I have looked at the video on your site about introducing a new dog into a home with other dogs. I have a 12-year old female "mutt" (mostly probably mix of lab and samoyed) who has had a history of fighting with our now-gone older lab female. Over time (and with help from a behaviorist) I learned to recognize the situations and signs of pending trouble and was able to control things to prevent any further fights.

Since my older dog is now gone, I would like to introduce another dog to the household but I have been concerned that it might be just too much for an "old lady" who is used to having the house and me all to herself. I was thinking that introducing a dog who is not a puppy might be best. I "introduced" her to a 1-year old male lab mix at a shelter recently and she was not agitated at all, but it was on neutral territory. She did all of the usual sniffing and then seemed pretty uninterested. The other dog did place his paw on my dog's shoulder (very gently) almost like he was trying to get her attention. The dogs were together for about 10 minutes and did not seem at all aggressive towards each other. The male is quite calm, did not get at all agitated and seemed very friendly towards people.

Would this be too much of an adjustment for an old dog who is used to being the only one around in her house? I would appreciate any advice from the pros who hang around Leerburg.

Thanks for your input.

Beth Fay
St. Louis, MO