How to introduce new dog to our "pack"?

[Tokie]

Sundial - thanks for sharing your experience! The dogs spent a weekend together at the groomers/rescuers house last week. so they knew each other. So far here at home, it's ok. She has gone into Sammy and Lucy's kennels to snag their food - right in front of them. That's dangerous - you are right about setting a dog up for success, not failure. Kennels will now be closed if there is food in them. I don't think her elderly owner took her on walks (although I haven't tried any Spanish words - it's spoken by many here) she doesn't know the word walk, and pulls like crazy on her leash, although she is better already after only 24 hours. Unfortunately, she seems to have patellar subluxation on her right rear leg, she tends to skip and carry it non-weight bearing about 1/3 of her steps on a walk, not indoors though. Still haven't come up with a name for her! thanks, tokie

[sundial]

Tokie, as far as the pulling on the leash, have you considered a Gentle Leader headcollar? For a dog that pulls hard on the leash this is a godsend. I've used this on my dogs with great success. Also, for dogs that are feeling insecure, this will calm them by establishing you as being in total control of them.

The first time you put the Gentle Leader on your dog will probably throw a trantrum and try to rub it off the snout. Eventually the dog will calm down and he will forgive you.

[msincredible]

^^ love Gentle Leader!

[Tokie]

Hmmmm - off to buy laxative for DH (narcotic caused constipation, he broke his clavicle yesterday) will stop into the pet store.to look into the Gentle Leader. This little girl is a bit hand shy, but otherwise pretty confident. She makes my 27 lb poodle boy a bit nervous! I am trying to be very even handed with the dogs. She has bad breath that reminds me of when my last toy poodle had an undetected absessed tooth. After she gets settled in, I think she needs a dental exam with anesthesia to check this out. Her mouth is so teeny-tiny. Tokie

[Alex]

I have used Gentle Leaders and head halters, but I don't ever attach the leash to them. (I attach the leash to a body harness instead.) With the head halters, I am concerned about the possibility of the dog lunging and injuring his neck. Putting a dog in a head halter and attaching the leash to the halter requires extreme vigilance by the handler to avoid possible injury to the dog. I prefer the no-pull body harness that Gentle Leader makes. If a handler gets distracted when the dog is wearing a no-pull harness, at least any lunging or pulling will not result in any physical harm to the dog.

http://www.premier.com/View.aspx?pag...uctdescription

Of course, all of these are just tools to give the owner the opportunity to reinforce non-pulling. Neither a head halter nor a no-pull body harness will, by themselves, teach a dog not to pull when the training gear is not being worn. You need the human to teach that.

I'd love to see a pic of the new poodle, Tokie!

Alex

[Tokie]

Hi everyone - sorry no pics, my DH is injured, so all chores, dog and human are falling on me, in addition to going to work. I'm going to have to learn how to cook! The little dog is learning how to walk fairly well by walking with the other two. She is really smart, and will benefit from some one on one work too. Thanks for all the info. Tokie

[Tokie]

The new dog is now called Pixie! She is quiet a little clown, very happy and frisky! Tokie