Old dogs and puppies?.

[margaret*e]

After losing Amber a few weeks ago, we weren't going to get another dog, but...........we got a puppy.

Puppy has settled in well, can go out today for the first time.

Only trouble is my other dog, a 9 year old choc lab, big friendly, daft as a puppy herself, changes into a snarling beast if the puppy comes near her, hasn't warmed any to the puppy after four weeks.

Any suggestions?.

[chickengrandma-2008]

That's a tough one, I should have thought after four weeks the older dog would have resigned itself to the fact that the pup is here to stay.

 I've introduced a pup to an older dog a couple of times with no trouble.   The fact that your older dog is female and still does this surprises me.     Of course old dog is going to be jealous so you've probably been giving her more attention, ahead of the pup, and feeding her first, allowing her through the door before little un, and so on.   You need to let old dog tell little one off and keep her in her place as her mother would, under supervision of course, a little nip when pup is annoying her, not tearing half an ear off as littlie walks by.

 Perhaps now you can walk them together, big dog will get used to pup being there, while old dog is engrossed in sniffing out where other dogs and cats have been.

Good luck.  

[ed_blackadder_1]

We had a 10 year old shepeard cross dog when we had our 6 month old female puppy, luckily he has always loved puppies.  The only time there is any trouble is when a bone was involved so we don't give bones any more.

The puppy is now 2 and he will tell her off if she is being a pain just a quick woof and she backs off, I think the best thing for our 2 is that the older one likes his own space and if he wants to go away from her we let him upstairs, we did have a few spats over the bed but now its fine she will stand with her head on the bed waiting for him to let her on, he usually wags his tail and she gets up and they lie side by side fast asleep for hours.  He has been really patient with her and they are now quite settled together, they play lovely and and quite roughly, and I would say she is keeping him young.

We didn't have any trouble with toys and they both share, and goodness knows we have hundreds.

In saying this we have been very lucky that the littl 'un is not bossy and the older one is very laid back so they sort themselves out

I think you just need to let them get on with it and try not be too protective of the puppy, or over fussy with the older one.

[margaret*e]

Perhaps now you can walk them together, big dog will get used to pup being there, while old dog is engrossed in sniffing out where other dogs and cats have been.

I'm hoping this will happen.

Older dog , Abbi, won't even go in the garden now, few times she has, the puppies ran after her and she's ran away.

[ed_blackadder_1]

Marg will you be taking the pup to puppy training because I am sure they will be able to give you ideas on what to do. We still take our 2 year old to training because she is such a bright dog being a spaniel collie cross and she needs to be active so her hobbie is agility we have just started and she loves it and so does the older one as he has 2 nights off from her, mind you the both of them spend most of their time asleep any way because my husband takes them out for a couple of hours before work so they are shattered.

It sounds as though your older dog just wants to be left alone, to coin a phrase.

Good luck with it I am sure it will work out ok in the end,

[captainbovine]

pics of the puppies please....

I love piccies

[ed_blackadder_1]

Oh yes Marg piccies please, love puppies

[myraandjim]

Am having similar problem, as you may have read on here previously, my bitch Skye died in June leaving my 7year old dog Sam very sad and pining. I didnt want to inflict a puppy on Sam so took on a rescue bitch of 5 years old and the same breed (Newf), The new bitch tries hard to befriend Sam, but he just plain doesn't like her! He has got to the stage that he won't go into a room if she is there and certainly can't walk past her in the garden! The new bitch has been very ill recently and was in the vets for a few days - Sam loved her not being here, and since she has come home he has become so stressed that his Discoid Lupus has flared up badly and he has been put onto steroids. I keep hoping things will work out as there is no agression, just silly scared reaction, but it's getting a bit stressful!

[captainbovine]

When we introduced a puppy to our 5yr old dog, he wasn't having any of it!!! feeding time was a nightmare, she would of course, stick her nose over to his food to see what he was having and the fur started flying! I spent 2mths crying my leg off thinking they would never get to like each other, In the end they were the best of pals. Give it time, they settle in the end, you just have to wait it out. Very good advice from other posters though.

[margaret*e]

First photo of her the day we got her, more later.

[margaret*e]

My other dogs.

Last holiday with Amber.

[margaret*e]

[**towery**]

isn't there a product for dogs  akin to  feliway  for cats?

i think you have to treat the pup as  2nd class, the older dog has to be sure of their place in the  hierarchy (sp)

[ed_blackadder_1]

Do you mean the collar that gives them endorphins to make them feel calm? if so yes there is, our Poppy had one when we got her from the dogs trust, to make her feel all warm and fuzzy we were told, mmm debatable, if it did work then she must have been a Tazmanian Devil before.

[captainbovine]

I bought the plug in one when we had Barney, but it didn't work, mind you he was a very upset doggie and had to be placed in a rescue for intensive training which we couldn't do.

Aaawww he's lovely though that wee puppy, look how he's grown, cheeky rascal.

I'm sure given time and making the older dog top dog and taking the advice on here things will settle down.