Do you think my older dog is adjusting well?
We brought a new puppy home last week, and have slowly allowed Oscar (3) and Molly (almost 11 weeks) to get to know each other.
At first, Oscar refused to be on the same level of the house as Molly (we have a three level split). Slowly though, he has come around, and the last two days we have allowed them both to interact without a baby gate seperating them. Yesterday, Oscar ran full speed while Molly chased at his heels. She really wanted to play, but Oscar was overwhelmed by her energy/puppy-ness and hopped up onto the couch to escape. Today though, Molly crept into Oscar's crate with him while he was eating a cookie (I just turned my back for a second) and I thought for sure he would discipline her for it, but instead, he just stood really still until she moved over and then he left his crate! My mother was visiting this morning and she seems to feel that Oscar is actually enjoying her, or at least interested in her. She said that after one of their "chase" sessions, because Oscar's bum was in the air and he was barking. I guess it did seem a bit playful. :) Do you think this is all ok? We feed Oscar first, he is lead dog on our walks, we treat him first, and we always say hello to him first. He always has the option to escape from her to my daughter's bedroom or his crate. Any suggestions on how to continue the smooth sailing? Anything we are doing wrong? |
It sounds all good to me. Are you anxious about him biting her (or at least over-correcting her) or the little one driving him crazy? As long as someone is there to keep an eye on things, I don't see a problem with letting them hang out together more often.
The couch-hopping incident would reassure me. Good dog. |
Thanks for the reply Badger!:)
I'm not worried about him correcting her really, I don't doubt he will because she is so frisky! My main concern is that Molly will drive him crazy running after him and he will feel unsettled in his home. She is nipping right now, and while I try to correct her each time she does, it is difficult when they are running. I think this is where he will have to correct her. I know that allowing the animals up on the furniture is a no/no really, but because we only have small dogs we don't really mind. As soon as his manners start to slip he always goes back to the floor until he falls back into line. I am glad she can't get up yet, so he has a place to observe her without having to interact. :) I'm hoping that as time goes on (we are still really early into this) they become good friends and enjoy each other's company! :) |
This looks just fine ! Congratulation on your new pup. I would just be careful when one has a treat , to not let the other one get close. And if / when you think Molly is driving oscar crazy , give them separate time out so that Oscar can rest a bit. But really , from your description , it all seems pretty good :thumbs upe
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