How do I stop my new puppy from bothering my older, laid-back dog?

It would help to have more information about what specific things Penelope is doing that you are concerned about. The idea of dominance as a cause of behavior issues in pet dogs is actually a myth - especially in a puppy this young, it's very likely that the behaviors you are seeing have some other cause. Suggestions on how to address the problem would depend on what exactly what she is doing. Feel free to post another question with more details about your concerns, and we would be happy to try and help.

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.

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.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Humping isn't always sexual in nature, dogs can hump to show dominance or from anxiety. All this is very new for Cubby. It has only been one day and he will need time to acclimate. I would always keep Cubby leased to an adult and when he starts getting rough, make him sit or lay down and give him a treat. Consider the muzzle gentle leader to control him better. Be sure to provide adequate exercise and play with Cubby. They can be jealous about how affection is given. If the behavior doesn't start to calm down I would call your Vet monday for temporary "doggie downers" to calm him. I hope this helps and I wish everyone the very best!

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!

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!

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.