For those with neurotic dogs...

[sammgirl]

Has anyone ever been in a similar situation where you have a dog that has issues, and you're going to add another dog or puppy to the household?

If so, how did you handle socializing the puppy and teaching it that the world is a good place with fun people when you have an older "role model" dog that is terrified of the world as it is and reacts badly to new stimuli?

Did you separate them? Did you socialize them together?

Did you find that your puppies were like monkey-see-monkey-do or were they their own little "person?"

The BF and I have been trying to figure out the best way to make sure that Harper learns the world is a mostly safe place with good people to whom she should be friendly, when Abby is pretty much the opposite of that.

Harper will be goign to puppy preschool with out Abby and then after that we'll be doing handling classes and probably obedience. So, I know she'll get socialization in that manner.

However, I know dogs don't generalize well and I want Harper to be socialized at home and to our streets and the park in a healthy way. Cardis have a tendency to be suspicious of things anyway, so you can see my concern.

Any advice would be helpful. I don't know if anyone has been in this situation. I'm also going to be asking my mentor and some other people in teh breed club for tips, but the more the merrier!!

[Lizmo]

I've got two dogs that aren't the best role models. They have good qualities and bad habbits. I think the best thing is to know what your 'role model' dog's good qualities are and what their faults are.

Lizzie is a GREAT 'alpha' dog with new pups, so I never had to worry about her over correcting or not correcting for what they need correction for. But, she's really horrid on leash. So, new pups never walk with her untill they learn that they shouldn't be pulling on leash. Lizzie has a really positive outlook on training, so pups can watch her. But she can be bad about meeting new dogs, so new pups don't meet new dogs with her around.

Major barks, alot. When the door bell rigns, he barks. Pups are either removed from that situation or given a treat while sitting/being near owner. But Majo ADORES people, so the pups are more than welcome to watch/interact with people while Major is out.

I really haven't seen my pups do much of the 'monkey see, monkey do' type thing. They're usually more interested in what I'm doing or what they were doing. Sometimes I see Blaze doing a copycat thing when he's around other Border Collies, but not usually here at home with the dogs.

I did do all of Blaze's socializing without the dogs here. His main thing for other dog play time and interation was with my trainer's trained sheepdogs, lol. He did play with her litter of pups once when they were about 8 weeks old and he was about 4 months old.

[Laurelin]

When Trey was around, he typically ignored another dog that came in. No dogs we got ever 'looked up' to him so to speak. He was just so crazy they all seemed to realize he just wasn't 'right'. It was very quick before the new dogs realized Trey was a complete pushover. The only real interactions they had with him was to make sure he actually came back inside and they cleaned and groomed him a LOT.

Now, the papillons do feed off each other a lot. Beau is a caretaker of sorts and the younger two do a lot of 'lets copy beau!'.

[PoodleMommy]

I took Chloe out alone a lot as a puppy so she wouldnt learn from Armani.

Even now, she is a perfect angel when alone but feeds off of Armani's reactiveness.

[Toller_08]

When I bring a new puppy into the house, I separate him or her from the rest of my dogs much of the time. Not because they're bad, but because they do exhibit some bad habits that I try to make sure the puppy avoids learning (ex: Dance's shyness toward people -- no way did I want Keira or Ripley learning from that). I've found that with my dogs, for some reason a new addition never really learns any of the current dogs' good qualities... just the bad, haha. Not sure why. I also don't want my dogs bonding too closely with eachother. They do get to spend quite a bit of time together still, but aren't with eachother 24/7. All socialization with humans and real-life things is done without the other dogs around, training is done without the other dogs around (until the puppy is old enough to use them as a distraction), etc.

[StillandSilent]

Argon is a nervous creature, but very soft and gentle with new people. He won't rush up to them, but if they ask for a pet, he will ease up and be scratched. Unless he turns over and starts booty dancing in an aisle (we may not go back to Petsmart for a while, the employees are still talking about it). So he provides a good example for Neon, who is also neurotic, but can be HA with strangers. Thus Argon and Neon generally go as a pair.
On the other hand, Argon has no dog skills whatsoever. He is not DA in the typical sense, except with puppies, but he doesn't understand appropriate play signals, or how to join a game. So he and Neon are kept on seperate rotations at daycare, and that suits them both well.

[theresa92841]

Gigi was very shy when I got her. And she still is quite shy but much better. The next dog learned none of that from her. It wasn't even an issue. And the new puppy I got in July also learned none of that from her.

I think it may depend more on how I worked with the other two dogs. They learned some things from Gigi. But nothing that caused me a problem. Except barking. Gigi will bark at things and stop. The 2nd dog doesn't know when to stop. <sigh>

[bubbatd]

My older dogs really helped raise my pups .

[Maura]

Your puppy's own personality should dominate him, within reason. Not knowing what your old dog's problems are, it's hard to say. But, you know the problems, so separate when necessary. When we have a thunderstorm I crate my old dog or he will get the foster dog(s) running through the house and bouncing off the windows. A pretty easy fix. If your new puppy has a calm personality that may help to calm your neurotic dog. Having a new puppy may also help to distract the old dog from her fears.

[sammgirl]

I've got two dogs that aren't the best role models. They have good qualities and bad habbits. I think the best thing is to know what your 'role model' dog's good qualities are and what their faults are.

Good advice and I will absolutely take this to heart. Around "safe" dogs and people, Abby would be a great role model.

When Trey was around, he typically ignored another dog that came in. No dogs we got ever 'looked up' to him so to speak. He was just so crazy they all seemed to realize he just wasn't 'right'

I think that Fleur figured that out about Abby very quickly when she came to say in October. Fleur did a few play bows and Abby looked at me as if to say, "What am I supposed to do here?"

I took Chloe out alone a lot as a puppy so she wouldnt learn from Armani.

And I think that this is going to be my strategy. I don't want this puppy developing phobias.

I've found that with my dogs, for some reason a new addition never really learns any of the current dogs' good qualities... just the bad, haha. Not sure why

And this is my fear. Cardis as a breed can be reactive, much like Australian Shepherds and Border Collies. Plus, Harper is a really drivey girl from what I'm hearing. I ALSO don't want her harassing poor Abby all the time.

Argon is a nervous creature, but very soft and gentle with new people. He won't rush up to them, but if they ask for a pet, he will ease up and be scratched. Unless he turns over and starts booty dancing in an aisle (we may not go back to Petsmart for a while, the employees are still talking about it).

Argon and Abby could be littermates from the way you described him! Could I PM you? That is just...her to a T. Plus, I don't think Abby understands other dogs, either. It's like...other dogs will want to play and Abby will back away and make eye contact with either me or the BF as if to day, "Ok...what is this dog doing, mom?"

Not sure how a dog can't understand other dogs...but she doesn't.

The next dog learned none of that from her. It wasn't even an issue. And the new puppy I got in July also learned none of that from her.

This would be the best case scenario!

My older dogs really helped raise my pups .

Yeah, it would be nice to have that. I bet it makes life alot easier when you have a stable dog model.

If your new puppy has a calm personality that may help to calm your neurotic dog. Having a new puppy may also help to distract the old dog from her fears.

I wish!!! Harper is a fire ball. :-)