I have an adult Border Collie and hope to get a new puppy in the future. Do you have any advice on how to introduce them?

I have a 3 year older female Border Collie and am hoping to get a new puppy in the future.

Do you have any advice on how to introduce them successfully? For example, should I keep them separated in the house for the first few days so that my adult dog realises that she is not missing out on anything and can gradually get used the idea of sharing the home?

My adult dog ignores strange dogs outside, except when they come rushing up to her or me, in which case she charges at them and snaps them away - but she never actively seeks trouble and doesn’t react when passing other dogs on lead, even when it’s really close. People have said that bringing home a puppy is very different from strange dogs approaching. Would you agree? I’m a bit worried about her dislike of other dogs approaching, and at the same time I’m reassured because she never continues to chase a dog once it has backed off.

Leerburg's Answer

Bringing a new pup into the home is definitely much different than encountering a dog out on a walk.

We manage new pups that we bring into our home, we use baby gates, crates, exercise pens and leashes to control any and all interactions. We want the puppy to be safe and we don't want the adult dog to be bugged by the puppy. We don't want them to feel the need to physically correct the puppy while they get used to the idea of a new family member. We have a course on management.

We also have some puppy specific material that I'll link below.

- Your Puppy 8 Weeks to 12 Months
- Living With Your Puppy - Establishing Pack Structure