How to stop my adult dog from biting and harassing our puppy?

Hello and thank you for your question. I'm sorry to hear your two dogs are having trouble. Biting behaviour in puppies is very common, but should always be discouraged. At this point it sounds like you'll have to separate the two dogs, at least when unsupervised, for the safety and sanity of your older dog You can gradually start to re-introduce them with close supervision, and only reward the puppy with treats and praise when she is calm and quiet around your older dog. You could even take a step back and have them sniff each other through a baby gate, while giving the dogs treats and praising them when they are calm together. Everyone in the household will have to be on board with discouraging Clara to bite. This means that if she is nippy around other humans, you should give a firm "no" or "ouch!" and walk away or ignore her. If she consistently does not receive the attention she craves when she bites, she will eventually learn that biting does not get her what she wants. I hope this helps, and that your two pups are getting along soon! Good luck!

Ypur puppy is probably very lively and wants to play with your old dog. Your old dog probably does not feel like playing and does not want to bother with the youngster, so the only way to deal with a wild youngster (for him) is to tell the little on in no uncertain terms, that he wants to be left alone. So I would keep the puppy very busy, give it lots of play and exercise, so it is tired afterwards and does not need or want to entice the old dog to play. Make sure that you do not leave the puppy alone with the older dog, as there is a serious possibility of the old dog getting fed up and biting the little one. Best keep them separated. Your old dog will probably calm down and ignore the young one as soon as the young one stops pestering it for play and attention.

Your worry is very valid! It is best to make sure the two are only playing together when you can directly supervise them and that puppy and your older dog are separated when you are away so that an accident can't happen - even the most well intentioned of a dog can cause an injury! If the puppy starts playing too rough, a "time out" of a few minutes for everyone to calm down can also help and teaches your puppy that too rough of play is frowned upon. Diverting with treats and toys is also a great way, so keep that up.

That sounds like a tough situation and I hate to hear this is happening. Most humans cannot correctly read canine body language without additional training. Unless you know what the dogs are saying to each other, it's impossible to know how to modify and train the dogs behavior. Canine aggression is a complex behavior as it can stem from dominance, possessiveness, fear, anxiety, resource guarding or a combination. I recommend to work with a professional trainer. This will give you the best and fastest results. Researching on your own will also be helpful. Familiarizing yourself with canine body language and dog training can help you to recognize what your pet is trying to say. You can find many books written on the topic and there is a trainer named Victoria Stilwell who I think is particularly helpful. Best of luck.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your dogs. I recommend keeping Titan separate from your other dog any time they are unsupervised. When you can watch them, allow them to play. At the first sign the older dog is becoming uncomfortable, then separate the dogs again. Redirect Titan to a toy or something positive to play with instead of the other dog. I hope this information helps!

Puppies at this age can be very determined! I would encourage you to have some time when the older dog is separated from the puppy to give her a rest. I would also encourage you to keep the puppy on a leash (supervised) when around the other dog so you can recall and redirect his attention when needed. Also having a squirt bottle available to squirt his face when annoying the other dog Can be helpful. The More consistent you are on correction the more quickly he will learn not to annoy her. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

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.