Plans for introducing our second dog

Plans for tomorrow.

We are almost all set. Well, okay, not quite – we don’t yet have a food and water bowls for our new arrival tomorrow. (That's our errand for tonight.) At least, I already bought a collar and leash.

Our second dog will be arriving tomorrow by plane. Welcoming her into our household is conceptually a two step process. One, she has to accept us as her new pack leaders. Two, she has to accept Loki as part of her pack.

First things first. I’ve decided that we should pick her up at the airport without Loki. It will probably be late at night, so I don’t think we will have time for a long walk, as Cesar Millan would suggest. We can probably do a short walk around our neighborhood.

Second, we need to introduce her to Loki. I hope that our neighborhood will be neutral enough of a territory. Loki is familiar with the area, but it’s not our territory. But I can’t be 100% certain that he doesn’t regard it as such. That’s probably the best I can do late at night.

I’m planning on hand feeding our new dog the first few days to build up some trust and for some good bonding. We'll be on alert to prevent any possible food aggression. I have 100% faith that we will be able to feed them both peacefully. It might not happen right away, but that is the goal.
For night time, I'm planning on crating both by our bed. Loki is used to sleeping where ever he wants, but this past week, I've been trying to get him used to being locked up in his crate again for bedtime. I think I'll do this for as long as is necessary. We'll just have to play it by ear.

I'm planning on taking our whole pack for a long walk around the lake the following morning. That's the best I can do as a new pack bonding experience, given her late plane arrival. A long walk together is Cesar Millan's number one suggestion.

Anyways, I'm optimistic about the outcome of our soon-to-be two dog household. A little bit apprehensive, a little bit excited, and a little bit hopeful.