How To Introduce A Puppy To A Staffordshire Bull Terrier

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Dog lovers have no end to their affection towards dogs. And for that, it is obvious that you can expect to bring in another puppy home even if you already have a Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Hence, you need to create a friendly environment for both dogs right from the first day.

Your Staffordshire Bull Terrier must be definitely friendly with the family members. But you need to teach the dog that the new puppy is also a part of the family now. 

How To Introduce A Puppy To A Staffordshire Bull Terrier

You have the pleasure of owning and training your Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Now, you need to put in a little more effort to help your Staffy get along with the second puppy that walks into your house. There is no mandate to bring in another Staffordshire on priority.

You can bring in almost any breed, as long as it matches the energy and liveliness of your Staffy. Also, with the exemplary efforts, you will see how they two jam in like best buddies. And this guide will help you learn how to introduce a puppy to a Staffordshire Bull Terrier.

Staffordshire Bull Terrier on a beach sand

Do not miss out on a single step! 

Step 1: Choosing The Right Breed Of Dog

It is true that you can bring in almost any breed to your home to live with your Staffordshire Bull Terrier. But, it is a thoughtful intention to do some research before picking one. You can bring in almost any breed, but you need to ensure that it matches the energy level of your Staffy. 

You cannot consider bringing in a Pomeranian to live with your Staffy. Staffy will always want to overpower that little dog.

You can consider getting:

These breeds are energetic dogs but are not as powerful and aggressive as Staffordshire Bull Terrier. The reason for picking a usual family dog with a terrier, and not strong dogs like Pit Bull Terriers, is to maintain a rapport between them.

If both of them are strong enough, they will try to overpower one another at all times.  

Therefore, it is essential to consider choosing not the right but ideal breed to pair with. You do not want to unravel the setting of your house for the new puppy. So, consider bringing in a breed that will adjust and blend well with the existing setup.

Irrespective of what breed you choose, the introduction part is important, where they will learn about their relationship. Both the dogs need to accept one another as a family! 

Step 2: Introduce Them On Neutral Grounds

Neutral grounds here mean that you should not challenge the ownership of your Staffy in your house. If your Staffy loves to be around you and play with you, you should not be the one to walk the new puppy home. Instead, ask your companion or relative to do the needful.

If your Staffy sees you bringing in another puppy home, then the reaction or introduction might not go well. Therefore, you can consider getting your Staffy, while your family member can bring in the new puppy to introduce one another.

The steps that you can follow to complete this process are:

  1. After you get the new puppy from the breeder, leave the puppy in the car with someone. 
  2. You can head home and bring your Staffy out to the hall. 
  3. Now, ask your companion to bring in the new puppy. 
  4. Your Staffy will give a strange and shocking look but will eventually settle down. 
  5. Seeing a new dog with a family member will be acceptable for your Staffy to an extent. 
  6. Let both the dogs settle down, while you should keep stroking them both lightly.  
  7. Let your Staffy sniff the puppy, while the other should do the same. 
  8. You need to repeat this practice multiple times throughout the day for around a week, with all the other introduction activities. 
  9. Staffy will soon realize that the new dog is a family member and not a threat. 
Puppies in a tub

Step 3: Take Them Out On Walks

  1. Take both the dogs out on a walk session. 
  2. You can either take them alone or ask someone to join you. 
  3. Keep the two dogs apart. If you are heading alone, then keep the dogs on your either side. But if you have someone to join you with the walk, ask them to take control of one dog while you do the same for the other. 
  4. Ensure that the leashes are loose on them so it doesn’t strangle or stress them during walks. 
  5. Give your Staffy the lead while let the new puppy be behind for a while. 
  6. Slowly and gradually, move the new puppy closer to your Staffy, and see if they tolerate one another. 
  7. They should sniff one another at this point and greet in their ways. 
  8. If they are showing good manners, then give a treat to them or praise them! 
  9. Go on such walks every day to make sure they get friendly with one another on a better note. 

Step 4: Let Them Play With Each Other

After the introduction process and walk sessions, it is now time to let them play in a fenced area.

Here are the things that you should do to make your approach:

  1. You should go ahead with this step after a week of introduction and walk sessions. 
  2. Take both your dogs to a fenced area or your house’s backyard. 
  3. You need to leave them all by themselves, but sit around and observe them in order to avoid accidents. 
  4. Observe the behaviors, whether they show chilled-out movements, wiggle their butts, wag their tails, or bow with elbows on the ground. 
  5. All these signs indicate that both your dogs have accepted one another and are happy to be in the family. 
  6. In case things go sideways, and your dogs get into a fight, then you should know how to separate them and stop them. And to learn the right tips and tricks to prevent dog fights, go through this write-up. In most cases, your Staffy will get friendly with the other dog without much hassle. Also, let them tire out by playing, after which you can take them home. 

Step 5: Try Sharing Their Bed

It is an optional step! It is because you need to observe whether your Staffy intends to share their bed with the new dog. It is because playing and knowing one another is very different from sharing the sleeping territory.

Staffordshire Bull Terrier

You need to experiment with this step and see if your Staffy takes it well.

The sub-steps that you should follow are:

  1. When your Staffy is on its bed, slide the new puppy right next to it. 
  2. Wait for the reaction of your Staffy. 
  3. See if Staffy reacts with a bark, closed mouth, stiff muscular posture, prolonged staring, or other such angry signs. 
  4. If any of those things happen, then you have to separate the beds for your dogs. 
  5. But, if your Staffy stares with an open mount, sniffs the puppy, and lies down, then you can conclude that all is good. And you can let them both share the bed. 

Types of Exercises to Bond Your Dogs

Type of ExerciseExamples of ExercisePurpose of Exercise
Socialization Exercises scent trails
yard/garden exploration
Meet other dogs
Improve your dog’s social skills
Training Exercises walking outdoors
push/drop/stick on exercises
Improve your dog’s physical fitness
Husbandry Exercises grooming
nail trims
harness fitting
Improve your dog’s overall well-being and comfort

Frequently Asked Questions

Is It Ok For My Older Dog To Growl At My New Puppy?

If the puppy is quite rambunctious, then the older dog might growl at them. The Staffordshire Bull Terriers would do it more often. Growling is like guiding the new puppy as a big brother or sister. But if they get too aggressive, you need to stop them and prevent them from building a habit.

You can check out this article to know why a dog growls at a new puppy.

How Much Time Will It Take For My Dogs To Be Friends With One Another?

With all the steps being followed as per the order, it might take around one month of time to let your Staffy accept the new dog like a family member. So, be patient and continue the training! Do not break the habit of introduction training in the initial days.

A single mistake and your Staffy will reject the new dog. This, in turn, will be a problem for you as an owner.  

Do Staffies Like Babies?

Staffies do like babies. They even got the nickname “nanny dog”. Staffies are gentle and affectionate dogs and love to be with people.

Conclusion

So, if you are planning on bringing a new puppy home, it is better to prepare your Staffy to accept the new member. In the process, you will have to dedicate your time, effort, and patience to ensure success. If you want your family to live peacefully with two dogs, then this initial effort is mandatory.

To help speed up the process, you can also bring in some new toys that they can share and play with together. Staffy will never give up their old toys but might share the new ones. So, consider it as an option as well.