So you’re thinking about getting a second dog, specifically a puppy – congratulations! There’s nothing more magical and beautiful than having a house full of happy people & pets. But, if you’re like many prospective pet parents, you might be thinking to yourself: will my dog actually LIKE having a new puppy around?

It’s a valid question, and if your dog has never been around other dogs how can you know?

Doggy Day Care To Get Your Dog comfortable with Other Dogs

If your dog isn’t a socialite, it makes sense to bring them to doggy day care before bringing a new pup into the house. At Dogtopia our team can assess your dog to find out their play style and put them into a group they’ll be most comfortable in. We’ll be able to tell you which dogs your dog gets along with, and shed some insight on how your dog feels about playing with younger dogs and puppies. Even better, the more your dog comes to day care, the more they’ll get comfortable with new dogs and new styles of play!

Timid dogs

If your dog is timid, they’ll need a playmate that can play gently and slowly bring them out of their shell. Doggy day care builds confidence and helps with this! If you’re looking for a companion for your timid dog, look for breeds with calm dispositions.

Senior dogs

Elder pups may not appreciate being roughed up by a puppy, but might respond really well to their energy level and way of engaging play. If you bring your senior dog to doggy day care we’ll place them in the room that’s safest for them, and tell you how they react to other dogs.

Dogs who secretly have wanted this all along

You just never know. Some dogs come completely out of their shell and act like a puppy again when they come to day care. They get along with all dogs, which makes it a really easy to pick another dog for your family.

Take the Guesswork out of Adding a New Dog to Your Home

By bringing your dog to Dogtopia for doggy day care, you’ll take a lot of the guesswork out of figuring out if your dog would like to have a playmate. You can watch your dog for yourself on our webcams to see what life could be like with another furry friend in the house. But ultimately, the question of ‘will my dog like my new puppy’ may depend on the puppy you pick and if your dog is comfortable sharing YOU.

Employ strategies when introducing them, such as:

supervise their interaction
use crates, gates, and pens to limit full contact when necessary
make sure both dogs have an ‘escape’ to get away from the other
avoid punishing your current dog if they growl at the pup – it’s communication!
reinforce the behavior your like

Not ready to take the plunge yet? That’s ok! Your dog can still play with other dogs by coming to Dogtopia! Contact us today! And, enjoy the pictures of some of our happy pups below: