Pack behaviour with new puppies

Hi, I own 13 bhutias (indian breed, similar to the himalayan tibetan mastiff). they all grew up together and have got their pecking order fairly sorted out. however, the alpha female recently gave birth to seven puppies (out of which we'll wind up keeping at least three) and we're a little worried about how to integrate mother and new pups back into the pack. the mother was separated from the pack about two weeks before she gave birth, and has not shown any inclination to return since. the pups are just over a week old, and i realise that we can't even think about introducing them into the pack before they're at least a month old, but i have two questions: 1. Will the alpha male allow these new pups into the pack (especially since he's not the father - we had an external stud since the alpha pair are siblings!) and 2. what is the best way to go about introducing them to the pack without the pups getting hurt and without the mother attacking every other dog in sight! Thanks much.

Put the puppies in a room or a kennel and allow ONE of the other dogs in with them under close supervision (BTW mum should NOT be with them). Do the same thing with only mum and ONE dog form the pack at a time. Once everyone has become comfortable with puppies and one interaction then allow two at a time, then three and etc until finally everyone can be with the puppies. When doubling, if the Alpha male is very good with the puppies then double another dog with him. The other dog will look to the Alpha for direction so if he sees the Alpha not caring about the puppies then they'll realize it's nothing to worry about. Good luck!

hey thanks, that sounds like a good idea. any suggestions on when to start doing this? (the babies are still very young, they sort of propel themselves around by their hind legs but their eyes are still closed) thanks again! i'll post photos once i get over the sleep deprivation!

I'd say not until 2-3 months old, after the puppies have their vaccinations. Young enough that the puppies can still get away with being puppies (since adults are easier on puppies than they are with other adult dogs) but old enough that they're not flopping all over the place. The first few introductions should be with calm laid back dogs (the submissive, lower ranking dogs are usually good for this) and visits should be short and few so as not to stress the pups out too much. If things are going very well then you can do them more often with the dogs that are most well mannered around the puppies since the older dogs will teach the puppies pack behaviour and how to respond to body language and such.

BTW don't forget to socialize the pups with other breeds of dogs and people too!

Photos

Hey, thanks again! i'll keep you posted!

I've posted some photos of my babies in the introduction forum - here's the link:
http://www.chazhound.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19824

enjoy!!

Wow! 13 (soon to be 16) big dogs....and my wife thought 2 Medium sized dogs is a lot...lol.

Keep us posted on how things go.

Idea....Try letting the adult dogs lay on some used puppy blankets so they get used to the smells.

Beautiful Dogs!!

Do you have a link about the breed, I would like to read more about them.

Amstaffer, here's a link on some info http://www.molosserdogs.com/modules.php?name=Encyclopedia&op=content&tid=2308

kishmish, those are some very gorgeous dogs!!! Would love to see more pictures of them!

Thanks

More Photos!

Hi everyone!!

Thanks for the overwhelming response to my babies!!

I've started uploading my photos to the web (I still have some editing to do!) but for now you can check out more photos of Tagadu, Toosh and the new babies at http://www.flickr.com/photos/kishmish/

Tagadu and Toosh are siblings - we actually got litters at a time, so when the girls are in season they have to be separated so they don't mismate. It's quite comical with lovelorn, mournful howls outside my room all day and night.

I'll be posting more photos soon (I'll make sets with each dog's name).

Also, molosserdogs.com has a couple of breeds listed that are similar to what I have - check out these:
http://www.molosserdogs.com/modules.php?name=Encyclopedia&op=content&tid=1406
http://www.molosserdogs.com/modules.php?name=Encyclopedia&op=content&tid=2824

There's very little information out there about these breeds - primarily because they aren't really pedigreed I suppose.

In the meantime, do keep checking back at flickr - I have over 3000 photos of my dogs!!!

Cheers! I go zzzzzzzzz while I can!

They are stunning dogs!

Gorgeous dogs. And great pictures and photography. Very well shot.

Thanks a ton Kama, I recently splurged on a DSLR after my boyfriend got me hooked to photography, so your encouragement is ... well... encouraging!! More to come soon - I'm taking language lessons on the weekends so I really have no time for anything besides puppy-sitting and going over my lessons! buonasera, mia amica!!