I have 3 dogs, all rescued. The latest one is a lab puppy, and we are beginning to have trouble. I am at my wits end, I don't know what to do, please help.
Please let me give you some info first. Hubby is 60 yrs. old, and I am 57 and partially disabled. We had a Catahoula Leopard for 14 years, and she died Jan. 10, 2008. We loved her deeply, but she was aggressive, so she was our only pet for 14 years.
In March of 2008, a friend "insisted" we adopt a little Yorky mix, about a year old and 9 lbs. We took him in and named him Buddy.
Two days later, the friend brought over an elderly, overweight rat terrier.
I'm saying no no no, but we took her in too. Her name is Tubby.(she came to us with that name
)
After a few weeks, everyone adjusted, and we became a family. Bud and Tub both came from abusive backgrounds, so it took them awhile to learn to trust us and understand they had found their forever home. Over the months, we all settled into a nice routine. I'm the momma, home with them everyday; hubby is dad-dad and they look to him as pack leader. They love me, but they are madly in love with their dad-dad.
So we have been a family for about 14 months, and then hubby rescued a lab pup. He found the pup alongside a busy highway in the middle of nowhere. Someone had dropped the poor thing off, left him to die. The pup was just a baby, maybe 5-6 weeks old, weighed 7 lbs.
A couple days after hubby brought the puppy home, hubby had to go on a business trip and was gone for a week. It was one of the worst weeks of my life! I am disabled, and was not ready or even willing to have a puppy. My house and my body were not puppy-proofed. I made phone calls, trying to find a friend who would take the pup, but I got no takers. And Bud & Tub almost went into shock about the whole thing, I had to put up a gate and barriers all over the house.
We survived the week, hubby came home and I told him I could NOT handle a puppy, that he would have to help me. And he has helped, a lot.
We named the puppy Jack, and we have fell in love with him, of course.
But I've always had big concerns about how this would work out. I've always felt that Jack would have a better life with a young family, a family with children, coz he needs to run and play and be walked. We have a big fenced in backyard, but Jack prefers to stay inside coz it's so hot outside.
We have had Jack for 2 months now, he is about 14 weeks old, and 35 lbs. Beautiful dog, very very sweet, good natured dog.
But now here is the problem (sorry it took me so long to get to the point) :
When Jack first arrived, the older dog Tub didn't want a thing to do with Jack, so we kept them separated. But the little Yorky mix Buddy immediately became Jack's "momma". Buddy was bigger than Jack, and Jack fell in love with Buddy too. Buddy began training Jack, teaching him manners. They have been great pals, and that has been a big help to me.
But the last couple of weeks, especially the last few days, things have gone down hill FAST. Jack has realized that he is bigger than Buddy, and he is now terrorizing my poor little Bud. He is "man-handling" Bud, using his weight and his size to dominate Buddy. Chasing Buddy around the house, grabbing and pulling his tail, stealing his cookies, taking toys away from him, just constantly terrorizing Buddy. To the point where now Buddy is afraid of Jack! And this breaks my heart so much, coz they have been such great pals. So now we are having to keep Buddy & Jack separated. Buddy has been SO stressed out, he has not been eating well. He hasn't been himself, I thought he was sick and told my hubby to take Bud to the vet. But we finally figured out that Bud has had all he can take, that Jack has literally worn Buddy out, physically, mentally, emotionally.
Now that we have them separated (just started last night) , Buddy has already improved dramatically. He is much calmer, relaxed, and ate all his breakfast this morning.
So the big question is: What do I do?? I am at the point where I am wondering if we should try and find a home for Jack. I don't want to do that, but I can't let Buddy suffer any longer. Jack will only get bigger and bigger, and has a long way to go before he is no longer a puppy.
Please please help me figure this out, I don't know what to do.
Thanks so much for reading.
Please let me give you some info first. Hubby is 60 yrs. old, and I am 57 and partially disabled. We had a Catahoula Leopard for 14 years, and she died Jan. 10, 2008. We loved her deeply, but she was aggressive, so she was our only pet for 14 years.
In March of 2008, a friend "insisted" we adopt a little Yorky mix, about a year old and 9 lbs. We took him in and named him Buddy.
Two days later, the friend brought over an elderly, overweight rat terrier.
I'm saying no no no, but we took her in too. Her name is Tubby.(she came to us with that name
)After a few weeks, everyone adjusted, and we became a family. Bud and Tub both came from abusive backgrounds, so it took them awhile to learn to trust us and understand they had found their forever home. Over the months, we all settled into a nice routine. I'm the momma, home with them everyday; hubby is dad-dad and they look to him as pack leader. They love me, but they are madly in love with their dad-dad.
So we have been a family for about 14 months, and then hubby rescued a lab pup. He found the pup alongside a busy highway in the middle of nowhere. Someone had dropped the poor thing off, left him to die.
The pup was just a baby, maybe 5-6 weeks old, weighed 7 lbs.A couple days after hubby brought the puppy home, hubby had to go on a business trip and was gone for a week. It was one of the worst weeks of my life! I am disabled, and was not ready or even willing to have a puppy. My house and my body were not puppy-proofed. I made phone calls, trying to find a friend who would take the pup, but I got no takers. And Bud & Tub almost went into shock about the whole thing, I had to put up a gate and barriers all over the house.
We survived the week, hubby came home and I told him I could NOT handle a puppy, that he would have to help me. And he has helped, a lot.
We named the puppy Jack, and we have fell in love with him, of course.
But I've always had big concerns about how this would work out. I've always felt that Jack would have a better life with a young family, a family with children, coz he needs to run and play and be walked. We have a big fenced in backyard, but Jack prefers to stay inside coz it's so hot outside.
We have had Jack for 2 months now, he is about 14 weeks old, and 35 lbs. Beautiful dog, very very sweet, good natured dog.
But now here is the problem (sorry it took me so long to get to the point) :
When Jack first arrived, the older dog Tub didn't want a thing to do with Jack, so we kept them separated. But the little Yorky mix Buddy immediately became Jack's "momma". Buddy was bigger than Jack, and Jack fell in love with Buddy too. Buddy began training Jack, teaching him manners. They have been great pals, and that has been a big help to me.
But the last couple of weeks, especially the last few days, things have gone down hill FAST. Jack has realized that he is bigger than Buddy, and he is now terrorizing my poor little Bud. He is "man-handling" Bud, using his weight and his size to dominate Buddy. Chasing Buddy around the house, grabbing and pulling his tail, stealing his cookies, taking toys away from him, just constantly terrorizing Buddy. To the point where now Buddy is afraid of Jack! And this breaks my heart so much, coz they have been such great pals. So now we are having to keep Buddy & Jack separated.
Buddy has been SO stressed out, he has not been eating well. He hasn't been himself, I thought he was sick and told my hubby to take Bud to the vet. But we finally figured out that Bud has had all he can take, that Jack has literally worn Buddy out, physically, mentally, emotionally.Now that we have them separated (just started last night) , Buddy has already improved dramatically. He is much calmer, relaxed, and ate all his breakfast this morning.
So the big question is: What do I do?? I am at the point where I am wondering if we should try and find a home for Jack. I don't want to do that, but I can't let Buddy suffer any longer. Jack will only get bigger and bigger, and has a long way to go before he is no longer a puppy.
Please please help me figure this out, I don't know what to do.
Thanks so much for reading.
