Everything I am reading online about introducing a new puppy to my older dog states that it's necessary to do the introduction on neutral ground, is this necessary?

First, thank you for the wealth of knowledge you share!

We have an 8 year old male GSD and will be getting a female GSD puppy in the spring from the same breeder. We have purchased an extra crate, ex pens, and other items necessary to keep the dogs separate in the house until they can get along (with the knowledge it may never happen).

Almost everything I have read online at other websites states that it is necessary to introduce the dogs on 'neutral' ground, with neutral ground being something as close as the neighbor's yard.

Can you provide some advice on if this is truly necessary, what might constitute neutral ground, and how long the initial introduction should be before bringing both dogs into the house?

Leerburg's Answer

I have introduced dozens of puppies to my personal dogs over the years and I don't feel the need to 1) use neutral ground or 2 ) actually do a nose to nose introduction. I use my home management tools (mostly the ex pen) to get my adult dogs used to the puppy and the puppy has a safe place to learn about her new environment and family.

We cover this in Your Puppy 8 Weeks to 12 Months. It was filmed shortly after I got a new GSD puppy in 2019.