How to stop my older female dog's aggression towards a new puppy?

I’m sorry she’s having a hard time with the puppy!! Sometimes puppies are a lot for an older dog to take. I would recommend that you get together with a trainer for some sessions for the puppy and for your older dog... this will likely be well worth your time and money. Give that a try before de-homing the pup. It can take months for acceptance to occur, and they may never be best friends but may be able to be compatible roommates with time. Give your older dog some “breaks”’from the puppy. Put the puppy in a kennel for a while, or better yet send the puppy with a friend, roommate or family member to get some good playtime in, (hopefully for the puppy to come home tired!) while you and the older dog have some one on one time—cuddle with her on the couch, play with her or take her for a walk just the two of you. It may also help to make a new routine—leave the puppy home in a kennel and take the older dog for short walk once or twice a day, even just 10 minutes will help... and do it at the same time each day... if she knows she will dependably get some “alone” time with you, that may ease her irritability as well. I really hope that information helps you ... Good luck with them both! Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Separate them for a few days then gradually reintroduce them. First with a door between them so they can hear and smell one another then separated so they can see but not reach one another and finally a supervised physical introduction. Use leash, collars and muzzles if necessary. Pheromone products such as the Adaptil collar or DAP plug in diffuser may decrease any anxiety or aggression. Provide adequate numbers of bowls, beds and toys to prevent food aggression or resource protection.

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!

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.

It can be very stressful for the existing dog when a puppy is introduced. I am not sure what you have tried already but if it is not working then you could try an Adaptil collar, Solliquin chew, or talk to your vet about trying an anti-anxiety medication, like Trazodone to see if that helps relieve any anxiety your adult dog may have. Otherwise, you may need to get a professional trainer to come and work with your dogs. Here is a link with information on how to introduce a new puppy... https://indoorpet.osu.edu/dogs/new_additions_dogs/dog-dog-intro

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.

Hi There. It sounds like Bobby is trying to establish his dominance over the new puppy. This is quite normal and provided there are no fights, may resolve with time. There are some great resources on Dr. Sophia Yins website (draophiatin.com) that discuss dominance aggression. You may also want to consider working with a certified trainer or a veterinary behaviorist. You can find one in your area on www.acvb.org.