I am no expert but I also had an older toy poodle when I got Katie and she was not very happy when I brought home a new puppy. It took almost a week for her to accept a puppy bothering her and then she was fine with it. It was about 2 weeks before she would actually play with her but after that they were great together. I think the growling and snapping is probably just her way of letting the pup know that she is the boss and as long as she does not actually hurt the pup I wouldn't worry about it too much, once the puppy recognizes her as the leader she will stop. After my poodle passed away I got another puppy and Katie acted the same way, for about 2 weeks until she realized that the pup was here to stay. Just be patient and encourage them to spend time together but do it gradually. Let the older dog get used to her being around and above all make sure they have separate food dishes. Be sure you pay as much attention to the older dog as she is used to also, so she won't resent the new addition. Hope this helps a little? |