Need help with understanding older dog with new puppy

[wazzup001]

Hello my name is Ryan i have a 13 year old female daushund and my sister just recently bought a new puppy same breed, same sex. we have been trying to encourage the older dog to play with the new puppy and to be nice. The older dog is very smart and still plays with me and is more than capable of hanging with the puppy. Today i saw weird behavior and dont quite know what to think. The older dog chased the puppy around barking, tail wagging and ears up. But then the older dog started nipping at the younger dogs hind quarters much like bitting off a flea. Is this behavior bad or is it good?

[SnowDancer]

How much does your 13 year old Dachshund weigh - and how old and how much does the new Dachshund puppy weigh? What is temperament of your older girl - very bossy, easy going etc.? I am asking about weight as Dachshunds have a very strong prey drive - e.g. the youngest Dachshund I had was 6 months - had I brought in an 8 week old puppy - and some are very similar looking to mice - could have been a problem - with cat for sure. It is good that your dog has not gone directly for the pup's neck - be very careful about this - should it happen though and your dog's canine pierce the pup's neck go immediately to vet. Chasing the pup's rear end with tail wagging - as long as it is a "happy" wag and not a "fast, nervous" type of wag - you should know the difference - and the hackles are not raised - much easier to tell with a short haired dog, you should be okay. But I would be very careful until dogs are more easily matched in weight. That said, my 2true Alpha Dachshunds would not have caused a problem - they were benevolent, confident in their positions - but we had a couple of Betas that were a problem.

[wazzup001]

the new puppy weighs in at about 3-5 pounds while the mature dog "brandy" weighs in at 20-25. this is the first dog brandy has ever had to deal with. no other pets have ever been in the household so that could be causing part of the problem. but the puppy acts almost like it wants to dominate the older dog mistaking the lack of caring by brandy as being submissive. the puppy will try and get in the older dogs' face and the older dog will bear its' teeth and will do the (bite and miss). but this nipping doesn't draw blood but it is clear the puppy doesnt enjoy it. Im just hoping to have a peaceful household.

[SnowDancer]

Your older pup is a Standard judging by her weight). My guys were all minis - 10 - 12 pounds of muscle. Your pup is about the weight I expected. Have the pup's ears dropped - i.e. do they look like mouse ears as they do when born or are they now floppy? It is very possible the new pup is an Alpha - although my youngest was 6 months when we adopted him, there was never any doubt who was the boss so I expect that at 8 weeks he was already demonstrating that fact. Actually he was in 4 homes before he found us - my Wonder Wiener! This is a big adjustment for your older dog after being the big cheese for so long, and sometimes older dogs are not as tolerant of pups as one would think. Even "older" puppies - say 20 months are not often as tolerant of 16 week old pups, forgetting too easily their own habits. I would be extremely vigilant when the 2 dogs are together - do not turn your back for a moment and ensure that they are not left alone at all until the new pup is considerably larger and the relationship has been worked out. I hope your 13 year old lives for several more years, and if she does, you might have to watch for behaviour changes in the new pup as he reaches maturity. I am sure you know this, but since your new pup is so small, try to discourage any use of stairs as he grows and if possible get a ramp set-up to help him into bed and on to the sofa etc. - really will help with back disc events. And watch his weight of course - the biggest little gourmets/gourmands in existence - with the brains to reach anything. A peaceful household will take some time.

[Prin]

I'm not a dachs expert like SnowDancer, but from a non-dachs perspective, pups and elderly doggies are rarely going to get along easily. All the elderly ones want is routine and the same stuff they know and love. If a doggy has played with another his whole life, he might still do it. From what I know about older doggies, they just don't like brand new things (especially annoying things with endless energy...)

But a puppy? All the older one is going to do is continuously put the puppy in it's place. At best, I'd expect them to walk by each other without anything happening, but I wouldn't expect them to play, especially since the older one has not been socialized very much.

I'm being very general of course, and some older doggies might be totally flexible and accepting of a puppy, but they are rare.

[Dogastrophe]

I've introduced two puppies (Lucy @ 9 mos old and Jack at 5 mos) to an older dog (Monty @ about 8 years) over the past year. In each case, the oldest grumbled each time the pup came within his personal space (which was defined by whatever distance he decided was best at the time).

Monty didn't start to "play" with Lucy until she was about a year old. He's just started to play with Jack who is now almost a year old, but only on his own terms. Mont really doesn't care for Jack's company most of the time (unless of course he's not in the house, then Monty is constantly looking for him).

While Monty didn't care much for the new puppy additions, he did learn to live with them.

[SnowDancer]

My main concern is the prey drive of a 20 - 25 lb. Dachshund and a 3 - 5 lb. Dachshund. Please be very, very careful. Also, suggest you keep your eyes on floor at all times as you do not want to step on the little pup. Dangerous enough with any small breeds, but you most defnitely do not want to step on the tail end of a little Dachshund who is so subject to back problems - and they do love to dog your every step. I know someone who did this with a new pup - the fact that I am not telling you the outcome should speak volumes. Even though my current dog, an Eskimo weighs 22 lbs. I will forever go around staring at the floor. Hope things are settling down - and I really hope your small pup will grow to be at least 10 lbs. of serious muscle!

[Beetlecat]

I think it is rare for an older dog to actually hurt or attack a puppy.

There seems to be this unwritten code amongst dogs that puppies can more or less do whatever they want with no severe corrections, and as they get older, the older dogs start putting them in their places a bit more. And some dogs have more or less tolerance than others.

Brandy is probably just upset at the change in routine and having to share witrh another dog, especially a silly puppy who does not know all the doggy rules yet.

My dog does the tail up, wide stance, barking thing, but it seems to be an entretee to play or run around together, as the other dog (a no nonsense alpha) mostly ignores him, which she would not do if he was challenging her.

As long as Brandy doesn't show real aggression, I don't think it's really anything to worry about. Of course, you should still never leave them alone together, just as you shouldn't when introducing any two dogs.