My new and old chihuahuas don't get along. How can I help them?

There are a couple things you can do that may help smooth the introduction. Give the adult Chihuahua a lot of exercise prior to meeting the puppy so that she is physically tired. Have a barrier such as a baby gate in place so that she can smell the puppy but not cause injury. Make sure the puppy does not jump on her or otherwise cause her stress. You are correct that you need to always make sure the puppy is protected as the adult dog may hurt it. You should also keep in mind that not all dogs like other dogs. Some of them prefer to live in single dog households and that is simply their personality. Make sure to correct any bad behavior from the adult dog. Correct the puppy to but this will be a little bit different because it is still learning. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions. And yes, this is a free service! We do have private consultations available for a fee.

A gradual introduction would be recommended. Separate them for a few days, then begin anew. Jackson may eventually become acclimated and accepting of the new dog, but it could take time. Consider a pheromone product, such as the Adaptil collar or DAP diffuser, to decrease any anxiety or aggression. Correct any aggressive behavior immediately and praise and reward good behavior.

You will likely need to separate the new dog from the 2 "older" dogs for a period of time. Spend time with each separately, but make sure that they cannot see the new dog, i.e. keep him in a separate part of the house behind a closed door for at least one to two weeks. Then you can allow them to see each other, but not have contact. Move slowly, from this phase on to allowing them to see and smell each other across a barrier such as a baby gate. Finally, allow them to spend supervised time together. Reward good behavior with high value food treats (i.e. bits of cooked chicken) and go slow.

I'm sorry to hear that things aren't going well with your new dog. Unfortunately, it sounds like this may not be a good match - just like humans, some dogs have very different personalities and may simply not get along. If you want to try keeping both dogs, I would really recommend getting in touch with a veterinary behaviorist who can evaluate the dogs in person to give you a better idea of whether this is a fixable issue - if so, he/she can help you put together a detailed step-by-step plan to work on the problem. You can search for a behaviorist in your area here: www.dacvb.org In the meantime, I would recommend keeping your older dog on a leash or physically separated from the other dog with a baby gate or other barrier. This will allow the younger dog to relax a bit without being harassed. If things go well like this for a few days, you can gradually allow short periods of contact between them. Reward both dogs when they are together, and particularly praise and reward your older dog for calm behavior around the new dog. You may also want to try a DAP pheromone collar on both dogs, along with a natural calming supplement such as Zylkene or Composure for your older dog to see if this helps a bit.

it is important to remember that Chico was there first, and is used to a certain level of attention from you. This newcomer has no expectations, so be sure to dote on Chico as much as ever so he feels secure. Then, gradually, you can increase the amount of time you give the new guy (without taking anything away from Chico). The second issue you are facing is that the dogs have to sort out, for themselves, who's who at the zoo. In other words, they may have one order of inportance to you, but they need to determine amongst themselves who's top dog, who's in the middle, and who's on the bottom. There may be a bit of snapping and barking going on, but as long as there are no injuries or serious fighting, leave them to it. Once they get it squared away, everyone will know his place in the pecking order and will (usually) behave accordingly.

If your dog does not get along with other dogs it was probably a very bad idea (and a very stressful one) to bring a new puppy into the house. A new puppy can also be hard around a newborn as they aren't yet sure how to interact with each other. You can try to continue to get the two to get along by starting with limited introductions that are supervised, however if a fight breaks out the interaction should be stopped immediately and started again later. Never leave the two unsupervised together as even a good play sessions can cause accidental injury. You can also use baby gates as a way for the two to "meet" each other without being able to physically be together. If fights are continually breaking out, talking to a trainer or behaviorist that can observe within the home is best.

Introduce them to one another gradually. First, by allowing them to hear and smell one another through a closed door, then by sight without physical contact, then supervised contact. You will need to progress gradually through each phase. Correct any aggressive behavior immediately and praise good behavior consistently. A pheromone product, such as the Adaptil collar or DAP plug in diffuser, may decrease any anxiety or aggression.