1 week later

Well, merlin has been here a week and things are no better, i have continued his training of sit and no whe he does something i dont like, for eg. Springing up at the sofa to be picked up, as he's so tiny i have to catch him as he springs and tell him no, place him back on the floor each time and say sit, only when he finally sits will i pick him up, he seems to be getting a tiny bit better with pepsi, he knows not to pounce on her, she seems to let him sniff her bits, but its when he goes near her face that she doesnt like it, she seems to flinch if he touches it, after a couple of nudges towards her face she'll have him, im not shouting at her, im just watching closly to make sure she's not going to bite him, we give her lots of praise and ignore the other stuff, if i ask a few questions could people give their answers/opinions please


One last thing, im going to get pepsi spayed next month as i sont want no accidents and also for the health benefits, will this also calm her down any??
He is jumping into her bed in the living room, even tho i have put his bed next to hers, should i allow this? If pepsi sees the pup in her bed she just walks away from it

If you have been through an older resident dog going for a puppy, in what way did it happen, how often? How aggresivly?

When pepsi warns him, she pins him down, barking in his face, baring her teeth in his face, as if to say "go on i dare you", even after hes submitted she keeps him there for a few seconds just holding him down, if he dares to move, the snarling and teeth come back out, is this normal?

Ive read that pepsi will never get along with a puppy because she was taken from her parents at 5 weeks old, is this true?

If pepsi comes into the room and the pup is on our knee and we shout her, she wont jump up if the pup is there, just gives us a dirty look, how do i deal with this, should we put the puppy down so she jumps up?

If pepsi is on the sofa and the pup wants to be up, she snarls and snaps down at him from the edge, is this just her putting him in his place or would this be bullying him, how should i deal with this?

If, after a week, she hasnt bitten him, is she still likely to?

One thing i never read up on untill after i had gotten merlin is about unsociable adult dogs, will it take much much longer for her to accept him because she is unsociable?

If i play with pepsi and the pup is present, he will try to run after the toy to, if he gets to close he is greeted to a growl, closer still and she'll have him, im becoming afraid to play with her

I am getting pepsi spayed next month as even tho they are both the same breed (miniature pinscher) i dont want any accidents and also for the health benefits but im also hope it might calm her down towards him

I am trying really hard here to get things right, i want a
happy harmonious home again, i know its only been a week but i thought i would have seen some improvements by now things would have started to get a little better, we are spending quality time with pepsi, walking her every day, and she comes to bed with us everynight while the puppy is in his crate, untill we go to bed and then she goes into her crate in my daughters room for the night

My friends wsd hates pups but once they get to about 8mths he is fine with them. I am sure that Pepsie will have a day when the pup becomes a dog----you just need to know when it might happen!

Ross was muzzled or crated when a pup joined the family recently but the pup is now a year old and all is well.

rune

Well, merlin has been here a week and things are no better, i have continued his training of sit and no whe he does something i dont like, for eg. Springing up at the sofa to be picked up, as he's so tiny i have to catch him as he springs and tell him no, place him back on the floor each time and say sit, only when he finally sits will i pick him up, he seems to be getting a tiny bit better with pepsi, he knows not to pounce on her, she seems to let him sniff her bits, but its when he goes near her face that she doesnt like it, she seems to flinch if he touches it, after a couple of nudges towards her face she'll have him, im not shouting at her, im just watching closly to make sure she's not going to bite him, we give her lots of praise and ignore the other stuff, if i ask a few questions could people give their answers/opinions please

The trouble with always saying “No” is that the dog begins to think that is his name…………………….

Why do you need to say “no”? What do you think this conveys to him?

There is no need to actually SAY anything, dogs learn by cause and effect.

If you wait for the dog to have 4 paws on the floor before picking him up he will soon learn 4 paws on floor = picking up and 2 paws on floor = 0.

The calmer and quieter you are, the calmer and quieter your dogs will be.

He is jumping into her bed in the living room, even tho i have put his bed next to hers, should i allow this? If pepsi sees the pup in her bed she just walks away from it

If you have plenty of beds then a dogs can have a choice. You need to consider the pros and cons of dogs "owning" things.

If you have been through an older resident dog going for a puppy, in what way did it happen, how often? How aggresivly?

My current GSD got a small hole in him from my elder dog (Weimaraner) due to my inattention, but that is all, but I did separate them at ALL times unless I was actually in the room and watching them for small periods of time.

Ive read that pepsi will never get along with a puppy because she was taken from her parents at 5 weeks old, is this true?

That is not necessarily true, but one of the reasons for your problems are probably due to her being taken away from her parents FAR too young. Ideally puppies should remain in the nest until 7 weeks so that vital lessons can be learned from both dam and siblings which help them with other dogs.

If pepsi comes into the room and the pup is on our knee and we shout her, she wont jump up if the pup is there, just gives us a dirty look, how do i deal with this, should we put the puppy down so she jumps up?

Why are you “shouting her”? I do not understand.

If the dog does not like the proximity of the puppy she is hardly going to deliberately put herself in a position where she is close to it is she?

If pepsi is on the sofa and the pup wants to be up, she snarls and snaps down at him from the edge, is this just her putting him in his place or would this be bullying him, how should i deal with this?

Pepsi is resource guarding the sofa and/or you. Do you think this is a good idea?

You cannot make a dog LIKE another, but you can ensure that they tolerate each other. If you allow your bitch to behave like this it can "leak" to other things.

Have one on either side, titbit Pepsi for any behaviour which is non aggressive with stuff that she NEVER gets at any other time so she begins to associate the pup with WHOOPEE GOODIES.

If she behaves horribly, put her on the floor.

If, after a week, she hasnt bitten him, is she still likely to?

Cannot really say, how good is her bite inhibition around other dogs? This will give you a good idea.

One thing i never read up on untill after i had gotten merlin is about unsociable adult dogs, will it take much much longer for her to accept him because she is unsociable?

Depends on what you mean by unsociable. Does she just prefer her own company or does she actively try to remove other dogs from her vicinity?

If i play with pepsi and the pup is present, he will try to run after the toy to, if he gets to close he is greeted to a growl, closer still and she'll have him, im becoming afraid to play with her

I am struggling to understand why you would allow either dog to be present when playing with the other. When my pups are small, either it or the older dog is crated when I am having 1:1 time with the other.

I am trying really hard here to get things right, i want a happy harmonious home again, i know its only been a week but i thought i would have seen some improvements by now things would have started to get a little better, we are spending quality time with pepsi, walking her every day, and she comes to bed with us everynight while the puppy is in his crate, untill we go to bed and then she goes into her crate in my daughters room for the night

A week is nothing. Think about it, what lasting major behavioural changes have been accomplished in 7 days, dogs or humans?

ps I see that after posting you edited your post to say that your bitch was going to get spayed next month, you might want to consider delaying this for 6 months (if you can ensure separation from male pup).

Spaying does not calm bitches down and in fact it can exacerbate aggressive behaviour in aggressive bitches.

The trouble with always saying “No” is that the dog begins to think that is his name…………………….

Why do you need to say “no”? What do you think this conveys to him?

There is no need to actually SAY anything, dogs learn by cause and effect.

If you wait for the dog to have 4 paws on the floor before picking him up he will soon learn 4 paws on floor = picking up and 2 paws on floor = 0.

The calmer and quieter you are, the calmer and quieter your dogs will be.

Ok, thank you, i have taken that on board

If you have plenty of beds then a dogs can have a choice. You need to consider the pros and cons of dogs "owning" things.

Yes, they have a bed each in the living room, what do you mean about dogs owning things?

My current GSD got a small hole in him from my elder
dog (Weimaraner) due to my inattention, but that is all, but I did separate them at ALL times unless I was actually in the room and watching them for small periods of time.

They are supervised at ALL times, we watch them closly, either myself or my husband watch while the other is busy, we just dont know how far to let pepsi go with the pup before intervening


That is not necessarily true, but one of the reasons for your problems are probably due to her being taken away from her parents FAR too young. Ideally puppies should remain in the nest until 7 weeks so that vital lessons can be learned from both dam and siblings which help them with other dogs.

Yes, i knew this, i bought pepsi from a friend who was breeding them, the grandchildren where there everyday and were very very rough with the puppies, the puppies were actually weened of thier mother at 3 weeks and the mother bandaged so they couldnt get at her, i remember one incident where one of the grandchildren put one of the puppies on her head and it slid of head first onto the floor, the owner then phoned up the buyer THE SAME DAY and said oh your pup is ready, i then spoke to my husband and we decided that it was better to get pepsi into a safer environment, the person who bought the other dog actually reported them, since then pepsi has pretty much been our baby

Why are you “shouting her”? I do not understand.

If the dog does not like the proximity of the puppy she is hardly going to deliberately put herself in a position where
she is close to it is she?

We shout her as we dont want her feeling left out

Pepsi is resource guarding the sofa and/or you. Do you think this is a good idea?

You cannot make a dog LIKE another, but you can ensure that they tolerate each other. If you allow your bitch to
behave like this it can "leak" to other things.

Have one on either side, titbit Pepsi for any behaviour which is non aggressive with stuff that she NEVER gets at any other time so she begins to associate the pup with WHOOPEE GOODIES.

If she behaves horribly, put her on the floor.

Ok thank you, i will do that

Cannot really say, how good is her bite inhibition around other dogs? This will give you a good idea.

Pepsi has never gotten close enough to bite another dog


Depends on what you mean by unsociable. Does she just prefer her own company or does she actively try to remove other dogs from her vicinity?

I would say tries to activly remove them, if we are walking her she barks like mad, worse with bigger dogs, although i would say shes getting a little better


I am struggling to understand why you would allow either dog to be present when playing with the other. When my pups are small, either it or the older dog is crated when I am having 1:1 time with the other.

I thought that playing with them together would help them become friends


A week is nothing. Think about it, what lasting major behavioural changes have been accomplished in 7 days, dogs or humans?

Yes i know, i understand that but im getting really afraid she might actually bite him

ps I see that after posting you edited your post to say that your bitch was going to get spayed next month, you might want to consider delaying this for 6 months (if you can ensure separation from male pup).

Spaying does not calm bitches down and in fact it can exacerbate aggressive behaviour in aggressive bitches.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Emma129;2278088]
Yes, they have a bed each in the living room, what do you mean about dogs owning things?

Your dog already resource guards the sofa/you from the pup; you do not want to encourage this behaviour. So, if you put several beds down the dogs have a choice of where to go and do not feel pushed out.

They are supervised at ALL times, we watch them closly, either myself or my husband watch while the other is busy, we just dont know how far to let pepsi go with the pup before intervening

Well from your other posts I would suggest you might intervene sooner rather than later with this particular dog in this particular environment bearing in mind that her strategy with OTHER dogs is to get rid of them; whether that is through fear or otherwise, it is a strategy that works for her, so you do not want her learning it works at home with the pup! (apart from in the "acceptable range" of lip curling etc.


Why are you “shouting her”? I do not understand.


We shout her as we dont want her feeling left out

Still do not understand why you shout at your dogs......

I thought that playing with them together would help them become friends

Not at this stage, it can INCREASE competitive behaviour.

Well from your other posts I would suggest you might intervene sooner rather than later with this particular dog in this particular environment bearing in mind that her strategy with OTHER dogs is to get rid of them; whether that is through fear or otherwise, it is a strategy that works for her, so you do not want her learning it works at home with the pup! (apart from in the "acceptable range" of lip curling etc

Ok, how would i intervene? And when? I have been told that if i stop her i am interfering with their pecking order, so up to now i have gulped air, sat on my hands and extremely nervously watched, pepsi hates water, should i give her a quick squirt with a spray bottle when she goes to far? i think that may work with her, pepsi has bitten our hands before, not often at all, i cooked a joint of lamb once and let her chew the bone it was huge, but as soon as i went to remove it, she turned into a gremlin, she gets no more bones :S, if she finds a hair bobble she goes mad but does not bite, i certainly dont think pepsi barks at other dogs out of fear as her stance is very confident, tail forward, ears forward etc.


Still do not understand why you shout at your dogs......

Not shouting at them, more shouting her over as we always have done when she enters a room, like "yay pepsi, come here baby" that type of thing

Not at this stage, it can INCREASE competitive behaviour.

Ok, i have taken that on board and will play with them seperatly from now on, i would buy a safety gate to split kitchen/ living room, but the puppy is so tiny he walks straight through the gaps in the gate

Put two slats either side of door, and then cut bit of wood to size and slide in............

One week is nothing - you cannot realistically expect any real changes after a mere seven days. I think you are hoping for too much, too soon,and then maybe getting disappointed when there is no improvement...

SMOKEY BEAR has given you great advice.

Remember that in general: reward for GOOD behaviour. So any time Pepsi is good/calm around the puppy, reward her!

Why not make sure each dog has 'special' one-on-one time with you? Without having to compete with the other one?

If it gets to a point where you are really scared that one or both of the dogs is going to get hurt, then that is the time to ask for more help and call in an experienced dog trainer or behaviourist.

I would also suggest that you stop 'shouting' at the dogs. Like SMOKEY BEAR, I don't really understand your saying that you 'shout them'. But it's better to stay calm - the more confident and calm you are, the more relaxed your dogs will be!

Let us know how it goes - and remember, it's REALLY early days

I think the main issue is that YOU are very nervous and attitudes are contagious; is yours worth catching?

Oh god yes, nervous isnt the word for it, im smoking twice as much, im not eating, even been in tears over it all, im even dreaming about it, but in my dreams its pepsi getting attacked and im trying to crate her for her own good but everytime i look and the dog (usually a staffy) is back after her, i think thats coming down to me not understanding how to copw with this situation, im exhausting myself beyond belief, pepsi is a gorgeous baby, at the risk of you laughing or frowning i will even tell you that i have her name tattoed on, i love pepsi so much its unreal, pepsi, understands, sit, stay and get down/get in, BUT only when she wants to, if she ignores me and i get up to her and she knows i mean it, she will do as asked, she,s excellent with treats, she will sit
and wait to be told she can have it, this little pup is soo adorable, cute and loving, do you think he sees pepsi as his mother because they are the same breed and she looks almost identical to his mother?

I will not use the water with pepsi if you think it could be detrimental, tho with pepsi, i only have to show her the bottle and shes off like a shot (i used it a few times because of barking) but stopped as i felt guilty

I know that the initial meeting should have been done on neutral teritory, but we drove such a long way to pick him up and we wernt allowed to take pepsi and they couldnt meet outside as the puppy had had no jabs

One more question, ive read that once i can walk them together this could bond them, is this right?

Thank you so much for the help and advise you have taken the time out to provide, i really appreciate it, i feel a little better and ready for todays challenges

"One more question, ive read that once i can walk them together this could bond them, is this right?"



Yes - but walk them side by side from the start, do not let them have time standing around while both on leash! Because dogs on leash tend to 'kick off' at one another quite often.

So walk in a way that each has a bit of space

Above all, try to keep the leashes relaxed and keep calm yourself - any tension you feel will travel down those leashes and affect the dogs