My older dog is avoiding me since we got a new puppy. What to do?

It is possible that Coco just doesn't like the new puppy, but there could be other causes for her distancing herself from the rest of the family, including pain from arthritis, cognitive dysfunction, and internal medical illness, among others. I would recommend that Coco have a good checkup with a vet to rule out the easier possibilities. If there are no obvious causes found on examination and lab work, then the vet may recommend treating anxiety or supplements for cognitive dysfunction.

IT can be common that when a new puppy enters the house the older dog might have a change in behavior. Most of the time this is corrected with just time. Molly will get use to the puppy being a around and will start to become more social again. I recommend making sure Molly does have an area she can go with out the puppy to relax and paying her some one on one time to make sure she is getting attention. hope that helps

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.

Everyone deals with change differently and it sounds like Lady is a little stressed out. I would recommend a bland diet and some extra love from you and your family. I would spend alone time with her every day. This time should not include the new puppy. It takes time to adjust. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I recommend giving Zoe lots of attention and keep to her same routine. Often when people get new dogs they are so time demanding that the other dog gets put aside. Puppies are annoying also so give Zoe some time alone so she can relax and sleep without him bothering her. I find playing with them outside, or walking together usually helps. Feed them separately so Zoe isn’t worried about her food. In addition I would try her on an anti anxiety supplement like Solliquin. This will help her relax. Over time she should accept Rocky and enjoy having him around. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Zoe and Rocky.

It may take some time for her to accept him. If she is being aggressive toward him than you should not allow them to be together unsupervised, espeically around feeding time or any toys/bones that she may protect. Give her extra attention, praise, and treats while the puppy is around so she knows he is not there to replace her. You could also try an Adaptil collar or diffuser and see if that helps. If she doesn't start accepting him than you could talk to your vet about trying an anti-anxiety medication, like Prozac or Trazodone and see if that helps.

Puppies can sometimes be A LOT for senior dogs and it can take some time for them to get use to one another. If there were any food, treats, toys or special people near by Buddy could have just been acting protective over these. Also, with Buddy being older, if they puppy is always playing, jumping on him, or nipping at him, he may have been just trying to tell the puppy to leave him alone or trying to set some boundaries. Also, if he is arthritic and he knows the puppy jumping on him hurts, he could have reacted to prevent this. I would continue to keep them separate until you know they can be left alone together. I would definitely feed them separately as well. I would be sure you are still spending plenty of alone time with Buddy as he may be feeling frustrated that his home life has changed with the new addition. I would continue to have short but frequent times of them being together. You could also start Buddy on an anti-anxiety chew like composure or composure pro and get him a calming collar like sentry or adaptil. If these don't help, talk to your vet about anti-anxiety medicine like fluoxetine or trazadone. I hope this helps!