Will they ever get along?

@paulsy (1263)
Philippines
August 11, 2008 10:07am CST
We have two dogs. The older one is Casper, a mixed breed of Japanese spitz and Daschund, two years old. The younger one is Daffy, a black Labrador Retriever puppy, 3 months old. They don't get along. Casper is grumpy and has no patience, while Daffy is young and playful. I am worried Casper might lose his patience and hurt Daffy one day. Watch this video of how they are together, and tell me if they will ever get along one day... http://www.paulynramirez.com/two-different-breeds-together/
1 person likes this
4 responses
• United States
12 Aug 08
Yes, they will. If you take off that silly muzzle and allow them to interact! Casper will set his boundaries with Daffy and that will involve a little tussle but just keep an eye on them. I had 2 doxies and a cocker when we received a 3 week old yellow lab a few months ago. One of my doxies was getting increasingly meaner, snapping at other pets and at family members. When he took the helpless, sleeping puppy by the throat and tried to kill it right in front of me, I knew it was time to do something. So I took the doxie to my vet who had watched him attack various pets for 2 years and said some dogs are just wired wrong and with heavy heart, I had my little guy put out of his misery. So, I have seen vicious, mean dogs. Casper is neither. Caspers home and "pack' have changed a bit, he just needs reassurance that he is still loved and wanted. I asked my vet about a muzzle for my little guy and was told it was no way to live and that it would not fix the problem anyways. I sill have that yellow lab puppy, although hes now almost 6 months and is no longer little. My cocker who has water on the brain has established herself as his "mother" and will literally bring him down to her height if he does something she doesn't like and my 8 yr old doxie sometimes wants nothing to do with him and lets him know, but I assure you they all get along fine and there has been no blood shed with these three. Right now as I write this they all all three on the couch, with the cocker cuddled up to the lab and the lab (being in the middle) cleaning the dachshunds ears. It does take time and patience but its worth it. Just let them have time together. Otherwise, they will never know how to interact. And just so you know, Casper hates that muzzle. Give him some special time and extra treats and he and Daffy will be fine together. I do agree that what is seen on that video is frustration, not aggression.
@paulsy (1263)
• Philippines
13 Aug 08
I took off the muzzle, just as was advised. I was hoping that Casper would behave better without it all day today. Unfortunately, he just bit my daughter after he had his dinner a few minutes ago. It wasn't a bad bite, she did not get wounded. But I really do wonder if I have to wait till the worst would happen? This had happened before, and I insisted on putting Casper on a leash. But we felt so sorry for him because he howled and barked all night long, so we just decided to put the muzzle on. I guess he still did not learn his lesson, so I'm putting the muzzle on since he has been well behaved towards everyone with his muzzle on.
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@SusanLee (1920)
• United States
15 Aug 08
Hi naturegirl, After reading your response it came to me that it seems like I have heard that same thing happen with other doxies, isn't that a dachshund? We had a dachshund when I was a little girl, his name was Sammy, as time went by he became more and more aggressive and there were no other pets around. My mom had to have him put to sleep too. Wonder if it's something with the breed?
• United States
15 Aug 08
Yes, some doxies are just "wired wrong" my vet told me. I've have 3 doxies now and only one was so aggressive and mean that we had to put him down. My first one, Newby, I had from 3 months old and raised him with a cat, Eclipse, that was 4 yrs older than he. He was shy around strangers but was the sweetest little guy who had outgrown his breed and had seizures. He lived a very long, spoiled and happy life developing congestive heart failure at 11 1/2 and had to be put down 3 months after a fast growing tumor had closed his Eclipse's mouth and we had to have him put down. Coincidence? I wonder, they were very close. The middle one, DooBoo, whom we got from the Humane Society at about 2 years old, had neurosis that would not show themselves until after we lost the first one. Then we got the third one, Rudy, who had every parasite known to man, a previous breeder dog and very mistreated who is very sweet too. DooBoo just got meaner and meaner, eventually drawing blood on 3 dogs and snapping at me and a friend. Our vet said yes, it is a dachshund trait. Had we not gotten Dooboo, we wouldn't know that as the other two were the best dogs you could want. So yes, dachshunds have issues. But Casper is a mixed breed and I do not know enough about Spitz to make a statement about that. Typically, it is with the purebred that you will have an issue with. Not a mixed breed.
@SusanLee (1920)
• United States
12 Aug 08
I watched the video, please take the muzzle off of Casper. I didn't see anything that I would call aggression. Older dogs will teach the younger dog the boundries. It looked like Casper was wanting to interact with the pup. I have five grown Boston Terriers, when we have a batch of puppies, those puppies will drive the others nuts wanting to play and romp. I have seen the older dogs mouth the pups, paw at them and knock them around and the pups keep coming back for more, then one of the adults will have enough, give a growl or a snap, and suddenly the pup will just drop down and go on to mess with someone else. I have a 7-year-old chihuahua that will not tolerate the puppies playfulnes at all. When they approach her and start to play, she'll carry on like crazy, snapping, snarling and growling, she has never hurt one, other than it's feelings. Then I want to thump her on the head. The puppy will just drop down submissively and ease off. I feel so sorry for the pup, it's little head will droop, it's ears will droop and it just slinks off. I know the pup is confused, not really sure what it did wrong. And like I said, I want to thump her, but I don't, I just watch them close and let them work out their differences. I believe your little family will be fine. Even if Casper does give the pup a bite, it won't kill it. It has to learn the rules. In a few weeks the pup will be plenty big, then you may have to protect Casper from the playful moose lol.
@paulsy (1263)
• Philippines
12 Aug 08
Thank you so much for the advise. But as I mentioned in my thread, Casper has little patience for everyone, and that includes our family members. So with this muzzle on, he enjoys his freedom around the house without hurting anybody.
1 person likes this
@SusanLee (1920)
• United States
15 Aug 08
Hi paulsy, I've read the responses and I can't believe that little rascal bit your daughter. I can understand the need to keep him muzzled. This is just a thought now, don't get upset with me okay lol. Do you think maybe with his temperament he might do better in a one person home with no pets? Or maybe be the pet of a couple with no children and other pets? It just seems a shame that he would have to be muzzled so much, but I can now see your point. It would be horrible if he should catch your daughter in the face or something. Being a dog I guess he can't help it, he wants his space I and that's how he gets his point across I suppose. I hope things work out for you and Casper.
@Seraphine (385)
• Finland
12 Aug 08
What I wondered when watching that video was, where were you allowing that to happen? To have a young puppy pestering a muzzled adult dog can eventually lead to real aggression. That was nothing more than your spitz wanting the pup to go away, not aggression. I just don't see why you allowed the pup to continue? What for? If you want them to sort it out on their own, then remove the muzzle and let the spitz have a chance of disciplining the puppy. He won't hurt her, just show her what is acceptable and what is not. If you do not want him to do the discipline, then you have to do it for him as with that muzzle on he can't. Anyway, my puppy was just the same as your Daffy when growing up. My aunt had an adult golden retriever who we dogsat every day while she was at work who didn't tolerate my pup at all as he was much too boisterous and just wanted to play. We kept them separated with babygates for closer to a year, and once my pup grew out of the first mad puppy year and was trained to know how to approach other dogs, they became best friends. But there's been a lot of work involved and a lot of supervision. We couldn't even leave them together in the same room while we were in the room with them, much less alone.
15 Aug 08
They are not into hurting each other infact I see them as enjoying each other don't worry if casper is irritated now he will get use to it.