August 28, 2025 • 7 mins
Bringing home a new puppy when you already have pets? Amy walks you through safe, step-by-step strategies to help your puppy meet other dogs, cats, or critters—without stress or chaos. Harmony is possible!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Today's episode is all about safely introducing
your new puppy to other pets inyour home, whether that's
another dog, a cat or somethingelse entirely.
Welcome to the Puppy TrainingPodcast.
I'm Amy Jensen, founder ofBaxter Bella, the online puppy
school.
Here we are all about helpingyou create the best possible
(00:21):
experience raising a puppy, fromtraining tips to practical
tricks, all aimed at fostering ahappy, well-behaved dog who
truly feels like part of thefamily.
So if you are ready to enjoythe journey and strengthen the
bond with your dog, let's getstarted.
Hi everybody, thanks forlistening.
(00:42):
I appreciate you being here.
So it was National Dog Day theother day.
Did you and your dog celebrate?
I hope so.
Baxter and Bella.
They love to get outside.
They like to play Frisbee, theylike to do go sniff walks.
If you never tried a go sniffwalk with your dog, I highly
recommend it.
You put them on a longer leashI like 10 foot leashes and they
just get to sniff and be a dogand they check in and I give
(01:04):
them a reward and then we movealong and they think it's the
best thing in the world.
So if you haven't tried it, godo it.
Okay, today we are talking aboutpet introductions, these early
meetings matter.
So when they're done right,they lay the foundation for
lifelong harmony in your house.
Done poorly, they can lead tostress or even aggression.
So let's walk through a calmhouse.
(01:25):
Done poorly, they can lead tostress or even aggression.
So let's walk through a calm,controlled process of
introducing a new puppy to yourfamily and pets at home.
Now, before your puppy evenmeets the other pet, let's think
about space and somesupervision.
You can use things like babygates, crates or leashes just to
give each animal their ownspace.
We want to also make sure thatthey have room to retreat if
(01:46):
they want to, and we never forceface-to-face meetings right
away.
So what this might look like isyou have a baby gate set up and
the puppy's on one side of thebaby gate and your other dog's
in the other room.
They can come to the baby gate,sniff one, two, three, and then
I lure them away from eachother.
And then they can come back andsniff one, two, three, and then
I lure them away from eachother, and then they can come
back and sniff one, two, three,and then I lure them away from
each other.
Each time I'm luring them away,I'm giving them a little food
(02:08):
reward.
I'm keeping these interactionsas positive as possible and I'm
watching their body language.
So as soon as their bodylanguage is loose and noodley
and happy, I'm going to let themtry to be together.
If I see any tensing, staring,freezing, freezing, hovering,
any worrisome body language, I'mgoing to wait.
So management is everything inthe beginning.
(02:30):
We want to go slowly again.
Your goal is curiosity, notchaos.
If your puppy or your other petwants to move away, let them.
And if they'll come back and becurious, great, reward them.
But we don't want to force that.
We want it to be natural and ontheir own terms.
If you have another dog at home,you can have them meet outside,
(02:51):
maybe in your driveway.
Both dogs can be on a leash andyou can go for a little walk
together as they're sniffing.
That can help relax them.
And again, you're watching forbody language.
We're looking for nice relaxedposture, wagging tails, open
mouths, maybe tongues hangingout.
You can allow brief sniffing,then separate and repeat.
So walking like moving and thenhaving to focus on the movement
(03:17):
and then finding other thingsto sniff along the way besides
each other and you're workingtogether can be a good way to do
an introduction and then youcan gradually move indoors,
keeping the interaction shortand positive.
If your current dog hasfavorite things like maybe they
have a favorite toy or they'revery interested in food you
might want to be a littlecareful about using the toy or
the food in that introduction.
(03:38):
You can use other things thatare less valuable to them.
We don't want to cause any kindof tension or guarding issues
on the part of our dog but again, you're going to know that
because you know your currentdog, you know their behavior and
you'll be able to decide isthis a smart thing for me to do
or not?
Typically speaking, you can usefood rewards.
Just maybe use a little lowervalue food rewards to keep this
(04:00):
positive and fun for both dogs.
Let's take a different scenario.
Let's talk about a puppy and acat.
Cats are a little different.
Let your cat observe the puppyfrom up high or behind a gate,
like we talked about in thebeginning.
You can keep your puppy leashedat first, but we don't want
that to be a point of tension,so be careful with that.
You're just using that leash asa way to manage your puppy, if
(04:21):
needed, to redirect them, andthen we can reward calm behavior
and interrupt any chasing.
We don't want this to become afun game for our puppy.
Puppies love movement.
We call them movement magnets.
They are attracted to fast, funthings and cats are those
things.
So if you have a cat in thehome, they can be really
(04:43):
exciting to these new puppies.
And we want to teach calmbehavior around cats, not that
they get to chase them wheneverthey see one.
So we want to interrupt chasing.
That's where the baby gate'sgoing to help.
That's where some management'sgoing to come into play.
We also don't want to allow ourpuppy to corner or harass the
cat.
Now, cats are pretty good attaking care of themselves.
They've got a nice set of clawsand they know how to swipe.
(05:06):
So we don't want our puppy toget injured either or to get a
cut on the nose from being toocurious.
So it's important that youmanage this interaction and go
slowly.
It might take you several daysto even several weeks before
they can live harmoniouslytogether.
So don't be frustrated if ittakes a little bit of time.
But we can show our puppy howto behave nicely around a cat.
(05:27):
So, as you're training thispuppy, protect your cat's space
and routines while helping yourpuppy learn boundaries.
You might have to rotate yourhousehold.
That means one animal might beout and the other animal is in a
bedroom, or vice versa.
You're switching.
Maybe the puppy is taking a naptime in the crate and the cat
can wander about the house, andthen the puppy.
(05:48):
It's time for them to get upand do some house training
practice.
Maybe it's time for the cat togo take a nap and you can do
some rotations like that to keeppeace in the beginning.
So remember that this takes time.
This is a process.
It could take days.
So remember that this takestime.
This is a process.
It could take days, weeks.
It's not going to probablyhappen in hours, that's okay.
Also, every pet is different.
They have their own personality, they have their own unique
(06:10):
energy, and so you'll have tofigure out what that looks like
at your house.
But with patience you'll builda peaceful, respectful
relationship between your newpuppy and existing pets.
And remember, training yourpuppy helps a lot.
So as your puppy gets better atthings like leave it, you can
apply that to the family cat oreven your older dog.
(06:31):
Sometimes people think, oh, thisolder dog will be the puppy
sitter and they're just going towant to be with this puppy all
day long.
That's usually not the case.
Usually our older dogs need abreak from the high energy of
the young puppy, so make sureyou're not just leaving it up to
your older dog to do all thepuppy sitting.
All right, you guys, you're notjust introducing animals,
(06:52):
you're creating a family.
So remember, go slow, stay safeand celebrate the small wins.
And if you need help, we havedetailed guides, videos and
support inside our program atBaxter and Bella.
Have a great week and happytraining.
Thanks for tuning in to thePuppy Training Podcast.
I hope today's tips help youfeel more confident and excited
(07:13):
about raising your dog.
Remember, with a littlepatience and consistency, you
can create a loving bond and awell-behaved pup who's a joy to
have in your family.
If you found this episodehelpful, be sure to subscribe,
leave a review and share it withfellow puppy parents.
For more resources, visitBaxter and Bella online.
Until next time, happy training.
Today's episode is all about safely introducing
your new puppy to other pets inyour home, whether that's
another dog, a cat or somethingelse entirely.
Welcome to the Puppy TrainingPodcast.
I'm Amy Jensen, founder ofBaxter Bella, the online puppy
school.
Here we are all about helpingyou create the best possible
(00:21):
experience raising a puppy, fromtraining tips to practical
tricks, all aimed at fostering ahappy, well-behaved dog who
truly feels like part of thefamily.
So if you are ready to enjoythe journey and strengthen the
bond with your dog, let's getstarted.
Hi everybody, thanks forlistening.
(00:42):
I appreciate you being here.
So it was National Dog Day theother day.
Did you and your dog celebrate?
I hope so.
Baxter and Bella.
They love to get outside.
They like to play Frisbee, theylike to do go sniff walks.
If you never tried a go sniffwalk with your dog, I highly
recommend it.
You put them on a longer leashI like 10 foot leashes and they
just get to sniff and be a dogand they check in and I give
(01:04):
them a reward and then we movealong and they think it's the
best thing in the world.
So if you haven't tried it, godo it.
Okay, today we are talking aboutpet introductions, these early
meetings matter.
So when they're done right,they lay the foundation for
lifelong harmony in your house.
Done poorly, they can lead tostress or even aggression.
So let's walk through a calmhouse.
(01:25):
Done poorly, they can lead tostress or even aggression.
So let's walk through a calm,controlled process of
introducing a new puppy to yourfamily and pets at home.
Now, before your puppy evenmeets the other pet, let's think
about space and somesupervision.
You can use things like babygates, crates or leashes just to
give each animal their ownspace.
We want to also make sure thatthey have room to retreat if
(01:46):
they want to, and we never forceface-to-face meetings right
away.
So what this might look like isyou have a baby gate set up and
the puppy's on one side of thebaby gate and your other dog's
in the other room.
They can come to the baby gate,sniff one, two, three, and then
I lure them away from eachother.
And then they can come back andsniff one, two, three, and then
I lure them away from eachother, and then they can come
back and sniff one, two, three,and then I lure them away from
each other.
Each time I'm luring them away,I'm giving them a little food
(02:08):
reward.
I'm keeping these interactionsas positive as possible and I'm
watching their body language.
So as soon as their bodylanguage is loose and noodley
and happy, I'm going to let themtry to be together.
If I see any tensing, staring,freezing, freezing, hovering,
any worrisome body language, I'mgoing to wait.
So management is everything inthe beginning.
(02:30):
We want to go slowly again.
Your goal is curiosity, notchaos.
If your puppy or your other petwants to move away, let them.
And if they'll come back and becurious, great, reward them.
But we don't want to force that.
We want it to be natural and ontheir own terms.
If you have another dog at home,you can have them meet outside,
(02:51):
maybe in your driveway.
Both dogs can be on a leash andyou can go for a little walk
together as they're sniffing.
That can help relax them.
And again, you're watching forbody language.
We're looking for nice relaxedposture, wagging tails, open
mouths, maybe tongues hangingout.
You can allow brief sniffing,then separate and repeat.
So walking like moving and thenhaving to focus on the movement
(03:17):
and then finding other thingsto sniff along the way besides
each other and you're workingtogether can be a good way to do
an introduction and then youcan gradually move indoors,
keeping the interaction shortand positive.
If your current dog hasfavorite things like maybe they
have a favorite toy or they'revery interested in food you
might want to be a littlecareful about using the toy or
the food in that introduction.
(03:38):
You can use other things thatare less valuable to them.
We don't want to cause any kindof tension or guarding issues
on the part of our dog but again, you're going to know that
because you know your currentdog, you know their behavior and
you'll be able to decide isthis a smart thing for me to do
or not?
Typically speaking, you can usefood rewards.
Just maybe use a little lowervalue food rewards to keep this
(04:00):
positive and fun for both dogs.
Let's take a different scenario.
Let's talk about a puppy and acat.
Cats are a little different.
Let your cat observe the puppyfrom up high or behind a gate,
like we talked about in thebeginning.
You can keep your puppy leashedat first, but we don't want
that to be a point of tension,so be careful with that.
You're just using that leash asa way to manage your puppy, if
(04:21):
needed, to redirect them, andthen we can reward calm behavior
and interrupt any chasing.
We don't want this to become afun game for our puppy.
Puppies love movement.
We call them movement magnets.
They are attracted to fast, funthings and cats are those
things.
So if you have a cat in thehome, they can be really
(04:43):
exciting to these new puppies.
And we want to teach calmbehavior around cats, not that
they get to chase them wheneverthey see one.
So we want to interrupt chasing.
That's where the baby gate'sgoing to help.
That's where some management'sgoing to come into play.
We also don't want to allow ourpuppy to corner or harass the
cat.
Now, cats are pretty good attaking care of themselves.
They've got a nice set of clawsand they know how to swipe.
(05:06):
So we don't want our puppy toget injured either or to get a
cut on the nose from being toocurious.
So it's important that youmanage this interaction and go
slowly.
It might take you several daysto even several weeks before
they can live harmoniouslytogether.
So don't be frustrated if ittakes a little bit of time.
But we can show our puppy howto behave nicely around a cat.
(05:27):
So, as you're training thispuppy, protect your cat's space
and routines while helping yourpuppy learn boundaries.
You might have to rotate yourhousehold.
That means one animal might beout and the other animal is in a
bedroom, or vice versa.
You're switching.
Maybe the puppy is taking a naptime in the crate and the cat
can wander about the house, andthen the puppy.
(05:48):
It's time for them to get upand do some house training
practice.
Maybe it's time for the cat togo take a nap and you can do
some rotations like that to keeppeace in the beginning.
So remember that this takes time.
This is a process.
It could take days.
So remember that this takestime.
This is a process.
It could take days, weeks.
It's not going to probablyhappen in hours, that's okay.
Also, every pet is different.
They have their own personality, they have their own unique
(06:10):
energy, and so you'll have tofigure out what that looks like
at your house.
But with patience you'll builda peaceful, respectful
relationship between your newpuppy and existing pets.
And remember, training yourpuppy helps a lot.
So as your puppy gets better atthings like leave it, you can
apply that to the family cat oreven your older dog.
(06:31):
Sometimes people think, oh, thisolder dog will be the puppy
sitter and they're just going towant to be with this puppy all
day long.
That's usually not the case.
Usually our older dogs need abreak from the high energy of
the young puppy, so make sureyou're not just leaving it up to
your older dog to do all thepuppy sitting.
All right, you guys, you're notjust introducing animals,
(06:52):
you're creating a family.
So remember, go slow, stay safeand celebrate the small wins.
And if you need help, we havedetailed guides, videos and
support inside our program atBaxter and Bella.
Have a great week and happytraining.
Thanks for tuning in to thePuppy Training Podcast.
I hope today's tips help youfeel more confident and excited
(07:13):
about raising your dog.
Remember, with a littlepatience and consistency, you
can create a loving bond and awell-behaved pup who's a joy to
have in your family.
If you found this episodehelpful, be sure to subscribe,
leave a review and share it withfellow puppy parents.
For more resources, visitBaxter and Bella online.
Until next time, happy training.
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