Multi-Dog Household with a Puppy

[Christine Neutgens]

Hello!  I'm sorry if this has been discussed before..  I'm not sure is this is considered resource guarding or what so not sure what to search.

Anyway, we have recently become a guardian home for a now 4 month old australian labradoodle.  We also have a 7 yr old pug.  The pug is a bit of an old man, laid back and easy going, sleeps much of the time, until now that is.  The puppy is SO sweet, but the two together, well..  I want to address this before it becomes more problematic!

Zena (the doodle puppy) wants to puppy play with Zepp (the pug), and I've been told to let them "work it out", but I'm not quite sure this is fair, since he isn't able to move as quickly as she is, and he can't really bend back to address the spot she is biting with his lack of neck. 

We try to work the puppy energy out of her with walks, but there have been quite a few days that are just too cold to walk a puppy, and so I have resorted to lots of fetch.  I have also been trying to show Zepp attention, but of course, Zena is a puppy that requires far more of my time, and I think Zepp sees this as him getting the short stick.  He has been behaving strangely.

It began as a poop/pee war.  Zepp previously had a single spot that he would do his business in, and that was that.  He began targeting wherever Zena prefers to do her business, effectively kicking her out of that location.  We have now limited him to one area now as a result.  Then came the bone war.  There are about 4 bones lying around, but they both want the same one.  There isn't often any barking or growling over them, they simply steal it back and forth from each other.  Most of the bone stealing is initiated by the pug. 

The pug doesn't want to be puppy-bit, but seems to purposely insert himself in the middle of my attempt to get Zena's energy out, and often then becomes a target.  I'm sure he wants some of the play attention, but after I have her stop biting him and tell her to be nice, he keeps prancing by, right in the middle of our play, like he's asking for it.

And just today, he showed some signs of regressive training behavior, if that is how you would describe it...  He laid down next to me and when I began to pet him, he started biting my hands like a puppy would.  I didn't want to reinforce that as a good behavior, so I stopped petting him, and he promptly peed a gallon on the carpet right next to me!    He hasn't peed inside in at least 5 years - he will always signal/bark to go out, and he had just gone out earlier.  I'm not sure if I should chalk this one up to coincidence or take it as a message directed at me.  And I'm certainly not sure how to address this brother/sister relationship!  I feel like I'm managing two bickering teenagers (which I also have by the way....).

In searching for more support, I was told (by our vet) to be sure to give signals that Zepp (the pug) is still in charge around here.  Feed him first, give him treats/snacks first, bones, etc, and I have been doing that.  She is obviously going to only get bigger, so I need to figure out now what I can do consistently to address her attacks on him, and his behavior towards her.  I would love for them to be buddies, and to eventually be able to leave them both unkenneled all the time, and not have to worry about them fighting. 

I would love your recommendations although I will say a doggy daycare is not an option.  I am home all day and want to address the socialization issues here.  Specifically, I'm wondering what I should do about the bone war - should I say no, and give the bone back to the one who originally had it?  Let Zepp be in charge of bones, or just stay out of it unless they are growling over it?  Should I stop Zena from play-biting Zepp, sometimes, or all the time, or just let them work it out unless they are drawing blood?  I would love to establish a consistent set of actions I should take to resolve these issues.  Thank you!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I agree with your vet; it is very important that Zepp retains his "top dog" status, as the senior member of the pack who has earned it. 

I don't see anything here that I would describe as resource guarding. It sounds like normal behavior between an older dog and a new puppy. It will take some time for them to work things out. 

You do need to try to stop the puppy from disturbing him when he is sleeping. If he inserts himself into a situation with the puppy, that's his choice and you need to let him handle that himself. 

Does Zepp have a "safe" place where he can rest without being disturbed? A crate or bed? If so, I would make it clear to the puppy that it is off limits to her, just as you would with a piece of furniture that is off-limits to dogs. 

Do not interfere with the bone wars, either. As long as there are enough bones so that each can have one, let them figure out who gets what. They will work this out.

[Christine Neutgens]

Thanks Karen,

He does have his kennel which she rarely if ever goes in, and soon will not fit in.  When he is sleeping, she usually has her nap too, and rarely wakes him, but if he is awake and just sitting there, she will begin biting at him and stand basically on top of him (since she has tall legs).  Should I stop that at all or just let it happen?  Or stop once it reaches a certain point or becomes tiresome?  (lately, I've been stopping it when it seems like she is doing all of the biting and he is not fighting back/standing up for himself at all, or when she starts barking, because I don't want that to become habit)  That reminds me another thing the pug does - he likes to go into her kennel (not his) to chew on something undisturbed.  She is not a huge fan of her kennel so she doesn't really use it as "her place" but should I stop him and make it "her place"?  Thanks for all of your help :) 

Christine

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I would make her crate off-limits to him. They each need a safe zone, and since I'm assuming her crate was not something that he could access before she arrived, it shouldn't be any hardship on him not to have access to it now. 

Most adult dogs, no matter how easy going, will eventually let a puppy know when they have had enough. At some point, he is going to growl, show his teeth, or even snap at her when she bites at him. That's what her mother would do, and that's what you want. Don't correct him when it happens; in fact, tell him "Good boy!" 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Oh, and don't think the size difference is going to be a factor in Zepp's ability to lay down the law. My 19 lb miniature Poodle had no trouble putting 100 lb foster German Shepherds in their place when needed. :) 

[Jeanne, Tura and Dolly]

My suggestion would be to pick up all the bones. Give each dog a bone when crated so there is no fighting over it. Then when they come out of the crates, put the bones up out of the way. My older dog started peeing and pooping in the house when we brought the new pup home but that stopped after things settled down and they got used to each other.
I'm not sure about the play biting. My dogs do that but they are close to the same age and they work it out. It doesn't seem fair to the old guy but maybe someone will have some suggestions for that.
You might post in the Multiple dogs group too.

[Kathy]

There is only one thing I might suggest you think about and that is, no dog is the "alpha dog" but the humans are or should be.  Sometimes we have to step in when an older dog is being harassed by a younger dog and they can't move in a way to defend themselves.  Things like the older dog laying down and can't move in a way to protect itself would be to me a time to step in and let the puppy know that is not acceptable behavior.  By stepping in it seems that you would also be letting the pup know that you are the boss and that the older dog is protected by you.  I don't know if I am right about this but it is the way I think.

[Malenie Piscetelli]

I am going through my 2 dogs too. I just got my Goldendoodle puppy over the weekend. My other dog is t-cup poodle and he is 11 1/2 years old. He doesn't want anything to do with her sister. He growls at her. She wants to be with him. Everyone told me it take time to get to know each other and play. I hope so.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

So this is a whole new situation for Zena, and it's going to take a bit of time to work it all out.  You are the "leader" here, so if you see something that the puppy is doing that you aren't comfortable with (like the biting) then you have every right to correct that behavior.  There is a large size difference between my two Doodles, and I often stop the "play" when I think the big guy is taking unfair advantage.  I correct and then separate them.  They totally understand what that means.  I think it's important to correct Zena when he "regresses" and demonstrates unacceptable behaviors....like the biting of your hands, and certainly the peeing.  He knows better.  Try your best to give equal affection....and time it to when you see them behaving the way you want.  When they're "coexisting" well....that's a great time to praise and treat both of them.  They'll start to learn when they "get along" good things happen.  I wouldn't worry too much about them wanting the same bone...it's the same with my two...it's kind of a game with them.  If they aren't "guarding" then I don't see a problem with one taking it away from the other.  I used to try to get it and give it back to the one who had it first, and I gave that up.  It all works out okay in the end.  Please keep us posted on how things go....good luck.