How do I properly integrate a new puppy?
decaelegant asked:
I recently took in a puppy. She is very well-behaved, very calm and loving.
However, my three-year-old dog has been used to being the only pet in the household. She is not necessarily well-behaved among other dogs, so she growls at the puppy a lot. Her overall reaction is rather unwelcoming. When the puppy approaches her, she tends to let off a growl and her tail stands stiffly up.
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I recently took in a puppy. She is very well-behaved, very calm and loving.
However, my three-year-old dog has been used to being the only pet in the household. She is not necessarily well-behaved among other dogs, so she growls at the puppy a lot. Her overall reaction is rather unwelcoming. When the puppy approaches her, she tends to let off a growl and her tail stands stiffly up.
My question is how do I integrate my older dog to the new puppy so that she’ll accept the family addition?
July 10th, 2009 at 10:59 am
i had the same prob.
when petting and talking to the new pup, also pet the older dog, talk to both.
when she growls, firmly tell her no.
–it worked for my older doggy =]
July 11th, 2009 at 11:45 am
Yes, this always is a problem! A few years back I got a new dog and brought him into the house with my poodle. My poodle had never been crated, and the new dog had. So, I put them in the crate together - while I was home, and just let them have their time together. Within a few days they loved each other. Luckily, I never had any fights in the crate. I still have both dogs, and they have never gotten into fights. So, I suggest for you to keep them together in an enclosed area for short stints of time while you are home.
What I think has to happen is the old dog needs to show their dominance, the alpha dog, while the new puppy needs to submit.
Thanks for reading!