Our social media nerd recently got a new rescue puppy and was worried about how to introduce and integrate it into the family. The two older dogs are 8 and 6 years and are pretty possessive over their fur-parents and other precious resources (like foraged dish cloths, old t-shirts, their favourite spots on the bed, and smelly socks – go figure!)
The two older dogs hog their parents bed at night, but they do have their own dog beds which they use when they want to. You’d think with access to enough soft surfaces like sofas and fancy linen scatter cushions, they wouldn’t need their own dog bed. However, they actually use them all the time – especially when it’s hot or they need quiet time for themselves.
Adult dogs need around 12-18 hours a day of sleep and puppies need around 18-20 hours a day. With puppies being such cuddle-magnets, they tend to get picked up a lot and “smother loved”. This makes having their own little dedicated sleeping spot even more important. When they choose to retreat to their bed, it’s a good signal for everyone to back off for a bit. Even the most affectionate of pups need quiet time on their own.
Dogs are den animals and a dog bed not only provides physical comfort (which is good for their joints), but also provide a place of psychological safety and comfort.
Another reason to have a bed for your pup, is that when they sleep on the bed, there’s a risk they could fall or jump off and injure themselves. Until a puppy’s growth plates have matured and ossified and their bones are strong, they can injure themselves badly if they jump or fall off a bed.
So, cuddle time on the bed is great, but when it’s time to sleep for the night, placing their bed alongside yours will be much less risky. Also, they’re likely to get a much better quality of sleep, which is also important for their development.
Other than having dedicated “safe-zones” (dog crates or dog beds) for each of your dogs, good tips on introducing a new pup into your home are:
Introduce them for the first time in a neutral area – not inside the house.
Keep resources like food, food bowls and toys away from the new pup – he or she should have their own.
Don’t force them to interact.
Allow the older dogs to move away from the puppy if they need to.
Don’t allow older dogs to bully the puppy.
Feed older and younger dogs in separate areas.
Supervise their interactions.
Make sure you still spend quality time alone with the older dogs.
You might also talk to an animal communicator and ask them to prepare the older dogs for the new puppy before it arrives.
If you have any other great tips, do let us know so we can share with the rest of the Wagworld Family.
Does my puppy need its own bed?
Our social media nerd recently got a new rescue puppy and was worried about how to introduce and integrate it into the family. The two older dogs are 8 and 6 years and are pretty possessive over their fur-parents and other precious resources (like foraged dish cloths, old t-shirts, their favourite spots on the bed, and smelly socks – go figure!)
The two older dogs hog their parents bed at night, but they do have their own dog beds which they use when they want to. You’d think with access to enough soft surfaces like sofas and fancy linen scatter cushions, they wouldn’t need their own dog bed. However, they actually use them all the time – especially when it’s hot or they need quiet time for themselves.
Adult dogs need around 12-18 hours a day of sleep and puppies need around 18-20 hours a day. With puppies being such cuddle-magnets, they tend to get picked up a lot and “smother loved”. This makes having their own little dedicated sleeping spot even more important. When they choose to retreat to their bed, it’s a good signal for everyone to back off for a bit. Even the most affectionate of pups need quiet time on their own.
Dogs are den animals and a dog bed not only provides physical comfort (which is good for their joints), but also provide a place of psychological safety and comfort.
Another reason to have a bed for your pup, is that when they sleep on the bed, there’s a risk they could fall or jump off and injure themselves. Until a puppy’s growth plates have matured and ossified and their bones are strong, they can injure themselves badly if they jump or fall off a bed.
So, cuddle time on the bed is great, but when it’s time to sleep for the night, placing their bed alongside yours will be much less risky. Also, they’re likely to get a much better quality of sleep, which is also important for their development.
Other than having dedicated “safe-zones” (dog crates or dog beds) for each of your dogs, good tips on introducing a new pup into your home are:
You might also talk to an animal communicator and ask them to prepare the older dogs for the new puppy before it arrives.
If you have any other great tips, do let us know so we can share with the rest of the Wagworld Family.
Sources:
https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/the-importance-of-a-good-dog-bed/
https://wagwalking.com/condition/growth-plate-injuries
https://www.rover.com/blog/introduce-new-puppy-older-dog/