We should be getting Spratley/Corbin/Newt/Gillie/Bracken very soon Lots of folks here have multiple dogs so I was hoping for some words of wisdom about adding a second furkid.

Nutmeg will be coming with us and she'll be meeting him on neutral ground. They'll have a 4 or 5 hour car journey together but he will more than likely be in a crate (assuming I can borrow my parents' SUV).

Nutmeg is extremely easygoing, and he is very social with other dogs. So as it stands now there are no "issues" that I am aware of. She has never shown any guarding behaviour towards other dogs, unless she's digging a hole at the beach.

He's housetrained and crate-trained but we're going to treat him like a baby puppy for at least a couple of days, just to be sure he knows to go outside for "chores".

His bowl is not next to Nutmeg's. This is because our kitchen is very small, but mainly because Nutmeg - who is being cruelly starved by her heartless owners - will vacuum up any stray food lying about, and we'd like the poor chap to have a chance at eating.

We're planning on sharing most toys but apparently he really likes Nylabones, and Nutmeg doesn't, so we've bought him a couple of his own toys.

Anything else to bear in mind?

I'm so excited Num's is getting a brother!!!!

The big thing, suggested by others on here to me, is to make sure they each get their own 'time' with you, with the other dog out of sight. That's really helped Ella adjust, since she still gets some mommy time. Without her mommy time, she gets b*tchier. Like 1 day without mommy time, and she's noticably grouchier and guardier.

Nutmeg sounds much more, ummm, easygoing than Ella, so you'll probably have an easier time of it than I've had.

Question: Have any dogs come to your apt to visit Nutmeg? You might find she's guardier of her stuff in her house with her people than she is out and about. Ella used to even snark at her BFF Bonnie over toys when Bonnie came to visit--even though they shared toys and food bowls at Bonnie's house, or at the park.

I can't wait for more pics!

Yeah, Nutmeg sounds a bit more chill than Ella That's a good idea about inviting other dogs over... but I don't know that many other dogs well enough, except Daisy, but Daisy's mom might not have time.

Nutmeg has been fine in our other apartments/houses with visiting dogs, so I will extrapolate accordingly. Actually, she quite likes having friends over! She gets all goofy. It's quite funny to watch!

She will still get Mommy time. Actually, any time I'm home is Mommy Time She's just a bit over-bonded to me.

Make sure gets his own box. Can't wait to see him in your house with Nutter

I'd probably feed him in his crate or feed both dogs in their crates - at least initially. There's always extra adrenalin when a new dogs come even when everything's great. I would rather be proactive and prevent problems from occuring. My guess is that he's also never eaten anything as tasty as what he'll be eating at your house.

He should be used to other dogs and eating routines, if I recall correctly. I don't mean next to them ...but I think you get what I mean. I don't recall what they feed...sorry. I used to know...but I don't now...

We have currently 3...it will be 4 in the future....
each time we have brought in a new member we take it really slow. Providing lots of one on one time for all and also keep up the routine as much as you can for awhile...when you need to alter it...do it slowly.

Like for awhile...just take Nutty to the park..so her routing doesn't change just cuz he is here now.

He should be used to dogs coming and going so I bet he will be okay with you taking her to her stuff as usual.

I do a lot of together in but in their own area training...after they get used to each other ...have done this with each one. I can explain later if you are interested.

Don't be afraid to use xpens in the house or baby gates. I used expens very liberally when each member joined. We just recently transitioned Jamba from eating his meals in his 'diner expen' to eating his dinner next to the Couch Cafe. All we say is dinner to stomper and chiefy who eat near each other and Cafe to Jamba and off he goes to his 'booth'.

I am very happy for you!!

I would think he might also be used to eating in his crate or using crates as well.

I am sooo happy for you! I can't wait to watch this little guy grow up! Chiefy has already named his him long distance cousin!!!

My advice...be aware that two will lead to three which will lead to four...

oh she is very correct!!!

True!

I think the main thing is to make sure Nutmeg doesn't feel like she's lost her routines, her people, or her home. Aside from that, I have invariably found that things go well after the initial comments ("you look like a dork" "ugh, you smell really funny, where did you come from?" "why are you still here?" "don't you know anything, who trained you?") have subsided. Dogs are designed to live in packs and in general, they are accommodating to new pack members -- far more so than cats are, for instance.

To the new dog, everything will be fascinating and "hey, cool!" but to Nutmeg, it may seem that her space has been reduced. If she shows signs of that, you can reassure her with quality alone time (a car ride to get frozen yogurt is a nice way to do it) and by telling her all the good things about the new addition. Never mind if she eyes you skeptically when you do that, she will rely on your word.

I'd feed them in different rooms or different corners of the room, just because food time is pretty sacred to a dog. It's also the origin of many, if not most, instances of friction, so better to prevent than to have to deal with.

Congrats and good luck!!

I've never had a problem integrating new dogs into my home as long as they are already well socialized dogs and I heed all the advice given above about seperate feeding, not changing routines, giving one-on-one time.

I do handle leaving them alone the same way I would a dog with seperation anxiety - my rule of thumb is to leave them in the house together five times a day for one to five minutes the first day, five to ten minutes the second day, ten to fifteen minutes the third day, and so on. The first time I have to leave them alone while I go to work, I leave them babygated in seperate areas. I do this until I am quite sure they are fine together and have routinely left them for a half hour or more with no signs of trouble.

Do be prepared for the dog to CHANGE. I find the rescue dog is different at one month than when he arrives, different at three months than he was at one month, and often different at six months than at three months. Sadie seemed to fit right in from the word go (as did Belle and Oliver) but it was a full six months before she was comfortable enough to climb on the couch or sleep in a dog basket (even though she was a couch dog before she came here). One day she just decided it was time to do both, and she has never looked back since. That was also the day she finally stopped obsessively lying by the patio door looking, I think, for her owner's car. Most shelter dogs take at least three months before you see their real personality.

I echo everything that the others have said . . .don't think I can add much more. I still keep April and Caesar separated during the day. I think they would be fine together (we let them hang out in the whole house if we are gone for just a couple hours) but I don't think it's a bad thing to have them have their own time apart and their own place.

I also feed them separately - Caesar always gets fed first in the basement, and April gets fed second in another room upstairs (she's up there waiting while I give Caesar his meal). We've never had issues and I don't want any, so this is the way they will be fed forever!

And I always take them out separately on outings, but that's partly b/c I have training issues with both of them that I can't handle with them together. But I think it's nice for them to have their own outing :-)

I agree with this very strongly. I once had an agility trainer who was a student and friend of Suzanne Clothier and this trainer told me that very few dog owners realize how much space each dog really needs. Just because they are amiable around other dogs does not mean that they want that proximity 24/7, she said. In my experience she's absolutely right. Some dogs are more this way than others, but all dogs do need their own space and time.

When I come into the house unexpectedly, I am apt to find my gang scattered all through the house: one sleeping in the dog room, one in my bedroom, two in the dining room, and of course Guy who is separated by a gate. But the four dogs who are together, during the day, seek some separation.