I just got a new puppy, and my older dog doesn't seem comfortable :( And of course since he's a puppy, my new dog is constantly attempting to play with him but the older one just gets annoyed. Help?
Supervise them closely when together, and give both plenty of rest breaks to relax. Make sure the puppy is getting lots of exercise and socialization outside of playtime with your older pup. Part of growing up is learning how to behave in a polite and appropriate way with other dogs, and they learn this mostly from interacting with polite and appropriate older dogs who will (gently) show them the ropes. This shouldn't be all on your older dog--if your puppy only learns from one dog, he'll be ill-equipped to interact with all the various personalities and tolerances of the doggy world. Puppy classes can be a great way to start, and a good trainer will help you recognize good behavior and poor behavior so you know when to step in.
When you watch the interactions between the puppy and your older dog, does your older dog give consistent, gentle cues to the pup when he gets too rough or persistent? And does your puppy listen to those cues? If your older dog seems to be communicating well, I'd suggest keeping your puppy on a leash or drag line when they're together, and if the pup doesn't listen to your older dog's cues, lead him away and refocus him on another appropriate activity. Once he's behaving appropriately, release him to do what he wants, but be ready to step in again if he goes back to pestering the older dog. If your older dog is less consistent in their signals or doesn't seem to be very tolerant of the new pup, you may need to separate them more and intervene sooner to keep both of them safe and comfortable.
Wow, thanks for the detailed response! I really appreciate it! I think this might be my best approach, to supervise their interactions closely until the puppy learns. He's definitely getting exercise, so that should help. But I'm hoping to bring him to meet other dogs soon, so perhaps a puppy class
Would be a good idea! I think my biggest problem so far is that they want my attention at the same time. Baci (my older dog) wants me to save him, then Obi (puppy) wants me to play with him and cuddle him haha
Sounds like some work on impulse control is in order, too! Work with both dogs on asking politely for attention - if they push their way in, ignore them until they sit politely, then shower them with love. Increase the difficulty when they get it, by giving attention to one dog while the other waits, and switching between them as they wait patiently.
Haha I have a lot of work to do! But thanks for the tips! I'll be implementing them immediately :P
Nice! It can take a while - my 7 and 5 year olds (I've had both since they were 3) still need work. ;-)
Good to know ? Do you also have tips for walking my puppy? He's still at the stage where he doesn't understand the concept of being led haha. When I try to wak him he just sits there most of the time! It gets a bit frustrating :P
I'm not the best resource for good leash manners. I tried for years with my border collie, who is a puller, and the best I could manage was getting her to stop and sit by me when I would stop, but she'd go right back to pulling the second we started moving. After a lot of frustration on both our parts, I decided all the "training" was just making us both unhappy and got her a front clip harness as a compromise. I'd suggest using a toy or treats to motivate him to move and keep moving, and getting him engaged with chase games where he has to run after you.
Yeah that actually sounds like he might like that more anyway to be honest hahaha. Again, thanks for the help!
Fyi..... If they're both "demanding" attention, give it to the one thats calmer. Doesn't matter if younger or older: whoever is better behaved/ quieter/ more responsive etc gets the treat or attention first
Use treats to lure him to you. Eventually you can phase those out with verbal praise. But honestly its just practice that makes leash manners improve. I agree border collie's are tough with leashes. I found it was only because I was going too slow. As soon as I started running she'd stay by my side
You should put both of them on leash and hold them and let them play. Then u pull them apart for a little bit and then let them go back together. Another way is to keep the two separated and don't let them see each other. Just switch something that has each other's smells and swap them so that they get used to each other's smells then wait a week and then let them see each other through and get and then let them sniff each other. Please don't hesitate to contact me. Hope it works!!
Wow that's actually a smart idea! Thanks for the tip! It may be hard to completely separate them, but I do like that idea! Especially for my older dog
Try separating the older from the puppy a bit and spending time just with the older dog. Also do this with just the puppy. Then doing it together. If the older dog seems irritated by the puppy still, separate them. You do not want to create an environment that the dogs get hostile.
yeah that's what I've been trying to do. I'll keep at it and hope it gets better! It's all still new, so perhaps I just need to give them time.
whenever we introduce a new family member is is gradual.I never allow anyone to fight. I have introduced dogs, cats, horse, sheep bovine etc.all this way. the trick is to never spoil one over the other, or give extra attention to the other.supervision is a must until they except each other. never ha
had an issue. We had Bonnie and Clyde when we brought home puppies Shadow and Lady, they would growl, but in time they would be ok. we had 4 dogs and 6 cats,lol. We added Ginger , when the others passed on.. we just added two cats when Missy passed on. It is rare for them to not eventually except ea
each other- just like a new family member- sometime you may have two who just do not like each other. they just may need to be separated. if you have many you introduce one by one. Most ill respect each others space.Since I was young we have done this.