View Full Version : How to make them get on
Clare
03-23-2006, 10:32 AM
I have recently got a puppy, maggie, now she is getting close to the other staffie we have, and we also have a westie cross, he is 6yr old and will not have anything to do with her, when she goes near him he woofs! Its really annoying and upseting, anyone got any ideas? :)
MrsRottie
03-23-2006, 10:45 AM
Poor Westie is just feeling a little usurped by puppy and is letting you and her know it - that's normal behaviour.
Give them time - they will soon sort it out for themselves. If you are worried that Westie might have a go when you're not around, then either seperate them or crate train Maggie.
Older dog is highly unlikely to do any serious damage to puppy - he knows it is a pup just by smell alone, but it's quite normal for an old dog to get p*ssed off with a pup's behaviour and tell them off...I certainly bark louder then the dog when my kids p*ss me off!!
Keep us posted on their progress :)
Clare
03-23-2006, 11:10 AM
He stays in the kitchen all day with her and they have no trouble at all, and also the same at night, no trouble, its just when they are roaming the house.
I wouldnt mind when she 1st came he was well pleased, but now, maybe when she started playing, she is rough cause shes a pup may have hurt him and he doesnt want to know. :( :confused:
MrsRottie
03-23-2006, 12:00 PM
Does he respond to treats? If so, then try treating when puppy is around and he is behaving. As soon as he woofs, treats stop. Or remove him from the room. If you don't like it, then you have to make it ultra clear that it is not acceptable behaviour.
Does he only do it when there are humans around? Could possibly be an alpha dominance thing or even an attention thing, but without more info it's hard to tell.
Clare
03-24-2006, 04:57 AM
Well yeah to be honest, he does it alot around humans, but he does do it sometimes when they are on their own.
He has no intentions of harming her, just telling her. He would have done it by now if he wanted to hurt her.
Would it help do you think having him Neutered? ive heard things about dogs having this done. :confused:
MrsRottie
03-24-2006, 07:06 AM
I wish I could do a quote here but I'm a bit of a dullard, so bear with me, I'll have to do it the long way....
When you say 'he would have hurt her by now if he wanted to' - How long have you had Maggie? There tends to be a 'honeymoon' period of approx 2-3 weeks (with adult dogs anyway...) Now under no circumstance am I saying yes he will, but please bear in mind that the dynamics of a pack can change in minutes particularly around certain triggers - food, attention, toys etc so while you're concerned, keep a close eye on them.
Neutering may well help - it does tend to calm them down. It will also solve your problem of not having pups when Maggioe comes into season (her first will be around 6 months ish but you can never tell!). Where I am neutering is a good deal cheaper than speying, hence why Oz has been done and Maggie's a project in progress ;)
Do remember that at all times you should be the leader and you should be in control. Again, I'm not saying that you aren't, but it's difficult to tell without seeing you with them. I get to a point with mine where I will not accept unfriendly behaviour, and as I am the boss I get to lay down the rules and I expect them to be followed...
Clare
03-24-2006, 07:16 AM
We have had her now about 5 weeks coming up. He doesnt seem to bother around food cause they all eat at the same time.
Like i said, i dunno if she hurt him the 1st couple of times they have played and hes really defensive?!?
They are starting a training school together soon anyway, we are going to see how that pans out.
In the meantime hes just a grumpy little sod set in his ways! lol :)
MrsRottie
03-27-2006, 02:29 AM
Good Luck to you all :)
my fudge is 3 and the new puppy is 8wks old now had her 2 wks, keep them apart at night and wen were not there, puppys seem to play hard, i feel really sorry for fudge, she seems really depresed since puppy came and has been over clingy with me, not hurt puppy though, i begining to wonder if it was a good idea getting another dog.
MrsRottie
03-30-2006, 01:50 AM
2 weeks is a very short amount of time - Fudge is quite possibly just a little p*ssed off that the puppy hasn't gone home yet ;) They will sort it out and before long be inseperable. The first few weeks are always the hardest, but it'll be over before you know it - honest!! :)
Fudge has just been poorly tho hasn't she? Maybe the clinginess and odd behaviour is more to do with that?