Help! Need advice. Present dog doesn't like new puppy... what do I do?

I'm no expert but I have been in this situation before .. and I know it's a 'slowly, slowly does it' job .. You still need to keep the amount of attention you had to the older dog the same .. so try not to pet the newcomer and make too much fuss of it in front of your original dog .. dogs are pack animals .. and if the new puppy does things that the old dog isn't allowed to do, then the older dog may 'reprimand' the newcomer .. this is the dogs way of creating order and harmony .. At all times you should allow the old pet to eat and sleep where it always has so there are no territorial problems and when I had my 'old and new' pets I had the new pet in a seperate area for about 4 weeks. It will feel safe there and both dogs can get used to having each other around. Initially you should not feed the two pets together as this can cause fighting over food, just as it would in the wild and they should also have their own dishes. To begin I also fed the older dog first and then the new pup, this is how the 'dog pack' would eat in the wild .. over the first 4 weeks I gradually moved the meals times together for my convenience .. If you have the dogs in seperate rooms, after a couple of weeks you can try swapping the dogs over. Let the new pet roam the house for a couple of hours a day and put the old pet in the isolated room, this will allow them both to get used to each other's smell. Next, you should be ready to let the pets see each other. I used a baby gate at first, or you could try putting the new pet into a carrier cage and let the old pet sniff around it (you should never leave the pets unattended like this). Alternatively, if there are two of you, one of you can hold the old pet and one can hold the new pet. Once you are happy with the last stage the two pets can be allowed free to interact with each other. If the animals begin to fight this can indicate that the introduction is proceeding too quickly and you should go back a stage before trying again. If a fight occurs, the animals should be left to fully relax again before further contact between them is attempted. I'm sorry to say it can take some time before the new 'pack order' is worked out between an older dog and a newer one ..

Although you know why you told her no and shooed her back, all she knows is play with puppy = get in trouble. I would try sitting on the floor and have both of them next to you, petting both. Encourage gentle interaction and reward it. Your lab will soon learn the difference between what is acceptable interaction with the puppy and what is not. Your lab is also probably still grieving for his friend which may also play a part.

Yap ,do give them the same amount of attention.Talk to your dog that it's just a puppy be gentle and take care of it(like entrusting it to protect and care of the pup)and you love them both.

This is right up my street - I started a similar discussion a few weeks ago (not complaining at you by any means, but isn't it funny how some questions on similar topics get more responses! - I didn't get many responses on mine lol). Anyway, don't worry about lab being rough with pup, as long as there's no drawing of blood they'll be ok. Pup has to learn to socialise with lab and lab will learn, in time not to be too rough with pup. Always keep an eye on them though just in case things get out of hand. Lab, after you, is the leader of the "pack" as she was there first - so the act of you telling her no and shooing her away has made her lose confidence in the pecking order. By paying more attention to pup she will feel threatened that she will lose her place. Dogs in the wild who lose their place in the natural pecking order of things get chased out of the pack and will eventually die. Make a big fuss of lab, and, I know it's difficult, less of a fuss of new pup. This way, hopefully the pecking order can be re-established. Good luck!

We have an 8 year old husky and last year we brought home a husky puppy. We have her sleeping in her crate at night. Kai was a bit rough with her at first. but he did calm down. I kept telling him she was a baby and that he needed to be a bit more gentle till she got bigger. She would howl at night coz she hates to be alone. We put Kai in the same room with her crate at night and she settled down nicely. I always supervised the play times, making sure things didn't get out of hand. We made sure Kai always got the same amount of attention as he did before Tara came on the scene. We feed them is different rooms, always feeding Kai first. We also give Kai biscuits and toys first. This way he keeps his alpha dog status with Tara. Just be patient with your pooches they will settle down but it will take awhile. We tend to lay on the floor and have both of them surround us that way everyone gets attention. Bringing Tara on the scene has really helped Kai, it brought him out of his shell. Is your black lab still missing her friend the boxer? Give her time. Give them a positive atmosphere when they are playing.

Give them some time to settle with each other. Whatever you do be sure to give them both equal attention especially to Ana.

go to some doctor, and take some care

you dog must drink (even a bit) the puppy saliva.make sure they changing each other saliva.(without you dog know it, mix it with his drink or his food) do it every day for a month. they will get along^0^

you have to make them stay or keep them close in a viewable distance that both gets close to each other.. it might resolve most of the prob

It's only a matter of time before present dog adopts in the new situation. Of course, the dog will always have dominance over other dogs, especially new ones, but give it some time and guidance, the two dogs will jive in the most appropriate time. Just spend some time with the two of them, but make sure that you keep on eye on present dog as this dog may get irritated by new dog and attack the new one. Good luck, it's but natural for the present dog to act like what she's doing right now, through time, she'd get the hang of it.

i think that what both your dogs need is time to be familiar with each other.just be patient.but also just be watchful towards their behavior to each other.you wouldn't want any of them to get hurt.

Always discipline the lab you've had for 5 yrs. Nomatter if the puppy taunts the other dog or not, if the puupy starts the fight or anything that has to do with the both of them. Discipline the older dog. He will eventually think that the puppy is superior.

Hi, how are they getting along now, most of the time it just takes a couple weeks for them to get use to eachother, the puppy can usually hold its own, they are trying to figure out who is who. I have worked with dogs for a long time, and most of the time they just need to work out what they have to, so they will be good friends. hope this helped a little if you have any other questions i would be glad to help

Hey, i'm a dog lover myself, so I can see where your dilemma lies. I've had five dogs and in the begining none of them got along and it got to the point when I was about to give them away. Just give it a little time. People don't think that animals could love or feel, but they do. Remember that Ana was there first and she will feel very abandoned when she sees you with the new puppy, so make sure you provide enough attention to her, so she sees that she is not left behind. My best advice is if you have a specific time for play with them, come up with games that both of them will enjoy and get involved in. There are many great books concerning this matter, that have great ideas for games that are designed for dogs of any age. You could find these books at any local library. Hope this helps.

let them get to know each other slowly by letting be in the same room at once for short periods! make sure you hold the one that isn't getting along with the puppy and everytime time it growls or nips or what ever tell it no bad boy or girl it works for me do it everytime time then they'll get along fine!

I think part of it is that maybe your older dog is picking up on some of the anxiety that you're letting off when it comes to the puppy, and is thus reacting. I have to dogs that are a little bit apart in age and are sisters from a different breed, and they fight like siblings sometimes lol. I noticed that they usually do this when there's tension or feelings of anxiety from the humans in the area, while other times it is purely a struggle for dominance. Right now, my guess is that your older dog is trying to find that balance with the new puppy, who is now in its territory--you and the area you live in. It will take time to figure out the right pecking order between the two, but you should also be taking the place of the alpha. A lot of people mistake territorial issues for jealousy, I think, when it's really just lack of balance. Try getting them doing things together with you that has that pack element to it. Labs are a working breed, maybe try taking them on walks (once puppy has been giving its vaccines), with you in the middle and each dog on either side of you at your sides, to help promote that pack element and work effort--plus, it also tires them out. Sometimes, dogs will play not just for amusement but also sort of a mock play for dominance. Figuring out who should be next in line is tough, I think, especially with a puppy. People are more inclined to the let the older dog rule the nest, but that might also create problems if the puppy happens to grow up to be dominant, such as my youngest dog did. I would just let them work it out for themselves, but just keep an eye on things and set boundries of a sorts. What might seem rough to you might not be rough to the puppy.

This is funny but.. its what I thought of when I read your disc. Have you ever watched The Fox and the Hound ??( Disney movie) well remember ole Chief he didn't like little Copper when the man brought him home , or so he didn't want the man to know, then alittle time went by and they were best of friends. I am sure yours will be too give them a little time and space it will happen ...

That happened to me once. And in the end my older dog started to slowly like the new puppy and now they are best friends. I think what it was for my dog was she was jealous of the new puppy because she was always the baby.

Hello, Sorry to hear of your loss, dogs are better than people. Just to let you know that is perfectly normal for your lab to act that way, a new dog in his territory is a threat, this will pass. I have several dogs and went threw this many times, I would suggest that you get a pet crate to keep your puppy in when you are not arround, you will have to keep them apart for a while an gradualy let the lab be with the puppy but only while you are supervising him. Also pay more attention to the lab then the puppy as he will learn the puppy is not a threat. Within 2 weeks it will work out. Most people give up at the initial reaction of the dogs when they meet. It would be like someone walking in your house that you did not plan on being there, it would take time for you to get use to the sudden change, give it time, it will work out!

call the dog whisperer