# Welcoming new GSD (2 yr old rescue) to family



## jparker0418 (Mar 20, 2011)

Hi everybody...was just wanting some advice. My husband and I have an almost 4 year (d.o.b. 05-04-2010) old German Shepherd female. We are rescuing a German Shepherd from a GSD rescue. He is going on 2 years old in August. I have already went through the application process and home visit. So we found out a couple days ago that we were approved to get him. What is a good way to introduce him? I've read a couple of things via internet...where some articles say to let your dog you have now go somewhere like your parents house for a couple of days to give the new dog a chance for adjustment in the new house and environment, but I don't know what would be better. They will be introduced prior to me bringing him home, but should I let him get adjusted without her being there? Any information would be great if you've been through this kind of situation before. Thanks in advance, Jamie


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

It all depends on the individual dogs, but often the female tends to rule the roost so to speak anyway. She is older, and she was there first, and it may fall in just like that. I would take her to someone neutral to introduce them for the first time, and then I would just bring them home, and see how it goes.


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## Myah's Mom (Mar 25, 2013)

jparker0418 said:


> Hi everybody...was just wanting some advice. My husband and I have an almost 4 year (d.o.b. 05-04-2010) old German Shepherd female. We are rescuing a German Shepherd from a GSD rescue. He is going on 2 years old in August. I have already went through the application process and home visit. So we found out a couple days ago that we were approved to get him. What is a good way to introduce him? I've read a couple of things via internet...where some articles say to let your dog you have now go somewhere like your parents house for a couple of days to give the new dog a chance for adjustment in the new house and environment, but I don't know what would be better. They will be introduced prior to me bringing him home, but should I let him get adjusted without her being there? Any information would be great if you've been through this kind of situation before. Thanks in advance, Jamie


I strongly advocate having a meet & greet with both dogs on neutral territory to see if they like each other. I am surprised that a rescue would place a dog without having that done. So important. Sometimes animals just don't like each other (like people) and would not make good roommates, no matter what the house rules are. 

I tend to agree that dogs need a say in who their roommate is.  It is doing best by both dogs.


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## my boy diesel (Mar 9, 2013)

*where some articles say to let your dog you have now go somewhere like your parents house for a couple of days to give the new dog a chance for adjustment in the new house and environment, *

no not this way
then the new dog would think he will be the only one at the house and the resident dog will be very unsettled when coming back
i think that would be a disaster


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

My female was not exactly fond of my male when I brought her to meet him. He was rambunctious and in her face. She growled at him and wouldn't look at him the whole way home. They were best friends by that night. Just a thought if the introductions don't go perfectly at first.


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## Msmaria (Mar 2, 2013)

It took a week until my female would even acknowledge he was here. She ignored him and would turn her head away everytime she saw him. 
I agree, best to introduce in a neutral area and bring them home.


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