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.

[Adina P]

Most of this sounds very normal and not much to be worried about. Especially if the puppy runs back to your older dog for more fun. However, if the puppy seems afraid or scared then I might be concerned. But it sounds like your puppy is happy to jump all over your older labradoodle.

My puppy Rosco (well, when he was a puppy) loved to hang on the neck of Thule (who was about a year old)--he would bite her and chase her and jump on her. It looked very rough! But each of them continued to come back for more.

It is possible for your bigger dog to play too rough--but most likely it's fine. You can test it by separating the dogs in the middle of play time.... And then letting the puppy go. If the puppy goes back for more playing time then it's probably fine.

BUT--you also need to be comfortable with the level of roughness... So when it gets beyond your comfort level feel free to separate them and crate one or both of them so they have a chance to settle down and relax.

Good luck and keep us updated.. With lots of pictures too!

P.S. It's perfectly fine where you posted :-)
When in doubt, post here in the forum.

[Lynne Fowler-Oodles of Doodles]

Try tomorrow to let them play/fight it out to some extent, but keep telling them a firm no when they get too rough. They have to work out their pack positions and dominance. Once they get to it and get it over with they will become best friends. But they have to work it out first. Stay close and be firm if they are getting too rough, as a teacher, but let them be together for a while or it will keep happening. If they tire each other out in an hour or so have them go to separate corners if they need to. The puppy will tire quickly, and then they can rest in between. Good Luck, it will work out.

[Stella]

Thanks for the advice. Our older dog is in general a very rough player, and usually chooses to play with dogs that are bigger than him (or other doodles, no matter what the size!!). But, he is usually very happy go lucky and was well socialised. I guess it is just that we are seeing a side of him we didn't know was there. I was torn between letting them 'fight it out' and protecting the puppy who was trying to hide behind our legs. Hartley has growled, barked, and chased off the puppy when he got to close while he had his rawhide, but the puppy wasn't going for the food. I guess this is Hartleys way of showing his dominance? The puppy has also been peeing on Hartleys bed which I am concerned about, his house training has been going really well and the only times he has peed in the house has been on Hartleys bed, does this mean the puppy is also trying to show dominance? The puppy has run off with Hartleys toys, which eventually we want to be 'their toys', but now Hartley won't touch any of them except the one the puppy happens to have in his mouth at the time, which he goes and steals, only to drop it on the other side of the room. Is all of this normal? Can you tell that I am a somewhat anxious parent??!!

[Adina P]

They will work it out :-)
I would not be concerned about the puppy peeing on the other dog's bed--he probably was completely oblivious as to where he was standing when he stopped to pee.
Dogs don't really usually share... So whoever has possession of the toy...it's that dogs toy at the moment--with the exception that you should have full authority over all the toys. For now, it might be useful to put away the toys entirely and use them as rewards for good behavior...or to make crate time more fun. Less to fight over initially :-)

[Stella]

Yeah, I think that our older dog is a bit possessive of us. He also growls at the puppy if he tries to come between him and one of us, and doesn't quit even if the puppy rolls onto his back. I guess it is just going to take time for them to get used to each other. It is still very early days, but we want to make sure we aren't doing anything that will make the situation worse.

[Adina P]

Just wanted to tell you a little story about when my husband brought home his second dog (he and I were still only dating at the time). Cass, was about 10 years old and just beginning to get grumpy (due to being slowed down by arthritis). He brought Thule home and Cass wanted nothing to do with her! They would have these insane barking fests in my living room when they visited. It drove me crazy. They would stand and bark at each other. Cass would walk back and forth and hip check Thule and then do it again. It was very frustrating!

But within a few weeks Cass began to tolerate Thule and now rarely gets annoyed unless Thule is running around her too fast or accidentally bumps her. Cass never decided to play with any of our dogs... But Thule treats her like this super cool big sister... She really looks up to Cass =)

There is hope for them to get along!

[Tamara & Giada]

I have a very good article on living with multiple dogs and it states: "Memorize! There is no such thing as jealousy. There is no such thing as hurt feelings."

Here it is:http://www.geocities.com/Augusta/2525/multidogs.htm

[Stella]

Thanks for this. I have got myself so confused with the different schools of thought, we have been trying to support our older dog as the dominant one - feeding him first, letting him through doorways first etc, but have been afraid to let them 'go at it' as our 14 month old dog is 70 pounds and the nine week old one is 12 pounds and we are afraid that the young puppy will be seriously hurt, even if unintentionally.

[Adina P]

There isn't much that we humans can do to influence the pack order BENEATH us. I don't think that feeding order, etc really does much more than establish order and structure...which is good. But the dominant dog (with relation to the other dog) is always going to be that if it is that big of a difference between the two. If they are closer, they might struggle with pecking order more. Or some dogs kinda take turns in various roles, depending on what is important to them at the moment.

I think refereeing when it comes to safety and making sure the big dog doesn't accidentally hurt the smaller dog is fine. But that is different than dog fighting or establishing the pecking order. When I took my two (60 and 80 lbs) to visit with a 10 week old puppy of a friend...they were really good together. NO aggression at all. But at times Rosco got REALLY rough with the puppy...so now and then I'd separate Rosco and have him sit or lie down, calm down, and then let him go again. Thule, while MORE gentle typically, literally punched the puppy and knocked it on its back and it hurt its tail (nothing injured or permanent) the way it fell, but it scared me!

So I agree with letting them figure it out on their own, BUT I think when things get rough (not aggressive or a dominant thing but merely playing too hard for your comfort and pup's safety) feel free to separate for a short break.

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

I have introduced several new puppies into an existing one dog household. Everyone's advice is right on, I think. You are the leader and the other two will eventually sort it out to their satisfaction. Truly dogs do not get hurt feelings or "jealous" although it seems to us that when we are petting one and the other pushess in it looks pretty much like 'green eyes" or jealousy. I am pretty comfortable with a lot of roughhousing, but when it gets tooo much my two get a "time out". it is very important that they both take a time out - it takes two to roughhouse. To teach "time out" wait until they are wrestling, not running. if you intervene when they are running you will become a third in the chase game and it will be much more fun - for them!

When they are wrestling and you have had enough come in close and say in deep calm firm voice "time out". Poke each with two or three fingers firmly on the neck once or twice, like mama dog would. if they stop wrestling ong enough for you to get a word in edgewise, tell older dog "down", then younger one'down" and you stand there and keep the peace. Still wrestling? - Try once more - stonger voice and poke -stay calm. Even mama dog doesn't always get results the first time. If they are still going at it - shriek in a high voice once and short - this will absolutely get their attention. Work fast,but stay calm - older one 'down ', then younger. Eventually "time out" will bring peace and you won't even have to hover, just give each a chew toy (not a treat) if they don't want it they can just lay there. "time out" is just that like with your kids You get a little rest and can rewind your nerves and they calm down too.

[Stella]

Thanks so much for all of your advice. Our older dog was our very first dog for both of us, and now we have introduced the puppy I think we got a bit over anxious about the whole situation! I guess they will just work it out in the end, and as the puppy grows I can stop worrying about him being hurt by the older dog. They did have a nice play this morning when the puppy stole my glove, the older one took it off him and they played chase around the living room! It was only after I retrieved my glove that the older one trapped the little one under a chair!!

[1np1tlyyqzo7v]

Sadie was 10 months old (F1 LD) when we brought Jonas home. He was a TINY (4 lbs.) eight week old cockapoo. I was pretty sure she was going to kill him, but nope...almost seven months later, he's still here. They still tend to get rough a few times a day but they really are just playing.

Just keep a close eye on them and crate them seperately for "time outs" when you need to.