Will our Male and new female pup ever get along?

[Leamarie]

We recently added to our yorkie family with a now 14 wk old pup. In the beginning our 3 1/2 yr old male seemed very timid around Lucy who is very aggressive. We have had Lucy for 6 wks now and they still do not get along. Oliver, the older yorkie, is now fighting back and it is a constant battle. Will they ever get along? Lucy is the instigator, but with Oliver now standing his ground it's got me worried that they will never back down. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[Maximo]

Welcome to Yorkie Talk. Puppy energy and rough play can be annoying to older dogs. They will probably grow to like each other, but it will take time.

My second dog, Teddy, was almost 8 months old when I brought him home, but he was still a rambunctious puppy who liked to wrestle and harass my older boy, Max.

Make sure Oliver has a safe place to go where he can get away from Lucy. My Max took refuge on the couch since Teddy couldn't jump up that high.

Do training exercises with both dogs to help focus Lucy and to build a bond between the doggies. Training, walks, playing fetch, and supervised chew treat time helped my guys.

The hardest thing I think you have to deal with is judging when to let Oliver correct Lucy. My boys have met hyper little puppies in our neighborhood who want to jump all over my boys and swat at their faces. My boys lean in and give a good growl to correct the puppy. This freaks out the puppy's human. This is a correction and it is natural. Sometimes it will appear even scarier than a growl, but it is natural. You just have to judge when it goes beyond a correction and threatens to turn into a fight. Always intervene in a fight and separate the dogs.

Not all dogs are snuggle buddies from the start. Don't give up hope.

[jnsdrexler02]

I got my female Yorkie Rylee when my male Chihuahua Rookie was about 10 years old. It took Rookie about a year to finally accept Rylee. He still snarls at her every so often but overall he loves her. Be patient..........I'm sure it will all work out.

[SWHouston]

My Male Sneakers is the resident, has tenure as Oliver does, and any Dog you bring in, should be encouraged to take second place. Some don't agree, but, there is/should be a pecking order, and when it's established, things work very well. Having an Alpha and subordinates, is a natural condition when establishing a Pack, which is what you are doing.

YOU, need to make sure that Lucy completely understands that you support Olivers place as the Alpha. You might try the following...

Greet Oliver first when returning home,
Pet him more/more vigorously than Lucy.
Feed him first, specially when handing out treats.
Allow Oliver "lap" time, while Lucy watches from a distance.
When Oliver "corrects" (snaps/growls) at Lucy, it's Lucy's fault, and she should be "corrected", NOT Oliver.
Do not take Lucy aside (behind Oliver's back), and try to make up for the presumed neglect, that will only reinforce her aggression in this instance, and prolong establishing of the Pack.
If you allow "them" to sleep with you, give Oliver a preferred place on your Bed, possibly make Lucy sleep on the floor.
When walking/jogging, allow Oliver to walk beside you, or take point, while Lucy walks behind him. Adjust Leash length to control this.

I know this sounds rather tough, and many can't pull this off...

Can you ?

[Leamarie]

Thanks so much for the advice and reassurances. We have been doing most of the suggestions, but I did it for Oliver's benefit. I didn't want him depressed in the change in our household so I was making sure he still felt like the spoiled pup he has been for 3 years! Now that I know I should be doing these things to show Lucy Oliver is alpha it makes that much more sense. We have a puppy play yard set up in the livingroom so in the evenings we take Oliver downstairs and spend old times with him in the family room while Lucy naps. He does take refuge from her on the couch but for how long? She will be up there before too long. My Mom suggested spraying water on her when she is tormenting Oliver too much. Believe it or not just doing this for a day she does seem to be a little better around him. I had a friend tell me that it took her pups about a year to tolerate each other as well. I guess I was just hoping for fast friends. Thanks again for all the suggestions. I think I'm going to like YT! Wish I had found this site three years ago when we were brand new yorkie parents!

[SWHouston]

Leamarie,

Ha yea, hindsight is worth a million dollars

Most of these things seem SO suppressive to the newer Dog. But in a natural Pack, new guys naturally take second and tertiary places, and are pleased pink in the order of things. So many of us want to treat all of our animals equally, and it just doesn't work out best.

True, IF you had been informed about this natural process earlier, things would be a lot easier than turning the situation around in mid stream as you'll have to do. Just be patient and consistent, and you'll see how much better EVERYONE gets along !

One thing though...
I've herd of that "spraying" to correct behavior, but somehow, I just tend to use a stern voice while lightly pinching/holding one by the nape of the neck when you need to control his actions. Maybe a little shake, just like a Mom would do her Pup would be a more natural way of discipline.

[Maximo]

Originally Posted by Leamarie

Thanks so much for the advice and reassurances. We have been doing most of the suggestions, but I did it for Oliver's benefit. I didn't want him depressed in the change in our household so I was making sure he still felt like the spoiled pup he has been for 3 years! Now that I know I should be doing these things to show Lucy Oliver is alpha it makes that much more sense. We have a puppy play yard set up in the livingroom so in the evenings we take Oliver downstairs and spend old times with him in the family room while Lucy naps. He does take refuge from her on the couch but for how long? She will be up there before too long. My Mom suggested spraying water on her when she is tormenting Oliver too much. Believe it or not just doing this for a day she does seem to be a little better around him. I had a friend tell me that it took her pups about a year to tolerate each other as well. I guess I was just hoping for fast friends. Thanks again for all the suggestions. I think I'm going to like YT! Wish I had found this site three years ago when we were brand new yorkie parents!

When using the spray bottle for correction, make sure you establish keywords and phrases to connect it to so that Lucy know what she is being corrected for. Give the verbal command first. Maybe something like "settle down."

I would place more emphasis on redirecting both dogs to something more positive to help them find common ground. As I wrote above, for my boys things like trick training and walks kept the younger one focused on good things, rather than just wrestling. Having a daily routine/schedule of activities (meals, walks, playtime, bedtime, etc) also helps settle a puppy and focus them on positive behavior.

I agree with SWHouston's suggestions for putting your boy first for everything and reinforcing his top dog status...unless the first dog is ultra-submissive and would be better off with the second playing lead. It's great that you give Oliver alone time. I still do that for my older boy.

[SWHouston]

Maximo,
A very practical Post , and...

Originally Posted by Maximo

unless the first dog is ultra-submissive and would be better off with the second playing lead.

GEES !, is that a touchy situation !
One would have to pick up on that from the first sniff, to keep the resident in the Alpha slot. Which is not bad, just a little more difficult, and he would need a lot of support. The Alpha doesn't have to be the "Monster of the Year", to hold the position. I would probably be most likely to do this, if the resident was older, and earned/deserved to keep his Crown.

[JoeyP]

You have two things going on in your household right now
Whenever there are two dogs there is jostling for position and one will be more dominant
.... But you also have a young pup
a puppy is going to want to play and a more timid .... and resentful dog
(He in all liklihood not like this little annoying thing...haha)
What may help is bring the older dog in on the puppy's play time
When the puppy is playing with you .... play with the older dog too
give him hugs and even some treats while the puppy is playing
.... Hopefully the older dog will make the connection

[Maximo]

Originally Posted by SWHouston

GEES !, is that a touchy situation !
One would have to pick up on that from the first sniff, to keep the resident in the Alpha slot. Which is not bad, just a little more difficult, and he would need a lot of support. The Alpha doesn't have to be the "Monster of the Year", to hold the position. I would probably be most likely to do this, if the resident was older, and earned/deserved to keep his Crown.

I agree, it would be rare to let the rolls reverse. I have read about cases here where it was better though -- usually in groups of 3 or more actually -- to let them establish their own pecking order.

My 2 boys demonstrate that there can be a lot of gray -- they are both strong males, but neither a monster dominator. Max, the older, is top dog but will let the younger Teddy push him away from his food and water bowls. He lets Teddy stand on his back, or rolls over and lets Teddy stand over him. I was confused by this at first, but a wise person here suggested that Max was allowing this because he doesn't feel threatened in his position.

We do have moments of jealously and competition for attention. But the tension is easily diffused by redirecting the doggies to an activity.

[SWHouston]

Maximo,

HA HA, you're telling off on yourself !

Dogs have a way of picking up on our attitudes and traits sometimes. Telling me about Max's easy going demeanor, says VOLUMES about how you raised him.

GOOD JOB by the way !