I had the same experience with one of my dogs when I brought a new little puppy home. She was very jealous of the little puppy and didn't like it at all.
Under no circumstances, did I ever leave her and the puppy alone. There is no doubt that she might have hurt the little pup.
Remember to give most of your attention to your older dog. It is very bonded to you and it's important that this dog knows how much you still love him. Totally favor him and pamper him with the puppy around.
I kept my two dogs together with me on the sofa in the evenings for the first couple weeks. And, every time my older dog even growled, I reminded her to be nice. I paid more attention to her than I did the puppy, and didn't allow her to growl or be mean to the puppy in any way. I favored her, pampered her, and gave her a lot of treats. She got a lot of extra love with the puppy right there beside us. (It helped a lot that the puppy was young and slept most of the time.)
It's surprising how fast the pup won her over and within two or three weeks they became fast friends and stayed friends and played together for years.
Over the years, I have often brought a new puppy or kitten into my home. It has almost always taken a week or two - but my pets have never failed to become fast friends.
Carol Jean |