My dog is aggressive to other dogs. How can I bring home a puppy?

The most important thing is that, if you get another dog, you introduce the two on neutral territory. Just waltzing a strange dog into Cody's house is begging for trouble. You could try a trial meeting to see how Cody is with the other dog. I would recommend a bitch, as two dogs of opposite genders are the least likely to fight. Remember that Cody was there first, and be sure he gets the lion's share of attention. Sometimes, the novelty of a new dog, and the requisites of trainng, mean that the old dog gets left out a bit. The new dog will not know you, and will therefore have no expectations as far as interacting with you. But Cody will want what he's always gotten. I don't know if Cody is aggressive due to basic temperament, or if it's a learned behavior. You can ask your vet for a referral to a canine behaviorist (different from a trainer) to help with this. Good luck!

Before bringing in another dog to your home, I would recommend getting a trainer to come to your home and work with Jack. We cannot predict if Jack will attack another dog when they come into your home, but you can try to work with Jack and see if you can correct the problem. The trainer will be the best person to discuss if bringing another dog in would be ok. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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.

If Hondo gets into a fight every time he's at the dog park it would be best to discontinue going. For some dogs, the dog park is a high-stress place and it may not be for them. Other ways to exercise can include solo walks, fetch in secluded areas, and even focused activities that don't involve other dogs. If he's having trouble with the new puppy, or is severely dog aggressive/reactive it would be best to talk with a trainer or behaviorist in your area that can work with you on a plan to help get him more desensitized to other dogs, and potentially doing OK with some. In the mean time, if play gets too rough or one or both dogs seems agitated, taking a break and separating both dogs until they've calmed down is best. Make sure not to leave them unsupervised together as even the sweetest dog can accidentally injure another! Since aggression toward other dogs is a complex issue, it is best to work with a trainer who can supervise your techniques and plan in person.

It sounds like Bruno has not been socialized well with other dogs, which does tend to make it difficult to introduce him to other dogs. Try introducing the dogs in neutral territory - like a park. If it's not their house, then they will be much less likely to fight. While having the muzzle on does add security, it can make the dog act aggressive. Same can happen if you are holding the dog or putting tension on the leash. The best and safest way to introduce them would be at a neutral place with a fence inbetween them. Let Bruno off lead to explore the other dog. If he's aggressive right away, then it won't work. If he's not aggressive and seems interested, then the next step would be to introduce them while walking on lead or in an open area off-lead. This is a bit more risky, so just make sure you're nearby to break up a fight, but don't be overbearing (i.e. holding the lead tight). I hope that helps and all goes well.

I'm sorry to hear that you're having this issues! It sounds like there are a few different things going on here with both dogs, which definitely makes the situation more complicated. From your description, I can't quite tell if your male dog's crate aggression issues are directed at the puppy only, or if this is more of a general problem and he also snarls and runs from the puppy at other times as well. This is important information to help determine what may be going on so that we can make suggestions. I'm not sure how old your new puppy is, but if she is younger than six months, aggression at this age is quite uncommon and very concerning. Possessive aggression (also called resource guarding) over owners is a relatively common problem that can often be successfully treated, but you would really need an expert who can help you in person. Particularly in a young puppy, a veterinary behaviorist would be your best bet to evaluate the pup and put together a detailed plan to start working on this problem ASAP. If you want to keep both dogs, this will definitely require some professional assistance and quite a bit of time and effort for training. I would recommend asking your veterinarian to refer you to a board-certified veterinary behaviorist for some hands-on guidance.

Keep Caius away from your puppy at all times. Get him into your vet as soon as possible to discuss a referral to a behavioral expert. I never recommend owners work with aggressive dogs on their own due to safety reasons. Working with a behavioral expert will help determine if this aggression is something that can be trained. I hope this helps.