Brought new yorkie in... was it a mistake???
 

Hi everyone,
I have an 8 months old yorkie Maxwell who is the apple of my eye. Just a perfect little guy... love him to death. He's a little aggressive with other dogs but I think it's because he was attacked two times in a two week span. He just hasn't been the same since. :(

We decided to bring home Ruby, a 9 week old yorkie pup. She is the sweetest thing and we adore her. But Maxwell does not... not even a bit. He has turned in to a very aggressive dog. Most times during the day they are fine and even play fight a bit. But when food comes or treats come out, Maxwell literally attacks Ruby and leaves her crying for minutes straight. He hasn't done damage or hurt her yet, but I fear it may happen.

I feel so defeated... I feel horribly sad for Maxwell, like I've ruined his perfect little life. And I feel horribly sad for Ruby, like I've brought her in to this dangerous home.

Please tell me what to do. I'm desperate to make them be friends.

Well, you are starting with a dog you already said was aggressive to other dogs, based on fear. In hindsight, I'm sure you see that you should've overcome that issue before introducing another dog in the mix. But, what's done is done and Ruby is your baby too, now.

So, with that said, control the environment and work it out over time. They are not going to be best buds right now (and you need to accept that they may never be), but you can make it where they can live together in harmony. It will take a lot of work, but that's what we sign on for when we bring in a pet (s), right? :)

Control - you know Maxwell is food aggressive so don't feed them together. Give Ruby a safe environment to eat. Put their dishes in separate rooms (closed off from each other) and feed them. That's the first step.

Other than food, you will need to always monitor them. Never leave them alone together until you trust Maxwell with her. Make the time that they are together FUN = playing and treats! Woohoo! This will help Maxwell gradually begin to associate Ruby and her presence as a good thing. I stress - be patient with all of this. KNOW that it is going to be gradual and take time. There may be set backs, but go with it.

Monitor Ruby's interaction with Maxwell, also. She is only 9 weeks, which I must state for future readers - that is really too young to be taken away from her mom and siblings because they learn so many social behavior skills thru weeks 9 thru 12 (like bite inhibition). If Ruby bites too hard during play, another pup would give her a warning shot to tell her "hey, that's too rough" but Maxwell may react out of that fear based behavior and hurt her back. So just keep a close eye on that ok?

Some others will come along to give some tips and help. I'm not expert in behavior like some around here (I think of yorkietalkjilly and gemy immediately...hopefully they will see this and help).

You have what you have right now so don't give up. You made a commitment to both of these pups and they are counting on you. Help them work thru this. With work and time and PATIENCE, you'll get them living in harmony...and, hey, maybe best buds someday. If not, at least brother and sister. :)

Welcome to YT !:) I am sure that with time, they will become the best of friends but for now you will have to separate them at feeding times.

welcome to YT// I hope everything works out

Thanks everyone!! I should clarify that Maxwell only had aggression towards big dogs. Totally fine with small dogs and in fact loves to play with other small dogs, so I thought it would be fine.

I have removed all treats and bones that have caused him to be aggressive towards her. It's only been a week so hopefully he will adjust. I guess I'm just looking to hear if he will always be this way. Does aggression ever calm down? Is there still a chance that if we do this right, that he will warm up to her?

Also, what kind of discipline should I be giving him when he does snap at her? Right now I've been putting him in his crate, but not sure that is the best answer?

Thank you all so much... this board has helped me more than you'll know!!!

i believe he will it takes time to accept his new sibling....sometimes a couple of weeks sometimes a couple of months. lola would not allow keylo to sleep anywhere near her on the bed for months and would become aggressive toward keylo when she tried to get near her. when lola would snap i would remove her from her spot and say you cannot bit keylo. i did that each time and she eventually understood that if she snapped she would leave her spot on the bed. it helped and then eventually she bonded with keylo now they lay right next to each other.

i would remove the aggressor. so putting him in a time out for 30 seconds or so when the incident happens should help him understand snap go in time out (crate as your doing). it has to be consistent so that he understands why you are correcting him. and as terri said seperate meals and never leave unattended together until you know they have bonded. in a few weeks i hope they have started to bond. wishing you the very best with them.

Thank you very much!! I am going to work on this as hard as I can and I am thinking about bringing a trainer in to help as I am definitely no dog behaviour expert.

Sounds like he is resource guarding. How does he react to YOU around his food and treats? Can you run your fingers through his kibble while he is eating? Can you give him a treat or a favorite toy and take it away without him acting out? If he reacts to you as well, you should work with him on that between the two of you first, to desensitize him. Then, (when you baby is older), you can work on resource guarding between the two of them. Meanwhile, don't put her in a situation where he might turn on her. No treats together, no feeding together, no toys. How to Prevent Resource Guarding in a Multiple-dog Household | Karen Pryor Clicker Training

it gets better, hang in there, a trainer is a great idea. My two had a rough patch in the beginning, I too thought I made a mistake but I stuck with it and worked with them both and now they are the best of friends. A little time, effort, patience and tlc can make all the difference.

You could try squirting him with water in a squirt bottle while saying a firm "No" when he does it but I fear for the new puppy not only could he hurt her but he could also do damage to her having fear issues. I would not waste any time and bring in a trainer who is good with aggression issues. I also would not leave them alone together.