Bringing home a second cocker

[Mina]

Hello all!

I have an almost 3 year old cocker bitch and have just got a call from the owner of one of her sisters from the same litter to ask whether we would be able take on the sister also as the family can no longer keep her. We have been thinking of getting another cocker since the day we got Mina but were never totally convinced to the point of actually going for it. I feel so sorry for her sister as she is currently not kept in acceptable conditions, she's in a small apartment and gets taken out only twice a day for very short walks.  That is no life for a cocker!! So we have decided to give it a try. The thing is that Mina being an only "child" is quite jealous of other dogs approaching me and hubby, and she is quite territorial of her house and garden too. I am told her sister is very submissive. They are both intact.

Would you have any advice for me on how to introduce the sister to Mina and to our house? We will pick her up on Friday and take Mina along to already get them acquainted at the current owners' place. I imagine they will not remember each other even though they have met each other a couple of times since Mina came home but the last time was probably around 1 1/2 years ago.

Also, Mina sleeps in our bed but we would not want another cocker on there as we are squeezed to one edge of the bed as it is! Can it actually work to allow one up on the bed and the other one not...?

Many, many thanks in advance!

Tanja

[ejp]

Firstly, good for you for taking on another one, especially given the circumstances.  I would suggest that the two ladies meet outside the home in neutral territory if at all possible.  When we had our two boys, littermates got at the same time, they were very different from each other.  Max  would sleep on the bed anytime he could get away with it, whereas Bertie was happy just to lie in the room near us.  I think that won't be a major issue.  Hopefully someone with more experience and better advice will be along soon.  I really hope you can make this work.

[Pearly]

I would use the “wet flannel” technique....

Take a damp flannel and rub the sides of the face, flanks and ears of one dog, then using the same flannel do the same to the other dog.  Repeat 2-3 times before letting them meet on neutral territory.  Leave their leads on just in case but don’t hold on to the lead - so many times we read about dogs that are nervous being worse on lead.  Don’t assume if they get on initially they will always do so.  We have 5 bitches and there’s a regular ding-ding in the lead up to a season.  It settles again after and is “hand bags at dawn” but fairly shocking to an observer or the first time it occurs.

Wash all Minas bedding, toys and fleeces/coats to minimise her scent in the house.  Bring the new girl in with her scent so she can get established quickly.  A Feliway plug-in that emits pheromones may help settle both girls.

Prior to Coral arriving Pearl slept upstairs. One really good piece of advice given to me was to treat all dogs fairly and equally.  I had 4 days notice that Coral was arriving and chose to put Pearl in the kitchen as soon as I knew the other dog was mine (Rescue).  Interestingly the anxious dog that sometimes guarded preferred to be in the kitchen as it was less responsibility than having the whole house to roam in.  Coral was crated from the first day (age 9 weeks) so I knew she would be safe.

All 5 of ours sleep downstairs.  4 are crated and ask to go to bed in their crates.  1 sleeps where she chooses - she slept in the bed when I first met my now husband 

We used the same techniques and approach when we rehomed Purdey, 3 years ago.  She came into an established home with three other dogs and Kukri (now age 23 weeks) slotted in easily as number 5

You will need to be patient with the new girl, it can take six weeks or longer for a rehomed dog to settle into their new environment.  All the sounds, smells, commands, voices, routines, food, even the level of light and the direction she will turn out of the front door will be new to her.

I would suggest training them separately to start with to give quality time to both and if Mina becomes a problem with guarding seek help from a behaviourist.

Hope it all works out for you,

Jayne

[Mina]

Thank you both for your advice, very helpful! I understand that the change will possibly be more of a shock for Mina's sister than Mina herself. Will do my best to give them both quality time separately. Mina should be coming into heat very soon, so hoping that she holds it a bit longer!  Crossing all fingers and toes that they like each other!

[rubyduby]

I would take them for a nice long walk together, and get them accepting and playing together