Exposure to other dogs with a strong personality

[Jenny & Henry]

I love my parents two dogs (Brittany's) and they are really great dogs.  I have noticed the one is very dominant over other dogs.  Never thought about it though cause I didn't have a dog, so no issue.  He never bites or anything agressive in a physcial hurtful way but he is very on top of any new dog or a dog he knows well, even a nice shy dog.  He just won't stop that towering and hanging over him, nudging at them.  He has even guarded my kid to keep the other Brittany away from her, who is a sweetheart.  Nothing is going to change with the dog and other then that he really is an amazing dog and very well behaved.  When my puppy is big enough I am wondering if I should let me dog around him. 

 

How do you handle this situation when your dog comes across a strong personality of a dog?  Would you expose a puppy?  What age might it be OK?

 

Thanks,

Jenny

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

If the dogs are going to be together as the years go by, I would let them get together at some point while your dog is still a puppy.  In my opinion, the Brittany will push until it is top dog and will set your pup straight right away and that should be that.  My advice is based upon the Brittney displaying alpha postures and not aggressivness that could be dangerous for the puppy. I would take some precautions at first as in neutral place (like front yard perhaps or your house?) and perhaps the pup in a crate or x-pen so that the Brittney can get the smells and you can watch for too much aggression.

[Adina P]

My suggestion is to FIRST expose your pup to more mannerly, less pushy dogs first.  Have her meet several less pushy dogs so she generalizes that other dogs are nice to be around...and then after her fear period (after 12 weeks) then perhaps introduce her to this pushy Brittany.

[Jennifer and Jack]

I totally agree with Adina.. (and not because I am butt kisser who wants her to train my dog) From the first day I got Jack my biggest concern was socializing him. Other dogs IMO are so key  to teaching other dogs good and acceptable behavior. However, if you do not want your puppy to be exposed to a dog that tends to be dominate and bullish because I believe it will teach them to cower.

 

My full size goldendoodle is the size of most 10 week old puppies. He weighs 11 pounds now and when I got him he weighed 3 pounds. I introduced him to puppies  that I knew for a fact were up to date on shots and every other thing they may need. This way the puppy is safe since it is not up to date on its shots yet.

 

Other puppies are perfect for yours to play with, they teach each other bite inhibition etc. I also am a very big fan of older dogs, because they have a way of teaching behavior in a way I just couldn't do  so fast.

 

As far as your mom's pups. I would introduce them pretty quickly but not until they have had some good experiences with sweet puppies. I took Jack to Pet Smart when he was old enough and we still to this day attend classes that he has graduated from just for play.

 

One mistake I made is, my friend also got a Goldendoodle about a month after me, I begged her to bring her over to play, well I think her full size doodle came out 10 pounds, (slight joke but not really) that dog was to big, to excited and wanted to play. Jack was three pounds and this dog wanted to wrestle, which is perfectly normally, but it freaked Jack out because he got rolled over a few good times before he became growly and scared and I had to take him.

 

It took a solid six months for me to get him to be around a big dog with out growling and going to lunge after them. I guess my baby is a grudge holder. Of course I had to correct him each and every time. Now he is fine with big dogs, I still don't let him play with very large puppies,it is just to much energy.

 

I would suggest, both dogs being on a leash when they meet. Not allowing them to touch each other for a good while and slowly letting them sniff only. You have to stay calm and not let any anxiety bounce off you or they will feel it. I  would try walking them together on leash. (this is what I do when I know Jack is going to need to be friends with a dog)

 

We walk about a half hour or more a day, They are allowed to smell each other at first and then that is it, they have to walk apart. Pretty soon, the other dog, who was known to be very dominate quickly learned, I am the alpha dog and that she will need to behave properly to play,  It took a few weeks, but now we have play groups in our back yards several times a week

 

It is important to start out right, it is much easier to teach something, then to undo something.

 

GOod luck. my mom is getting a puppy in June we hope (no pregnancy confirmed yet) so we will be doing the same things

[Jenny & Henry]

Thanks for the advice, I really appreciate it and am gonna do what you all said.  I think I am gonna have my mom bring her more laid back Brittany up first a couple times,let them smell and hang out on leashes.  The laid back Brittany is a gentle sweetheart so he'd be a good dog for socializing I think.  I really hope they can all get along in the future cause we do weekends away with them and the dogs and I would hate to not bring mine.  :(   Now I just need the puppy!  HA HA