How do I get my old dog to like my new puppy?

Just today I got a new puppy. The only problem is my older dog doesn't like it. She wasn't around other dogs as a puppy and now she just doesn't like my new dog. She'll take away his toys and has even tried to take a few bites at him. What do I do?

Comments

[jflores1]

for the most part older dogs do not want to deal with puppies, not always the case, but an older dog might be more calm and relaxed while a puppy wants to jump everywhere and play play play. YOur older dog is just trying to dominate the pup like a teacher is dominant over their students. The older pooch is correcting the pup by biting, nipping. In a way the older guy is saying give me space or you get my wrath. I would say that you do not have to force your older dog to love puppies, in time the pup will know its limits and both will get along great. Thats if you want your dog to teach the pup that way. But if you wanted you could put boundries for both pups. you caneasily teach your old dog not to bite or nip with a correction every time he does any of that kind of stuff. As for bonding them its super easy, just walk them together all the time, that doesnt mean walk slow and let the dogs smell every tree, that means walk fast, in travel mode like you have some place to be. Its like how many jobs make their employees go to fun outings or challenge the group of employees in a fun way. Success bonds them together. Also try feeding them together, start by having their bowls of food in the same room but far from each other and in 2 weeks slowly start moving their bowls closer and closer together, but be very cautious that your older dog could harm your puppy, so you know better how harsh of a correction the older dog will put on the pup, so stand in between and over time slowly move out of the picture. Also play with both at the same time, and always correct unwanted behavior, a correction should be at the exact moment that you see unwanted behavior. you do not have to be harsh, but just match your dogs intensity or just a bit more, on a scale of 1 - 10 1 being the nicest and 10 being very harsh, start at 1 and move up the scale until your older dog or pup gets the point. above all stay calm and it works best if you do not even talk. I always correct with a one fingered poke and it works very well(dominance or pack leader training method). its not harsh but they stress about it a bit and over time then i add the word "no" and then you can wean away from the poke and just point at them with the one finger while you continue to say no, so basically you are reinforcing the word no and at the same time weaning away from physically correcting them. (Note this technique can back fire with dogs that tend to be bitey, nippey or aggressive with humans, and they could turn around and take their frustration out on you.) As for correcting a puppy this way i do not recommend, its best if you take them away from bad or unwanted situations. YOu can correct a puppy by easily crating him, putting him in another room or taking away toys at the exact moment of the unwanted behavior, this is how positive reinforcement trainers correct unwanted behaviors. Hope this helps

[Dr. Pepper]

You have to get them to spend a lot of time together and get your older dog to like your new puppy. I'm watching a dog (I have a business that watches dogs when their owners are away) that is 11 (in human years) and when we brought him home, all he wanted to do was sit in his kennel and bark at my dog. I was really nervous because he didn't come out for a couple hours. We finally got him out and now he loves my dog a lot. Your older dog just needs to warm up to your new puppy. What kind of puppy is it? Hope this helps!

[General Eggs]

He's an Australian shepherd/ Britany spaniel mix

[Dr. Pepper]

I bet he's cute!

[caarntedd]

Don't do anything to undermine your old dogs position as number one. Give your new pup the attention it needs (as all new pups require to learn what is expected of them) and give your old dog a little extra attention to equal that of the new pup, otherwise the old one will get confused, don't leave him out. Your dog (and your puppy) want nothing else but to please the pack leader (you) so don't send any confusing messages. Don't punish the old dog for asserting itself. They will sort out the pecking order on their own. Dogs live to please you, and thrive if they understand exactly what is required of them.

[craftyv]

NOTHING: My advice is NOT to stage manage the situation at all. Think like a dog and you will see that the older dog is asserting her position as the in-house dog. Dogs feelings are not hurt by this, if they were in a pack they work out the heirachy exactly like this. The "bites" are nips to warn the interloper not to step over the mark. The more you interfere, by reprimanding the older dog, and cuddling and being sorry for the new one, the more you are re-inforcing the behaviour. Check out Cesare "the dog whisperer"I'm sure he has advice about this. Good luck.

[NachoMahma]

. +1

[orksecurity]

Think of how a 2-year-old would feel when a new infant comes into the house. Suddenly everyone's making a fuss over this other thing, whereas before she got all the attention. Suddenly she isn't "the baby". Suddenly there are things which look like they ought to be hers but aren't. It's a difficult concept, and resentment of the interloper is not at all uncommon.

You may have to reassure your older dog that this doesn't endanger her place in the hierarchy -- make at least as much fuss over her as you do over the pup.

[craftyv]

I agree: