Introducing a newly rescued dog to another family member
March 23, 2011 3:52 PM   Subscribe

Adopted a rescue dog while my partner was away. How best to introduce yet another pack leader to the pooch?

While my husband was gone for an extended period, we added a rescue dog to our home mix. He's settling in nicely as our only pet, and we're working on consistent training and firm alpha leadership.

I need tips on how best to integrate the soon-to-arrive husband. (And, yes, he knows about and supports the adoption!) The dog is a large, muscular sight-hound mix, neutered, and about a year-and-a-half old. He is my constant shadow (I'm sure that some of that is due to being bounced from shelter to foster and then transported here).

I need some novel hacks for ensuring young hound understands from the get-go that husband belongs to the family and is also a pack leader.
posted by heigh-hothederryo to Pets & Animals (13 answers total)
 
A great way to build positive and appropriate relationships is training, so you could start by having your husband take him to some positive training classes (and you could go too), and you could also stop worrying about "alpha" and "pack leader" and all that other outdated and inaccurate stuff. Dogs need fair and consistent training, and understanding of how they learn, with lots of positive rewards, they do not need domination and "alpha" and all that, they are not all secret Hitlers plotting world domination. I suggest you read some Jean Donaldson and Pat Miller, and other modern, science-based dog behaviorists, and perhaps forget about that Dog Whisperer stuff.
posted by biscotti at 4:07 PM on March 23, 2011 [6 favorites]


Easiest thing? Have him feed the dog exclusively. Also make sure the dog is comfortable with him getting between you.

The rest will come naturally.
posted by bitdamaged at 4:10 PM on March 23, 2011 [1 favorite]


oh slight add on. Feeding time is the best time to reinforce some sort of training. For us its "out of the kitchen" where we make the dogs get out of the kitchen before feeding. If you add something on like "sit" before he eats it would help as well.
posted by bitdamaged at 4:11 PM on March 23, 2011


The "alpha pack leader" thing was from observing wolf packs in zoos, where numerous unrelated wolves are thrown together and they have to establish ranks. In nature, packs are family units, in which the younger wolves are pretty much naturally obedient to their parents and aunts and uncles. In a one dog family, it isn't hard for the dog to get that the humans make decisions, like parent wolves. I agree that an obedience class or two is a good idea, because it is fun for dog and humans, good socialization, and well trained dogs are nicer companions.
posted by grizzled at 4:34 PM on March 23, 2011


I just treat my dogs kindly, play with them a lot and use the least correction necessary when they do something I don't want them to do. I'm consistent about what they can't do and make sure they get a lot of opportunities to be good. Also chicken jerky. Works pretty well. Everything else is pop-psychology.
posted by fshgrl at 4:55 PM on March 23, 2011


Feeding, working and communicating together, and playing together are the basics in the long run. The only thing I'd add to the above is that in the short run, if your dog happens to be hostile toward strangers at the door/in the house, it might be good to arrange for the dog to meet your husband outside on slightly more neutral ground (driveway, sidewalk...). Fortunately, dogs are much, much faster than people are to reclassify other creatures from "who the hell are you?" to "hey, we're cool"--especially if there's a handful of treats to dole out.
posted by drlith at 5:16 PM on March 23, 2011


Get your husband some liver treats. Have him give the treats to the dog all day. For a while only your husband should give the dog treats. And, yes, if it is feasible, he should also feed the dog.
posted by fifilaru at 6:01 PM on March 23, 2011


Response by poster: Good stuff. Thanks, all.

To clarify, when I say I'm trying to be alpha, I'm not being aggressive, I'm doing ahimsa-type stuff -- having doggie sit before leash is put on, stay while I open the door, and walk behind me through it. (He also has to sit and stay while his food is being readied, waiting until he hears "Release!" But that's because I have the vision of being able to cry "Release the hound!")
posted by heigh-hothederryo at 6:31 PM on March 23, 2011


I'm glad to hear it. :)

In that case, your husband should feed the dog, and treat the dog, and train the dog. And I still say you should take some positive training classes. There is no dog/owner combination that cannot benefit from classes, people can often manage on their own, but classes are miles better. I teach dog training classes and I still take regular weekly classes (2 for each dog per week) with my dogs, it keeps me honest about my training at home, and it ensures that there's a block of time on a regular basis that belongs to that dog alone.
posted by biscotti at 6:53 PM on March 23, 2011 [1 favorite]


What you're doing just sounds like standard training to me, the kinds of things all dogs should know to do for all people. As long as your SO doesn't have completely different ideas if a well behaved dog and isn't feeding him bacon while the dog lies on the couch and growls at children, I expect you'll all live in harmony.
posted by fshgrl at 7:02 PM on March 23, 2011 [1 favorite]


Response by poster: Lying on the couch, eating bacon and growling at passersby is my privilege only.
posted by heigh-hothederryo at 8:00 PM on March 23, 2011 [7 favorites]


I am in a similar situation, and for the most part we haven't had any problems. Once I had done just a bit of training with our dog, he fairly quickly realized that doing what I said also led to yummy treats. However, there are some commands that he doesn't recognize when I say them, especially for the first time.

Our pooch does get jealous when I'm in town. We just try to give him attention and reward his positive behaviors, even if that is giving back the socks he stole just to get attention.
posted by lab.beetle at 8:42 PM on March 23, 2011


My roommate feeds my dog bacon when I'm at work. I couldn't figure out why the dog was so extremely well behaved all of a sudden. Like a little saint, for weeks.
posted by fshgrl at 9:28 PM on March 23, 2011


« Older Is there any problem in filing my federal tax...   |   What is working for 911 really like? Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.