A New Puppy, A New State of Mind
Ah, the joys of puppies! But what happens when that new pup has to join an established pack of dogs already at home?
Integrating a new puppy into a pack of established dogs isn’t easy, but it's something we’ve been working on for a couple of weeks. We recently adopted a 6-month-old male muttster pup, Fenway, into our pack. He’s small, sweet and has the most wonderfully balanced energy. While his integration has not been without challenges, we’re getting close to having it all sorted out.
Integration depends on a few factors:
1) Temperament and energy of the resident dogs;
2) Temperament and energy of the new dog;
3) Age and health of the dogs; and
4) The energy and calm strength the humans maintain (the most important).
Certainly there are factors missing here, but these are the ones that applied to our situation. As far as our resident dogs, we have Arwen the senior (loathe to admit that) and Nyxie, the adult, both of whom are in good health.
To say our dogs are “dog-friendly” would be an outright lie. Arwen has a very strong assertive streak and Nyxie is a fearful, reactive dog. They get along well, however, as Nyxie worships the ground Arwen walks on, and this is just as Arwen expects it.
Fenway is the calmest, most laid back puppy I’ve ever met. He is alert, adaptive, and sweet. He learns quickly and is eager to please. His early reaction to the girls was of quiet uncertainty. When he realized they were a lot of talk, he began to assert himself and can now stand his own against either of them. Nyxie has found a new playmate and both dogs seem calmer and (dare I say it?) more balanced.
The most significant factor is my own perspective and way of being around these 3 dogs. At first I was nervous and worried that they wouldn’t get along and there would undoubtedly be a fight of epic proportions. This never happened and as the days wear on, I feel more confident.
Ironically, when I’m alone with Fenway, his calm energy is simply contagious. It’s almost as though I can feel my heart rate slow and my pulse return to “pre-adult stress normal”. How does such a small creature wield so much power? As my energy relaxes, the tensions in our home dissipate and life is returning to normal.
I hadn’t realized it in a conscious way, but the anxieties and fears I was having were the fuel for igniting tensions with the dogs. If the dogs sense my fear and anxiety, then whatever is new must be something to fear and fight, right? But if I visualized good things happening, and radiated calm and strong energy, then good things did happen.
Taking that first confident step takes self-awareness and control. It takes a conscious effort to remain balanced, and because our dogs feed off of our energy, it’s work well-worth the effort!
:: Grace Foley is a featured blogger for HelloDallas.com. To read more from her, visit her blog Arwen's Pack. ::
Posted on Sep 22, 2011 by Grace Foley
