About to introduce new maltese x shihtzu to cat and toddler

Hi I am new here and might I add it is so refreshing to see a sight that doesnt show any disrespect to cross breed owners. I have enjoyed reading your posts and look forward to sharing puppy stories with you

My puppy is just over 3 weeks old and arrives in about 4 more weeks. I also have two teenagers and Ihave a toddler who is 2 on Thursday and 2 cats ( one inside and one outside as they dislike eachother immensely).

How do I make this gorgeous new addition's introduction to our home less stressful.
The indoor cat (Pocket)is a one owner cat ( my hubby and she is a cat with attitude who is only 2 herself. The outdoor one (Jade)is gentle and wont cause any hassles as she is used to being across from neighbours dogs. I am planning to keep pup as outdoor pup with totally enclosed yard, but indoors at night time, as Melbourne winters in Australia can be bitterly cold. I have slowly introduced puppy to my toddler and he seems to identify being gentle with it so far. I am sure that will change once it chases after him
Any advice on how to deal with any of these as well as new puppy advice. This is my first dog and I cant wait. I am tossing up between calling her Scruffy or Patch.

 

Well, first make sure you moniter your baby and other animals when around the pup. This pup is a baby and needs companionship. He will be sooooooooo lonely outside byhimself. When you can't watch everything put the pup in a gated area(bathroom, kitchen) so no-one gets hurt. This kind of dog needs alot of grooming. You may find it easier to keep him clean if he's an indoor dog mostly. I hope you find that. Its just sad when dogs get sent off to the back yard, they many times get forgotten in our hurried lives.
Teach your baby how to pet and respect his new pal. I'm sure others will come along with their points of views. I may be getting a pup in a few months.
Your cats will be able to jump up high when they want too. To get away. Your pupy will learn to love them. I would be more afrai of the cats hurting the pup. Just be watchful.

 

Thanks for your advice

I was only thinking that it could be an outdoor dog to give the cat time alone too, but I see your point. My husband works from home so it could be an indoor dog too. I shall take on board all of your ideas, and thanks for the good advice. The baby is used to cats and so i think it may not be too much of a problem there. He is learning his limits with them now too. It will be spring when pup arrives and the weather is pretty good in Australia then , so at least if outdoors for excercise , it wont get muddy etc. Thanks again puttin510

 

I completely agree with Puttin's excellent advice!!! :y_the_best:

Please reconsider your decision to have your shih-tzu as an outdoor dog! Shih-tzu's are very much a "lap dog" and crave human companionship. With confidence, I can almost guarantee you that an outdoor shih-tzu will not be unhappy, it needs to be in the home with it's family in order to be happy! It's definitely an INDOOR dog! :wink:

Like puttin said, when you are not home to supervise the pup with your cat, be sure to put your pup in a place where the cat can't reach him/her to ensure his/her safety while you are gone. Once you feel as though the pup and cat can be trusted alone, then you can have your pup out with the cat while you are gone. Until then, separate!

Best wishes to you and your future shih-tzu! We'd love to hear all about him/her when he/she arrives!

 

Yes I agree

Thanks mybabyshipooh I have decided to listen to the voice of reason and follow puttin's advice Like I said my husband works from home so that will be ok too. I can seperate the cat and pup quite easily, but I am just a bit nervous about moving litter tray from the laundry for my cat. She is such a creature of habit.

Do you think putting pup in in the bathroom is ok while I am out?, its not a great size and I worry about her being confined too much if husband has to go out on a job(which sometimes is only once or twice a week). I work full time teaching but i will be on school holidays when she arrives for 2 weeks to help her settle in.

]Also should I paper train?
I want to start off on the right foot with everything so she settles well. Cant wait to post pics when I get them back and brag

 

If you're going to put the pup in the bathroom, it is very possible for him to get into trouble. If you were to forget to put the toilt seat down he could find his way in and not be able to back himself out. How about some baby gates and put him in the kitchen? Thats what I'd do. I already have one baby gate. My sons are teens, but it helps to keep my dogs out of the kitchen while I cook. Or how about a playpen. Sooner or later the pup would learn to climb it though. Piddle pads are good to start out on, but you will want for it to know it dhould go outside. In the event of having to go somewhere and cant get back in time to walk pup you could leave some pads. even as the dog gets older. Maybe it would remember.

 

I also gated off my kitchen (which was very well puppy-proofed) and put my two pups in there when I wasn't able to watch them...worked wonderfully!!! :y_the_best:

As far as paper training is concerned - In my opinion, if you are (or someone else is) able to let your pup when need be, then no, I wouldn't bother with paper training!

Just my two cents on those two issues!

 

I can not speak to assimilating puppy with your other pets. I know these small dogs are rather nervous and not very good around young children.
My son was 9 when we got our puppy and he was terrified at first because she tried to be the alpha dog. They are great buds now but it took awhile!

 

Crate training, as you will be getting the pup really young, try crate training, then at night, while you are out and when you just need a break you can put the pup in the crate and you know he is safe and sound and cannot get into any mischief