Introducing a New Puppy to an Exhisting Dog - Help!!

[Stella]

If I have posted this in the wrong place, let me know - I am new to Doodlekisses!! I have a 14 month old F1 standard labradoodle and we just brought home the newest addition to the family - a nine week old F2 medium labradoodle three days ago. Our older dog is not taking it well, he is extremely rough with the new puppy and I'm pretty sure he is jealous. We are having to keep the two of them apart most of the time or extremely closely superivised as they keep winding each other up - the puppy runs, the older one chases and 'catches' him, usually on the neck, we separate them, the puppy bites the older ones nose, ears, beard etc etc. HELP!!! The older was our first dog, and now we are not sure what to to for the best to ensure that they grow to like each other and peace will reign in our house again! Any advice would be really helpful, thanks so much.

[Penny, Comiskey & Beemer]

Very timely discussion...we are picking up our second goldendoodle on Friday....we were also first time dog owners and have been suffering the same doubts about the two getting along....thanks for the insight....

[Stella]

Thought you guys might like an update!! And I am going to attempt to insert pictures too!! They are now both drinking from the same bowl without any growling (yippee) and are beginning to play together. Our older guy still gets a bit rough - the whole of the puppys head fits into his mouth - but the separating for time out is helping to stop things escalating too far. Hopefully, they wil continue to get used to each other and eventually become friends. I think that as we have relaxed a bit, there is less tension in the air and this is defintely helping the situation!! No good pictures of them together yet, that will have to come later.

[Adina P]

What sweet doodles! TWO chocolates..no fair! =)
Glad things are gradually improving...look forward to the photos of them together.

[Melissa]

I just got a new puppy to a labradoodle named Zoey, I already have a 17 month Goldendoodle named Max.
My house sounds exactly like yours they play, bite eachother, chase eachother steal eachothers toys or bones. I just tell Max to be careful she is a baby and he generally listens.
He loves her already and although he can get a little rough she always comes back for more LOL!!
I can't wait till she is bigger and it will be fair LOL!
good luck

[Joy Originator of GiantSchnoodles]

My suggestions: Remove all rawhides & toys so there are no resources to guard. Rawhide is a bad idea anyway, can cause GI obstructions. Puppy should not have access to older dog's bed. That is insulting to your older dog. I agree with others that when it gets rough, separate them. I dont believe in letting them work it out unless you feel they are indeed working it out & you obviously don't. Trust your intuition. You are the alpha bitch. You set the rules. PUppy love from Joy & furry folk

[Stella]

Thanks Joy, things are slowly improving. The peeing on our older dogs bed continues to be a problem though. Our older dog is not crated and when we started leaving him out, he decided he wanted to sleep at the bottom of the stairs, and so that is where we moved his bed to. But, you have to walk past the bottom of the stairs to get from the living room to the kitchen. The new puppy is doing really good with his house training, apart from the fact that he does keep peeing on our older dogs bed. I am sure he knows what he is doing because we have caught him going over and standing on the bed and then getting into 'pee position'. We can't really move our older dogs bed, so don't know how to go about stopping this behaviour (apart from watching him even more closely, of course!!). Is the younger one trying to mark his terratory by peeing on the older dogs bed (our older dog is neutered, but the puppy isn't yet as he is only ten weeks old)?

[Stella]

Ok, update time!! No pictures of the two of them together yet, but ony because I never have the camera handy when they are being calm!! But, they will both sit down next to each other on command, which is so cute. Things are slowly improving between the two boys, but I think the younger one will end up being the boss dog, he is so bold and cheeky.... and it gets him into trouble! The other day I was doing some training and the older dog dropped his treat on the floor and the puppy picked it up. Oh my, I thought one of them would end up dead! Our older dog went after him barking and growling, and instead of backing down, the puppy went right back at him full force. I had to step in and grab them both by the scruff to separate them as it was pretty obvious things were getting nasty. They both got a time out in the crate for that one!! But, apart from that incident, they are getting on better. I have taken you guys advice and toys are no longer left out on the floor, but kept in a plastic bin out of reach, only to be brought out under supervision. The best one so far for friendly play has been an old Kong Wubba they they will retrieve together and tug on without any animosity. So, I have hope!! I can't wait until the puppy has his shots so we can begin walking them together, I think this will really help. And, of course, then he will be able to go to puppy classes and play with friends his own size instead of being pushed around all the time. I can't wait for they day when they are friends enough to fall asleep together, at the moment it is still opposite ends of the room!