Older dog won't accept new puppy.

[Mutatis_Mutandis]

So, we just got a new puppy, a 9 week old Beagle girl (Willow). Our other dog is an 8 year old Dauchshund (Dodger). We just put down our sixteen year old Bishon a week ago, and got the new puppy Tuseday. We realize this a lot of change for our Dauchshund.

The puppy is doing good. A very well behaved puppy, but still a puppy. Dodger just doesn't want to accept her. Yoday he snapped at her with very little provocation. He often growls and bares his teeth when she walks by. It wasn't like this yesterday, or even earlier this morning.

Is this normal behavior, or something to worry about? Dodger is not starved for attention, he is getting more now even with the puppy. He is a great dog, the best in the world.

I guess I am really asking is this: should we worry? Should we take steps to introduce them, or just let him go at his own pace. Our dog we just put down didn't act this way with Dodger, the first dog he ever lived with. He just completely ignored him for a couple weeks, but never lashed out. I would love to hear from people who have experienced the same problem, or type of problem.

Thanks in advance for any comments.

[Tazwell]

Just keep the puppy at a safe distance away from him for a while. Let them interact to a minimum, but if your dachshund is going to snap or pose a danger to your puppy, don't let your puppy pester him. Keep them both on a leash, if necessary. Give him some adjusting time.

On the other hand, do things with them together. Feed them together (though at a safe distance apart, obviously), walk them together, play training games with them together, and stuff like that, where your dog will be too distracted to be angry at the new puppy.

I foster dogs, and Archie is the same way with the puppies-- and even the older dogs, sometimes. While the puppy is bouncing around him, give him treats. Show that the puppy is a positive thing. Another thing that helps, is don't let the puppy sleep with you, if your dachshund does. Put him in a crate, and make sure Dodger gets his 'alone time' with you, too.

[chanda]

my dogs were like that before... but after some adjustments and playing with them together they seem ok with each other now...

[Ilyena]

It probably will take some getting used to. My aunt's golden who we dogsit several days a week was reacting pretty much the same way to my pup when I first brought him home. It took well over six months of managing them with babygates and keeping them separate at all times before we were able to leave them in the same room when supervised for short periods only. It's only now when my pup is over a year old and has grown out of the puppy madness that we can safely leave them alone without worrying. They're like best friends now. Just don't let the puppy pester the older dog and give them both enough time to get used to the situation.

[Mutatis_Mutandis]

Thanks for the advice. Right now I am keeping a close eye on them. He only snaos at her when she puches him. Like this morning, he was laying on one of the doggy beds, and she sort of pounced at him in a playful manner, and he lunged at her. I said in a frim tone to him, "No, bad dog." Other times, when she comes up to him and he doesn't growl or anything, I will say something along the lines of "Good boy Dodger, good dog." When she walks up to him calmly he doesn't growl, just when she is trying to get something going.

Just now, when I was letting her run around and play before puttng her back in the cage, Dodger stood at my door and looked at me, so I let him in so they were seperated.

[Sweet72947]

When we got a puppy, we had an old dog at the time, and he reacted the same way: baring teeth if she came near him and stuff. Once she got older though (about 4-5 mos) he accepted her. Old dogs just don't want little kids crawling on them and stuff. Would you?

[Mutatis_Mutandis]

No, I wouldn't. That is a good way of putting it.

[Tazwell]

Originally Posted by Mutatis_Mutandis

Thanks for the advice. Right now I am keeping a close eye on them. He only snaos at her when she puches him. Like this morning, he was laying on one of the doggy beds, and she sort of pounced at him in a playful manner, and he lunged at her. I said in a frim tone to him, "No, bad dog." Other times, when she comes up to him and he doesn't growl or anything, I will say something along the lines of "Good boy Dodger, good dog." When she walks up to him calmly he doesn't growl, just when she is trying to get something going.

Just now, when I was letting her run around and play before puttng her back in the cage, Dodger stood at my door and looked at me, so I let him in so they were seperated.

I would try not to reprimand Dodger too much. If he does attack the puppy, he's been pushed too far, or you let the puppy do too much to him. Try taking all negative associations away from the puppy. If he does lunge at the puppy, try calmly but briskly taking him away from the puppy-- maybe out of the room.

I say this because if I reprimand Archie for biting or growling at one of the puppies instead of just rewarding the good, he gets nervous, and tries harder to keep the offending dog away from him.

[MafiaPrincess]

I've had the 'puppy' for 9 months. My near 4 year old still doesn't accept her. Everyone said give it time. I've given into the conclusion that it may never happen. She tolerates him. But she still makes growl noises when he's around.

Good luck.

[lizzybeth727]

I agree with Taz and Mafia, and I think you're just now realizing what a HUGE adjustment it is for Dodger to accept Willow. There's SUCH a difference between a 16 year old dog and a 9-week old puppy - it's like living with your grandmother all your life, then all of a sudden living with a toddler. That's why I always suggest to someone with an older dog (and 8 year old dachshund is considered "senior") who wants another dog to adopt an adult. It is generally a smoother transition.