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01-31-2014, 04:47 PM | #1 |
Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Portland, OR, USA
Posts: 15
| Adding a new dog... help! We are attempting to add a 1yr old Yorkie to our family. Pixie and my Penny are both females and about the same age/weight. Penny is pretty jealous, and the new dog, Pixie, is very stiff & nervous much of the time. She will not allow you to roll her to her side & definitely will not be on her back. My Penny tries to play with her, but Pixie ignores her. Today they started interacting. I couldn't tell if they were playing or fighting... but it became apparent they were both being aggressive. Ears back & low, tails straight out. Pixie has growled & snapped at my Penny. She bit her & made her yelp. Penny is constantly seeking attention from her to the point of annoying her. Is this normal adjustment stuff? I've never had 2 dogs before. How can I tell if they are going to get along?
__________________ Miranda, little Penny dog & Copper dog |
Welcome Guest! | |
01-31-2014, 05:02 PM | #2 |
♥ Love My Tibbe! ♥ Donating Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: D/FW, Texas
Posts: 22,140
| Sounds like typical pack behavior when a nervous new, hyper-excited and anxious dog comes into a new environment and has to try to establish some credentials. Try to let them work it out and step in and stop any really bad behavior such as biting but dogs use their teeth, loud growls and body language and play-fights/attacks as play but also to size each other up and occasionally do some light fighting at first. Remember that the new dog is likely scared and worried about the huge change in her life and just trying to stake out her claim. If the animosity continues with biting/fighting after a few days, perhaps placing the new girl in the crate in the room with some toys, Kong with treats in it and a chewie so she can feel safe and secure as she settles into her surroundings for a period of time will help them adjust more slowly. As you play with your present dog near the crate to desensitize the new girl to this activity, toss the new girl a treat there in the crate so she will come to like the whole process and not be jealous. You might even rotate the new girl out and about for a time and put your older dog in the crate as you play with the new girl and toss her treats as this process begins to desensitize her. After a while, leash the new girl and allow her out but keep her back a bit as you play with your old dog, tossing treats to the new girl as you interact with old dog. When she acts accepting and friendly, you can allow the two to play for a very short period of time and then separate them. In the meantime, read all that you can on the internet on pack behavior and interaction in dogs and you'll be very, very glad you learned all that you could. It will explain a lot about their behavior and help you understand the pack dynamic that will be taking place as they adjust to one another.
__________________ Jeanie and Tibbe One must do the best one can. You may get some marks for a very imperfect answer: you will certainly get none for leaving the question alone. C. S. Lewis |
01-31-2014, 05:10 PM | #3 |
YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: NY
Posts: 6,582
| How old are these dogs and how long have you had the new one?. It sounds like for now it would be best for them not to be alone together. Supervise all their interactions. The new one is going to take time to get comfortable with her new surroundings. If she misses her old home then it could be difficult for her. Most Yorkies, even if they were not treated well, tend to have a difficult time letting go of past relationships. If she is not comfortable with her surroundings yet then she certainly is not ready to accept the dominant dog of the house. A lot of love and patience of course. Do not allow either of them to be aggressive. Just separate them if they show signs of fighting. They have to know you are not tolerating bad behavior from either of them. |
01-31-2014, 05:28 PM | #4 | |
Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Portland, OR, USA
Posts: 15
| Quote:
New dog, Pixie, turns 1yr old tomorrow. We have had new dog for a week. I agree, I don't feel comfortable leaving them alone yet. I have seen the aggressive behaviors from new dog for a couple of days now. But today was the first day that new dog made my existing dog yelp in pain.
__________________ Miranda, little Penny dog & Copper dog | |
01-31-2014, 06:04 PM | #5 | ||
Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Portland, OR, USA
Posts: 15
| Quote:
Quote:
It's my present dog that is really jealous of any attention the new dog gets. My present dog is really bonded to me, and my new dog prefers me over everyone else in the family too. Will they learn to share me?
__________________ Miranda, little Penny dog & Copper dog | ||
01-31-2014, 06:41 PM | #6 | |
♥ Love My Tibbe! ♥ Donating Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: D/FW, Texas
Posts: 22,140
| Quote:
Then play with the other dog right beside her as you toss in more treats and in time, each dog should be slowly desensitized to seeing the other dog getting attention, romping about and come to understand that you alone make the decisions of who decides who plays with whom and when. When each dog can lie down and watch you play with the other in the crate without focusing in on the other, alerting and tensing up and is tail-wagging and happy to approach the other, they are ready to try a short time together going through some training exercises side-by-side for a minute or two. I'd also start them both on Nothing In Life Is Free programs for a couple weeks so that they have to do something you tell them to in order to eat, go potty outside, play with a toy, get their dinner, look out the window or even jump up on the couch or bed or get a snuggle. Complete the package with starting each on a good home obedience training program that teaches them to want to obey your commands and requests quickly and happily for your smile, praise and a nice treat reward and the working and the focusing in on learning how to do what you want should help complete the picture of dogs with a real pack leader that they answer to and don't take matters of discipline into their own paws. For a long while after they are able to be tolerate each other and when they are out together, carefully watch their body language for signs of focusing in or alerting and stand up, say "Leave it", step in and back the dog off that is practicing the hyper-vigilance, standing there over the dog until she turns away and leaves or lies down and becomes calm again. Only when she relinquishes her tenseness should you retreat and perhaps then she gets a little treat quietly handed to her for a reward that she's learning but keep it low key - don't want to excite her at that time in that circumstance.
__________________ Jeanie and Tibbe One must do the best one can. You may get some marks for a very imperfect answer: you will certainly get none for leaving the question alone. C. S. Lewis | |
01-31-2014, 07:41 PM | #7 |
Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Portland, OR, USA
Posts: 15
| Thank you so much for the advice!! I understand the whole crating part much better!
__________________ Miranda, little Penny dog & Copper dog |
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