# New Puppy



## Melfice (Aug 4, 2012)

Hello all,

The family added a new puppy to the pack this weekend, and I have a few questions. Rusty my golden is a sweet heart, but he won't have anything to do with the new pup. Rusty won't go near the pup, and he will run away from the little guy (almost like he is scared of the pup). The puppy is a 8 week old Pomeranian FYI

We have been taking it slow keeping the new addition away from my other dogs, but how many weeks will it take before the group likes the new puppy?

I have some exp with adding new dogs to the mix, but this time its a bit different this time. When we added Kerrie Ann to the family, Rusty loved having a new play buddy! He was 14 months old at the time. 3 years ago when we added Skunky our first Pomeranian, the group took to him with no issues.

I hope everyone will love their new pack member, but any tips or information to make the adjustment period go smoother will be very helpful


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## Pilgrim123 (Jul 26, 2014)

I can't help with the introductions, but it must be a cute little thing and congratulations!
I wonder - does Rusty know it's a puppy? Or does he think it's an animated toy?  Girly once was introduced to a chihuahua - she insisted it was a puppy and kept carrying it round by the scruff of its neck and got very upset when it tried to run away.


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## Melfice (Aug 4, 2012)

Pilgrim123 said:


> I can't help with the introductions, but it must be a cute little thing and congratulations!
> I wonder - does Rusty know it's a puppy? Or does he think it's an animated toy?  Girly once was introduced to a chihuahua - she insisted it was a puppy and kept carrying it round by the scruff of its neck and got very upset when it tried to run away.


Hahah yeah Rusty knows it is a puppy I think 

And thanks he is a great addition to the family! Can't wait for the whole group to get along soon


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## ceegee (Mar 26, 2015)

It can vary from a few days to several months. When we got our first golden pup, our resident labrador was 9 years old and less than thrilled to have a new sister. Although a very gentle dog, she growled and snapped at the pup for many weeks before giving up and accepting her. They went on to become best friends. We then brought in my daughter's toy poodle pup (10 weeks old), and the two female dogs accepted him immediately, with no problem. Within two or three days they were playing together and getting along well. This year, we were down to a one-dog household (the poodle), and I brought in my new golden pup. This was probably the most difficult adjustment. The poodle simply didn't accept the pup - hated him on sight, would snarl every time the pup came into the room, and had to be watched carefully because he would attack if he thought he could get away with it. 
This lasted for more than two months. We got to the point where they could play outdoors, but indoors it was hard to have them in the same room. My pup had (still has) an extraordinary temperament and never retaliated, but we had to be careful. My approach when introducing a new dog has always been to supervise but let them sort things out themselves. In this case, after nearly three months of animosity I was on the point of getting some help: I was concerned about the size difference as the pup grew, and the potential for serious injury to the poodle if ever the pup retaliated. Then, suddenly, it was ok. I don't know what happened, but the poodle clearly decided it was a done deal and he'd just have to accept it. Ten months on, there's still the occasional minor spat, mainly when the golden retriever goes into the poodle's (i.e. my daughter's) room and gets on the bed. This, apparently, is still seen as exclusive poodle territory. But they play together, share a cushion in my office, and can even share food. I suspect this wouldn't have resolved itself if the golden hadn't had such a wonderful temperament. We still keep an eye on them because of the size difference (45 lb. golden vs. 10 lb. poodle), but so far so good.

Of course, poodles are weird: not like other dogs at all. Still, if ours ended up getting along, yours will too. It will be a question of waiting it out.


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## Leslie B (Mar 17, 2011)

Time is key - most adult dogs are not terribly excited about a little puppy but by the time the pup is 4 months old the adult will accept them.

Second is your reaction. Do not force the adult to be close to the pup if he wants space. Do not let the puppy jump all over the older dog and get away with it. Your older dog needs to know that he is not responsible for discipling the pup and that you will be protect him from overenthusiastic puppy play. Last but not least, do not fawn over the pup and ignore the older dog. Your older dog should get at least as much attention as the pup if not more. In doggy etiquette the older dog has earned your attention and the pup has not.

Have fun!


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## G-bear (Oct 6, 2015)

I had a Pom puppy years ago. As I recall my old girl was pretty slow to accept her. I think, in part, it was probably due to me. Because of her size I was definitely overprotective of Chelsey and was constantly telling Peanutbutter to be careful of her (PB was a golden). When I finally realized that I was the problem the dogs started to get along just fine. PB put up with Chelsey constantly invading her personal space and gave up the idea that she would ever have a quiet nap in the sun alone again. They did become fast friends (and Chelsey was clearly the one in the driver's seat) but it took longer with my Pom and golden than it has taken with any other dogs I have had. Again it may well have been the result of my behavior. So, hang in there. Try not to be an overprotective mom as I was. Those little Poms are a lot tougher than they look Have fun with your new puppy and I for one, would love to see pictures.


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## Melfice (Aug 4, 2012)

Update and thanks for the good replies all!

Kodie (the new puppy's name) is doing great, but we are having some issues with him. One, he has aggressive behavior towards us and even the vet saw it yesterday. When he does not get his way, he will growl and go after your hand/fingers. This will not work at all, and Skunky finally started playing big time with Kodie! They have been having a blast, but there is an issue there too (seems worse today with the mounting and aggression).

When the two play, Kodie tries to mount Skunky, and he really starts getting too aggressive towards Skunky. Lucky, Skunky puts the young pup in his place...and they reset where the puppy licks Skunky or relaxes for a while. I'm very concerned about all of this aggressive behavior, and I think I'm going to need to re-home Kodie. I have never seen a puppy with aggressive behavior like this, and I won't put my dogs or us thru it.

It's sad because we were really looking forward to a nice playmate for Skunky...he plays with his big brother and sister, but it's not the same thing with a dog his size once Kodie is full grown.

The vet did confirm his actions as aggressive behavior, and he will need to be trained ASAP. But, I don't think I want to risk having Kodie with my other dogs if there can be serious fights one day. 

Like Kerrie Ann, she likes the new puppy from day one, but if he ever attacks her...I would not be surprised if Kerrie Ann "shows" him who is boss, and Kodie could get hurt. 

Kodie is only showing this behavior towards Skunky, and not the other dogs. Well, Rusty still won't really play or stay near Kodie and Kerrie Ann kinda of cares less about playing with the puppy.

Skunky is intact so I'm not sure if that makes the difference or not. No matter the reasons behind the behavior, I have never seen a puppy with aggression like this before...I think it will be a major issue for our family


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## Goldenboy28 (Sep 25, 2016)

Melfice said:


> Update and thanks for the good replies all!
> 
> Kodie (the new puppy's name) is doing great, but we are having some issues with him. One, he has aggressive behavior towards us and even the vet saw it yesterday. When he does not get his way, he will growl and go after your hand/fingers. This will not work at all, and Skunky finally started playing big time with Kodie! They have been having a blast, but there is an issue there too (seems worse today with the mounting and aggression).
> 
> ...



To be totally honest this behaviour does not sound aggressive to me. To me it sounds classic puppy tantrum behaviour which you can correct fairly quickly with consistency. Look on here for the approach you wish to take as plenty of good advice around. The fact he does not bother the other dogs I am guessing "skunky" is your smallest dog? The pup seems to be trying to see where he fits in the pecking order by dominating Skunky. Providing Skunky is submissive which I have no doubt he will be things should settle down. Finally by the demeanour in your post you sound like you are already giving up on him? I would suggest taking the vets advice and getting somebody to at least confirm his behaviour is aggressive, as to be honest a lot of vets don't have a clue about aggressive behaviour and body language in dogs. How old is Kodie?


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## ceegee (Mar 26, 2015)

You've only had him for just over two weeks. It can take months for a pack to settle into its routine. I speak from bitter experience (see my post above!).

What you describe doesn't sound like aggression - and the pup is only 10 or 11 weeks old anyway.

When the pup goes for your hands, why do you tolerate it? Simply pick him up and put him in his crate. Our toy poodle was awful as a pup - he would actually bite my daughter, who was 9 years old at the time and his official "owner", if she tried to make him do something he didn't want to do. For example, one day he was sitting on my husband's lap and my daughter wanted to do a training session. She went to pick him up, and he bit her. When he did stuff like this, I would turn into an angry monster, grab him and put him straight into in his crate. My daughter also learned to do that, and the behaviour went away in a matter of weeks. For a while, we could see him considering his options sometimes ("shall I bite, or shall I not?"), but he learned to make the right choices. He just needed to be taught that biting wasn't acceptable. (This was six years ago. He and my daughter went on to form an outstanding team. This year they won the Canadian Junior Agility Championship together. He's an extraordinary little dog.)

As for the pup's behaviour with your other dogs, he's trying to find his place in the team, and the team is adjusting. Dog play and posturing can often look and sound aggressive. If you'd heard our poodle "playing" with my golden pup, you'd have sworn someone was being eviscerated alive. But they were learning where they fit in with one another. The poodle, true to his form, was actively aggressive with the pup at first, but we kept reinforcing his position as "top dog" (by feeding him first, etc.) and kept an eye on them to make sure nobody got hurt. They sorted it out. As I write this, they're asleep together in their basket under my desk.

Sometimes pups need to be shown their place by the older dogs in the pack, and it's normal. An adult dog will not normally hurt a pup: they'll snap, growl, maybe pinch. It will look and sound impressive, but it won't injure the pup. He'll just learn what is and is not acceptable. It's a normal part of multiple dog life.

As for your older dogs not showing interest in the pup, that, too, is normal. It's only been a couple of weeks. As the pup matures, they'll show more interest.

If you're worried, I'd suggest consulting a good behaviourist for advice, someone who will come to your home, watch the dogs interacting and explain their behaviour to you. And in the meantime, if the pup bites you, put him in his crate. If you tolerate it, he'll keep doing it. He just needs to learn that putting teeth on humans isn't acceptable.

Good luck, hope it works out.


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## Melfice (Aug 4, 2012)

Thanks a lot for your information, and support on my concerns with the new pup! After reading the replies, I feel a lot better and I think we were over reacting a bit haha.

My family and I are not going to give up on the young pup, and I think everything will work out fine soon enough 



> puppy tantrum behaviour


Yeah I think that's what it is, and the training has begun with Kodie! I have had three puppies over the years, and none tried to bite us...so this behavior was new to us. I want to thank you all again, and I'll be posting pictures in the very near future of the puppy and the rest of the pack!


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## Melfice (Aug 4, 2012)

ceegee said:


> You've only had him for just over two weeks. It can take months for a pack to settle into its routine. I speak from bitter experience (see my post above!).
> 
> What you describe doesn't sound like aggression - and the pup is only 10 or 11 weeks old anyway.
> 
> ...


Thanks for your reply, and we do correct his biting by telling him No, and putting him in time out in the bathroom (closed door), and leave him alone for about 5 to 10 mins. I do like the idea of the crate as well, but I didn't want him to think crate is a place of punishment haha. But, I don't think it really matters where he goes when we correct his bad behavior...the crate is a good option as well.

Good information, and we will make the puppy a good addition to the family...young Kodie will be a Nosework champion one day! We have a lot of plans for the little guy...maybe agility would be a good fit for Kodie


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## Melfice (Aug 4, 2012)

Goldenboy28 said:


> To be totally honest this behaviour does not sound aggressive to me. To me it sounds classic puppy tantrum behaviour which you can correct fairly quickly with consistency. Look on here for the approach you wish to take as plenty of good advice around. The fact he does not bother the other dogs I am guessing "skunky" is your smallest dog? The pup seems to be trying to see where he fits in the pecking order by dominating Skunky. Providing Skunky is submissive which I have no doubt he will be things should settle down. Finally by the demeanour in your post you sound like you are already giving up on him? I would suggest taking the vets advice and getting somebody to at least confirm his behaviour is aggressive, as to be honest a lot of vets don't have a clue about aggressive behaviour and body language in dogs. How old is Kodie?


Sorry I forgot to answer your questions. Kodie is going on 11 weeks, and Skunky is our 3 year old Pomeranian and he does not allow Kodie to bully him around. He will show Kodie who is in charge, and Kodie will back down and relax. Things are going a bit smoother today, and I think everything will be fine with time and training.

Kodie started his socialization tonight, and he will be in training on Saturday. I'm looking forward to the results, and I will post some pictures of the pack soon


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## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

I can't wait for pictures! Your little Skunky is just the cutest ? I hope it works out with Kodie. I'm sure it will just take time.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

I handle things a little differently. A new puppy stays in his crate. When I am testing his house breaking awareness and let him out, the older dog goes in his own crate. I will only give them a few minutes at a time together and I manage it. I want to see all interactions. Maybe they can get a little more time together as pup gets older. But I keep in mind that dogs do not always get along. Also, an older dog may find a pup annoying.


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## Melfice (Aug 4, 2012)

Quick update all,

Little Teddy Bear aka Kodie (we changed his name) is doing great, and the other dogs are pretty much happy with their new pack member. Rusty allows him to get close and jump around, but only for a little bits at a time haha. Skunky loves his new brother, and they play hard outside in the backyard. Teddy Bear is much better with his "aggressive" behavior, and he still throws a fit from time-to-time, but nothing like before when we first got him.

Teddy Bear is in training classes, and he is doing very well with the commands and Teddy is one smart little guy! He still does not have full run of the house, because Skunky does not like him getting near us when we are relaxing in the room, or living areas. We are working on that, but it will take some more time I think. Over all, everything is going well and I think Teddy Bear will be a great family member once he grows up (and everyone loves him).

I will be posting pictures in the very near future of all the dogs, and I look forward to the grand adventures the young Teddy Bear will have soon 

There are a few issues with Teddy Bear playing a bit too "rough" with Skunky sometimes, but they will stop and relax once we tell them to stop it. Teddy Bear is a very strong headed, and I hope all the dogs will get along well in the future. 

Thanks again for all the support and info guys!


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## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

Great follow up feedback. What did you do (or not do) that you think was helpful? Everyone gave such great advice on this thread, I always love it when people come back and update these things. SO glad that your household is happy


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## Melfice (Aug 4, 2012)

I got the good feedback about the way Teddy was acting was normal for puppies, and that helped the most over all. And taking it slow as well with the new puppy, and other dogs 

Everyone gave very good advice, and I thank everyone for it!


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## Melfice (Aug 4, 2012)

Update on little Teddy Bear:

He is doing well, and the pack is starting to allow him to join the group if you know what I mean. There are still a few issues we are working on, and I hope Teddy Bear outgrows a few bad habits soon haha.

There are two major issues with the young pup so far. He HATES when we brush his fur. Teddy snaps at the brush, and it's a challenge right now that's for sure. Also, it's very weird but when my mother has Teddy Bear on the chair (sitting with her), and she starts to pet him....Teddy gets upset and growls or snaps at her hand. We are not sure why the young pup does this, and sometimes it seems pretty aggressive.

We are working on the issues, and Teddy Bear is getting better but I need to figure out how to change his behavior about the brushing asap. Any tips and feedback will be helpful


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