# Who has brought a new dog into a home with a reactive dog?



## Neo93 (Apr 25, 2011)

And how did it work?

By now, I'm sure that everyone here is aware that Frieda has "issues." She is much better with people (adults), but she is still scared of children. She has made a lot of progress with her reactions to other dogs in neutral territory, and she actually did really well with my trainer's others dogs when she boarded with her for a week. However, on Frieda's own turf, she still has a lot of territorial aggression directed at other dogs. We have a foster dog on crate rest in a separate room, and if General is out going potty - Frieda totally loses it, even if she is crated upstairs. We had to cover up the cat door to the room where General is, because Frieda tried to launch an attack through the cat door. Her mouth (and teeth) fit really nicely through that door :-|, but fortunately it was just a lot of barking/growling before I interrupted.

I would really like to get a stable puppy/young adult to train for SAR, but I don't want to spend the rest of Frieda's life crating and rotating. I also don't want a puppy to pick up Frieda's methods of relating to other dogs.

So, possible? Not possible? Advice?


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

how old is Frieda?


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## chelle (Feb 1, 2009)

I can't contribute much,, but can tell you rotate/crate when the other dog is unhappy / jealous, whatever is nothing short of **** on earth. Spoken after an entire (almost) two weeks of doing it. It's a horrible way to live for me and for the dogs, too.


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## Neo93 (Apr 25, 2011)

She is two-ish.


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## Neo93 (Apr 25, 2011)

Chelle, I have already decided we will not crate and rotate long term. Not only would it not be good for the dogs, I have two kids and a husband who are not good about remembering to close doors. It's an accident waiting to happen.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

I have two reactive females(spayed) and brought in a male foster. They were introduced to him one at a time and it went well...they accepted him no problem(he was a GSD/Kelpiex)
The females were 3 and 2yrs old and the foster was just neutered and estimated to be about 14 mos.
After the foster left, I bought a male GSD pup and again, they accepted him just fine. I think opposite sex is best and a puppy usually gets a 'pass'. The puppy is now over 3 and the dogs are all out together all the time, no issues other than the females get a bit snarky with each other.
Just be diligent on managing them when introduced and keep the tone upbeat.


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## gsdraven (Jul 8, 2009)

I agree with Jane you *might* have better luck with a puppy. Holly is very reactive to other dogs (used to be with people as well) and the only dog that I have had success with introducing her to was a male puppy. It was a little hairy at first as she put on her ridiculous display but was fine after a couple of careful introductions. It took me almost a month to get her used to Raven and Kaiser when I first brought her home a year ago (she was 5 months old at that time).

The key is to just be patient and don't rush things. Lots of positive experiences together (safely of course).


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

if i had a reactive dog i wouldn't get another dog.
good luck.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

I would go with a puppy, opposite sex, and I think I would wait another 2 years. At two years, your dog is just now becoming mature. If you can spend the next two years with her working with her, training her, learning her, bonding even more with her, and then bring in an 8 week old puppy. 

Don't expect there to be no bumps in the road. It may take her a few days to get used to the idea that the puppy belongs. And it might be best to set up your housing arrangement so that you have a natural separation in your home, like if you have a finished basement have one dog primarily in the basement (family-type room) and an outside area (if necessary), and the other gets the kitchen and the run of the first floor. And if this becomes necessary spend decent time in both sections.

Hopefully, your bitch will be able to manage a puppy and accept the pup as a pack member. By the time this puppy is of an age to be any sort of a threat, you are setting it up so that the bitch will be 5 as the puppy reaches toward being an adult. Oftentimes an age difference of several years will make the push for supremacy unnecessary.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

> I also don't want a puppy to pick up Frieda's methods of relating to other dogs.


If you get a pup with good genetics and socialize him(meaning take him places to experience everything you can safely do) he should be just fine. My male is of higher threshold, with an off switch. He is pretty much bomb-proof and is neutral with other dogs.
I wasn't really concerned he'd take on the others methods, because I knew he came from a solid genetic background. 
I didn't let the females bully him, they did correct when necessary, but he never had his confidence taken away.
I don't have other dogs come onto our property, and I think my male may not take kindly to that, but off our land, he is just fine with other dogs.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Yes it's possible but always a gamble. I don't really lump dogs into "reactive" or not. ALL dogs have a threshold. I had two dogs that were raised together and one day up and decided they hated each other's guts and that was that. Now both of these dogs are great with my other dogs, all my friends' dogs, my foster dogs, my friend's foster dogs.... but they can't stand each other. Does that make them "reactive"? My oldest GSD is not real fond of other intact male dogs his age, but he's very good with puppies, almost too much of a pushover. He won't let any ol' strange dog walk up the driveway and come into the yard, but if I'm there and I say it's OK then he gets along with other dogs coming in the yard to play. Anyway my point is that often you just don't know until you try. I agree with Jane that usually getting a puppy works better. IMO a dog has to have a few screw loose to really be aggressive to a puppy. I let my dogs correct younger dogs and puppies, so they are not allowed to be bossy pests, but even the dogs I've had that are not as tolerant of adult dogs have been fine with my puppies and foster dogs. And yes if you get a good quality puppy with a good temperament, there should be no "rubbing off".


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## katdog5911 (Sep 24, 2011)

My boy Ruben, not GSD, is very dog reactive. And cat reactive. I was able to get a cat several years ago. It took time but he accepted the cat after a while. Also got Stella my 15 month old GSD about a year ago. Ruben was 8 at the time. The first 2 weeks were rough. But again, after a while he even played a bit with her. I guess he realized she wasn't going away any time soon! I can't say he is thrilled that she is here, but he has accepted her. She on the other hand, adores him! Gives him face baths all the time and if she doesn't see him for a few hours, then sees him, she acts like it's been years. I guess it helped that she was a puppy and opposite sex. I ALWAYS supervised them together. She is always crated when I am not home. I used to crate her in the car when they were both in there....for the car's safety as well as her own.  Now they are both fine together in the car. Ruben still gets snarky sometimes. But he is a big old guy with bad knees and I guess her youthful exuberance can be too much at times. I wish they were a little closer in age. Maybe Ruben would be more playful????


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## Blitzkrieg1 (Jul 31, 2012)

First off your house your rules she shouldnt feel like she can go crazy on another dog that you own and lives with you at any time. If this happens you get between her and the dog and correct her firmly until she relaxes. Walk them both together ASAP one on each side both at your sides, walking together is really the best way to meet. If she does the bucking bronco routine and is uncontrollable put her on a choke or prong and ensure she is under control. Desensatize, when she is crated have him in the same room so she gets used to his presence. Any misbehaviour from either dogs gets corrected firmly. This is your house, your dog, your pack not a strange dog. There is fear aggression and then there is just disrespect. Lay down the law you own the house and pay the bills not her, you decide who lives there or doesnt.
I always walk any new dog with my existing dogs before it even enters my home. Their behavior with one another is always supervised by me and corrected if disrespectful.

Avoiding and rotating will never address the problem and only make life more difficult. If it was two males especially intact thats one thing but male and female as long as both are being provided the appropriate leadership should get along just fine.


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## prockerb (Sep 3, 2012)

You know one day I was going to ask this question because I would love to have a Border Collie to work with, and do things that I will never do with my reactive dog.... Thing that worries me the most is that when getting a puppy my dog can do something to traumatize her. Then the whole story repeats AGAIN! That would be so terrible. So I am pretty much going to study long and hard before I do decide on getting one. It might be more than another year before I decide to adopt, for now I need to find a good balance in my life, and my dog's. I want to atleast say that I have dedicated enough to my dog to get him over his fears, before I take in a second responsibility. What is important the way you introduce both the puppy/dog to your dog, and the best thing to do is to talk to an experience trainer.


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