I am taking in a dog my mate rescued recently, the dog is JRTerrier/Finnish Spitz mix breed and is around a year old. I also have a 2 year old schnauzer who is very welcoming and friendly. Any ideas on ways I can make him feel more comfortale and setteled in?
Julie, I used to have a kitten that I cared for and my dog was very welcoming and understanding (because he was much smaller as is Alfie)
Asked by:Vance
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just show him that u are not going to hurt him. treat him with love and respect. pamper him. give him the best of care and kindness. he will soon trust and love you. it will take time. be patient with him.
well the dog must be afraid just be very gentle with it sometimes petting them scares of makes them happy so if you pet it and it likes it just talk to it and talk gently and slow be kind a loving if it hides dont go running after it let it be it will come around soon
The first thing to say is leave your dog to do it, and if he is very friendly and welcoming then hopefully your dog will settle the newcomer in.
My advice would be, and we give this when putting out a rescue, is to let it be. Don’t try to introduce the world to her in the first couple of weeks. Even if having visitors then maybe put them off for the first few days and let the dog settle. Even down to not fussing her/him too much and letting her just come to you rather than the other way round.
Has your schnauzer actually had other dogs invade his territory and been friendly then or is he just friendly on walks?
It may be wise to introduce them on neutral territory like in a dog park. Let each sniff something the other has been laid on a few days prior to your new dog’s arrival so they can get the sense of each other before they meet. A blanket they sleep with is ideal. When the new one finally comes home, I’d put them inseparatee rooms next to each other with ababy gatee in the doorway so they can see/sniff each other without actually having contact. Only when you’re sure they’re ok, should you allow them both full run of the house together. If you have to leave them alone together, I’d crate them both until you know there isn’t going to be any fighting.
Make sure you give the abused dog plenty of love and care and let him go at his own face. Don’t force yourself on him – let him come to you. Plenty of treats and belly rubs. But don’t let your old dog feel left out. He should get some time alone with you too.
What kind of abuse took place? Is the dog hand shy, meaning he is frightened by a hand? That usually means they were hit at some point. Dogs are pretty good at warming up when they are reassured. Is there a specific food or some type of treat the dog likes? Give him some time by himself. He will probably hide for a little while but when he feels comfortable, he will come out. Try to coddle him a bit. Not overly so as he could become over protective of you, or become severely spoiled, but just enough to let him know that he is safe and that you’re not a threat to him.
There is a really good book out there called “The Second Hand Dog.” I highly recommend it for this type of situation.