Old vs. New!
 

Hi everyone!

I have a 12 year old Yorkie.
My mother got her (her name’s Maia) for me when I was 8 years old and due to great ignorance I didn’t take proper care of her- meaning, I didn’t train her, at all, so, basically, her social skills are... very bad. She’ll ignore all dogs on the street, or be nervous/scared around them.
I regret this deeply, and when I tried to change things I was met with disinterest from my family, so nothing occurred.

Anyway, my mother recently got a Cocker Spaniel (her name’s Lola). Female, less than 50 days old, bites everything and everyone and won’t stay still.
And Maia is terrified of her.
Lola will follow her around to (I believe) play, and Maia will look at her like she’s the Devil’s incarnation and run away, and/or she’ll growl, bark and whine. When Lola is still and not paying attention, Maia will try to be quiet, but bolt the minute she’s noticed.

It’s only been three days, but Maia is eating less, drinking less, and she’s got diarrhea now. I’m taking her to the vet tomorrow.
I need to train the puppy, although it’ll take a while and I’m not confident in myself to achieve it properly, but I’m worried sick for Maia and I don’t want her nervous 24/7.
My question:
Is there any way to change this? Do you have any tips for me? Is it possible to train Maia now that she’s this old? Should I consider searching a new home for the puppy or is there a solution?

Any piece of information is welcome.
Thank you in advance. :animal-pa

WELCOME to YT!
Yes, old dogs can learn new tricks but you must be very very patient.
Most important your little one needs to be protected from the new pup.
If she is afraid of the new dog she needs to have a safe place where she can feel protected and able,to be alone and calm down.

Togetherness for dogs that are difference sizes is not always good - plus your little one has been a single pup most of its life - imagine how confused she must be.

I'm sure others will come forth with their help, but you need to decide what it is exactly that she needs to work on.

Glad you found YT!

A puppy that young shouldn't be away from its puppy-momma :( The way you described the puppy is all normal for a 7 week old baby - but it needs a LOT of attention.

I found this site incredibly resourceful: Understanding Dog Behavior Articles

Thank you! I'm glad I found this website too. I can learn a lot.

We failed with turning her into a social dog. Socialization isn't strictly a trick, but you have faith we can help her with this? It'd be such a relief!

Yeah, I can see her confusion, and jealousy haha :( I totally understand this.

I agree there- But the owners literally showed up outside of the building my mother works in, shoved Lola into her arms and were like "Here's your puppy! Ok thnx bye!!!". She supposes they were desperate to get rid of the pups because they torn apart their house, but, to be fair to the pups, they're just babbuhs, they're playful, they're learning, and this couple left them alone for like two weeks to visit Europe. :mad:

Thank you! I'll check it out right now.

Wow.....that's horrible of the old owners - two weeks alone?!?! That's animal abuse and insufficient care!! Then, I'm happy that she's in the care of your home now. At least you're taking initiative to improve on the situation between your dog and the new pup :)

I believe old dogs can learn new things too. It's a matter of patience, persistence, consistency and a lot of your time :D

Hi and welcome to YT :).

Your best bet for success here would be to have a trainer come into the home and talk w/ you and your Mom (especially) and do some training...do you have access to one? I think your Mom may listen if it came from someone else.