Chapter 2: Essential Safety Tips
If you have resident dogs at home, we strongly recommend keeping them separated from your new dog for the first three days — ideally longer if either dog seems stressed.
This isn't about whether your dog is friendly. It's about timing. In those first 72 hours, your new dog is still in full survival mode — overwhelmed, disoriented, and working hard just to process their new environment. Asking them to also navigate a relationship with an unfamiliar dog is simply too much, too soon. Even the most easy-going resident dog can become territorial when a stranger suddenly appears in their space.
Separation during this window protects both dogs and sets the stage for a much smoother introduction when the time is right.
What separation looks like in practice:
Use baby gates, closed doors, or separate rooms to keep dogs apart while still allowing them to smell and hear each other from a safe distance
Feed, walk, and give attention to each dog separately
Avoid allowing them to make eye contact through a gate for extended periods early on — this can build tension rather than familiarity
Let your resident dog maintain their normal routine as much as possible so they don't feel displaced
Three days of patience now can prevent weeks of conflict later. When both dogs have had time to decompress on their own terms, their first real introduction is far more likely to go well — and we'll walk you through exactly how to do that in Chapter 3.