Attention To Each Dog's Body Language

When introducing your dog to your new puppy, be sure to watch carefully for body language that indicates defensiveness — like hair standing up on your dog's back, bared teeth, growling, a stiff-legged gait, or prolonged staring. 

If you see any of these behaviors — either when the dogs are at a distance or near each other —  immediately and calmly interrupt the interaction by distracting the dogs with something else.

However, if both pups seem relaxed and comfortable, you can shorten the distance between them. Don’t forget to offer treats to your pups any time they look at each other in a relaxed manner, and reinforce their good behavior.

Transition Them Indoors

After an initial meetup outdoors, you can move the introductions inside. To do this, you’ll want to create a neutral environment at home, too. Remove your older dog’s toys, bowls, bed, and any other items they may become possessive over.

In general, taking the time to create a comfortable and controlled space to welcome your new puppy is important. Besides creating a neutral environment, you’ll also want to puppy-proof your home, securing or removing any items that could potentially be hazardous if your puppy gets into them.

Keep Each Dog’s Items Separate

As your dogs adjust to each other, continue to keep a neutral environment for a few days, or longer if needed. 

Give your new puppy their own things: bed, toys, bowls, etc., as well as their own crate or playpen area with enough space for them to relax.

By keeping each pup’s items separate, you’ll avoid any potential possessive behavior. This will also help you set boundaries with your new puppy around which things and spaces they can engage with, and which ones they and can’t.

Top Tips For Introducing a New Puppy to Your Dog

Besides following the steps listed in the previous section, there are a few additional techniques you can use to help ease your pups during their first meeting. Here are some of our top tips:

1. Let your older pup get acquainted with the puppy’s smell. Before introducing a new puppy to your dog, give your older dog something that belongs to the puppy, like a blanket or toy from their breeder or shelter. Let your older dog sniff the item, and get used to being in the presence of that new scent, before you bring the new puppy home (maybe even a few days before their first face-to-face introduction).
2. Create a barrier using a gate or a playpen. This allows your pups to safely meet, sniff, and be around each other in a controlled space where they can’t physically interact just yet. You can use this method each time they meet, until they get used to seeing each other. Pro tip: when the barrier finally comes down, keep a leash attached to each of your dogs, so you can easily guide them away from each other if needed.
3. Use training routines. Keep both dogs engaged in performing tasks, rather than just letting them loose in the yard. A new puppy might not know any commands yet, but your older pup can help show them how it’s done. Ask for a “Sit,” “Stay,” and “Come,” from your older dog, while letting your new puppy watch or play nearby. Reward their progress with our tasty (and low-calorie!) Training Treats.
4. Stick to your normal routine. When you get a new puppy, your first instinct may be to dote upon your older dog so that they don’t feel left out. Rather than giving them extra attention, it’s actually more productive to just go about your regularly-scheduled routine. This helps your older dog understand that while there may be a new puppy in the house, nothing has really changed.
5. Work on boundaries with your puppy from Day 1. Don’t let your puppy get away with behaviors that you wouldn’t accept from your older dog — like biting, chewing, and jumping on people. Start working on training them right away — this lets your older dog see that you’re not going to treat the puppy any differently than you would treat them. Dogs thrive on routine, so ultimately having some structure and established boundaries will help keep everything running smoothly.
6. Set controlled playtimes. Letting your dogs be together 24/7 can lead to over-stimulation or encourage a “pack mentality.” This means that your pups will only want to interact with each other, and start feeding off of each other's behaviors. In that situation, you might notice your older dog starts to not listen to you as well as they did before. After your pups have interacted, give them some time to decompress separately in their designated crates or another space.

Daily Life After Introducing a New Puppy to Your Dog

So, you’ve got the initial introductions down — now, how do you settle into daily life with a new puppy and an older dog? Here are a few tips to help you transition smoothly.

Give Each Dog Their Own Bed

Some dogs are possessive of their resting spaces. Even if a bed is big enough for both dogs to share, it could invite a potential squabble — so it’s a good idea your new puppy a bed that belongs to them and only them.

Introduce Toys Slowly

After initial introductions where you remove all of your older dog’s toys from the room, gradually reintroduce toys back into your household. Look for playful interactions without signs of guarding —  like standing over the toy, or snapping or growling if the other dog gets too close to it. Always supervise your dogs when they’re trying out a new toy, and separate them if you see any signs of possessive behavior.

Separate Your Dogs During Mealtime

As your dogs adjust to each other, it’s a good idea to separate your new puppy and your older dog during mealtimes. You can either place their bowls in different rooms, or use a baby gate to separate them. If one dog finishes their food first, don't allow them to hover over the other dog as they eat — this can create tension.

Puppies have different nutritional needs than adult dogs, so make sure to feed your puppy a dog food that’s formulated specifically for them, like our Jinx Cage-Free Chicken Puppy Food.  Your older dog may be tempted by the tasty puppy food, but it’s not a good idea for them to eat it — puppy food is higher in calories and fat than adult dog food. To keep your older dog focused on their own bowl, feed them flavorful, premium kibble like our Jinx Grass-Fed Beef Dog Food.

Separate Your Dogs When You're Away

Alone time is an important aspect of the getting-to-know-you process. Whether you're leaving the house for the day or just taking a shower, it’s a good idea to separate your dogs when you can't keep an eye on them. This obviously helps keep them safe, but it also gives them some downtime away from each other.

Create Playtime Breaks

Sometimes, too much playtime can tip over into inappropriate behavior when dogs get overtired or overstimulated. Giving your dogs a break from each other allows them to relax and regroup after a wild play session. Create spaces for each pup to unwind separately — either in different rooms or using a baby gate. 

Keep Monitoring Their Behavior

Even after your pups adjust to each other, you should always keep an eye out for signs of brewing tension like low growling, hard stares, or body blocking. If you notice any of these behaviors, you should separate the dogs and direct their attention to something else. Give them a break from each other for at least 20 to 30 minutes before allowing them to engage again.

Be Patient

Even with following our tips for how to introduce dogs, it can still take a few months before your new puppy and older dog fully settle into life with each other. Be patient, and know that with time (plus, a routine and proper boundaries) things will get easier. Always acknowledge positive interactions between your dogs with praise and treats, and enjoy having a front seat to watching their friendship develop.

At Jinx, we're here to upgrade the way you care for your dog by providing holistic nutrition made with thoughtful formulation, real ingredients, and a whole lot of love. Prepare to welcome a new puppy into your home with our Puppy Essentials Starter Pack.