Integrating a new puppy?
 

Hi all! I will finally be getting my second yorkie, Ellie, in 9 days! (Who's counting right?:D) My current baby boy, Sweezy, is 3 1/2 years old and definitely suffers from single child syndrome. He rules the roost and he knows it. I am extremely nervous that bringing Ellie in will make him upset, and that he will be nippy towards the puppy. He plays well with my parents older dogs, but when they recently got a golden retriever puppy he nipped at it any time it tried to play with him. Any suggestions or tips you may have to make this as painless as possible would be great, because I REFUSE to re-home either of my fur babies!
Also, my husband and I have spent a few hours every couple weeks visiting our puppy at the breeder's house, and this last time we visited her (she was 8 weeks old) I noticed that she was very nervous with us, and while I held her she wanted nothing to do with playing. When she was with her siblings, however, she was playful as can be and a very happy puppy. So my other fear is bringing her home, and having her be so depressed that she won't eat and she will get hypoglycemic. I do have Nutri-Cal on hand, and the breeder suggested feeding her Cinnamon Toast Crunch as a treat every so often. Any tips on how to make her feel comfortable in her new home? I'm sure I sound ridiculous, but it has been over 3 years since bringing home Sweezy as a puppy and I honestly don't remember how the first few days were having him home.

Congratulations on your new-puppy-to-be! If possible, have Sweezy and Ellie meet on neutral territory. This might be a challenge with a tiny puppy whom you want to protect from exposure to public areas. If so, maybe pick a sort of neutral part of your home, somewhere that isn't Sweezy's favorite place to hang out.

Let the dogs greet each other on the floor without you holding them. Stay close by and alert. Don't interfere unless things look dangerous. Let the dogs work things out on their own.

Give Sweezy a place to escape the puppy. When I brought Teddy home, he was 8 months old, but too small to jump on the couch. Max retreated to the couch when he was tired of puppy antics. Make sure to continue with Sweezy's daily routine and habits so that he doesn't resent the new puppy.

Be confident, even keeled, cheerful but not overly animated. As you know, dogs are in keenly in tune with our feelings. They will react to our anxiety.

Try to engage Sweezy and Ellie in simple obedience/trick training at the same time. This will help foster togetherness.

The details you will have to sort out based on how they get along. I had to use a baby gate for meal time separation for a couple of weeks until Teddy learned that he had his own bowl. We had to establish beds and sleeping areas.

Sweezy may surprise you and fall in love with Ellie from the start. :)

Ditto on what Maximo says especially the separation at mealtime. Scooter would try to eat from Bitsy's dish along with his own dish so just keep an eye on mealtime. You just might be very surprised that Sweezy will accept his new sibling without too much fuss. Good luck and enjoy you new baby.

I have no advice, but I will be following your story. We talk about getting another, but I KNOW Dinky will not be welcoming. I've told DH that IF we did get another, we would have to get a girl.
Good luck. I'm sure you will get great advice on this site.

Congrats on becoming a puppy mommy again! I'm sure over time Sweezy will love his new partner in crime/baby sister. I agree with everything Maximo said. It's always best to introduce a new pet on neutral ground. Lola and Teddy are littermates and we thought they'd be comfortable with sharing food together, but that's not the case. We have to separate them as Lola tends to push him out of the way and doesn't let him eat. I hope all goes well! :)

Congrats on your new puppy, I can't wait to see pictures. I just introduced a new puppy in my home to an 8 1/2 year old male yorkie and two female cats. My 3 month old little boy has integrated with the existing fur babies so wonderfully, so much easier than I ever expected. The puppy and his big brother are playing together more and more everyday! I think it will go better than you think.

How are you doing?
 

How are you doing with your new fur baby? How did the transition go?

Hi Zoey,
Thanks for checking in! Ellie is doing wonderful! She is the perfect addition to our family, and Sweezy loves her. He took a couple days to warm up to her but now they play and cuddle all day. We made sure Sweezys schedule didn't change due to Ellie and I think that helped a lot.