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And Im not sure yet if I should keep him or not. Jasper (my 6 year old Rott/lab mix) isnt happy. He tolerates Jupiter, but will growl/snarl at him over food, toys, or if Jupiter tries to touch him.
Ive become really attached to Jupiter, but Im not taking adopting him lightly. I work up to 30 hours a week (it varies), go to school full-time, and I dont make alot of money.
Jasper's yearly vet bill alone is $200. Jupiter hasnt had all of his shots yet (Hes just over 6 weeks old), but Im guessing once those are finished the expenses will become more routine and slightly cheaper....slightly.
My expenses right now are as follows:I make 7.80 an hour, but also live at home..no rent. All my other expenses (food, gas, phone,car maintenance, etc) are taken care of myself. My mom helps pay for dog food.
$600 credit card debt (payment each month can either be 50-100 dollars usually to pay it off)
64.00 and change cell phone bill per month.
35.00 every 3 weeks or so for gas (Car is good on gas)
Future book expenses also considered.
I can train him. I trained Jasper when I was a teenager. It just took awhile. Jasper is getting older though, and in 3 years he'll be 9, and probably not as able to keep up with me anymore, nor as able to adjust to a new family member. I found this pup on the side of the road.
We just adopted our 3rd dog about 2 weeks ago and we have had issues with food/toy possessiveness. They have gotten much better but it takes a while for them to get used to each other. You should put all the toys away out of reach for a while and then slowly introduce the toys once they have gotten more accustomed to each other.
We just adopted our 3rd dog about 2 weeks ago and we have had issues with food/toy possessiveness. They have gotten much better but it takes a while for them to get used to each other. You should put all the toys away out of reach for a while and then slowly introduce the toys once they have gotten more accustomed to each other.
Thats one of the issues we've been having. Pup is taken out alot, but hasnt quite caught on to potty training. Ive only had him over the last weekend though.
Sorry but it honestly sounds like not a great situation for a puppy. I have no doubt you can love this pup but what is the little thing doing all day/evening while you are at work/school/having a life? Home with another dog that doesn't like him? Doesn't sound like a wonderful time....That's not even touching on the financial responsibility that comes with pet ownership....Just my .02
Sorry but it honestly sounds like not a great situation for a puppy. I have no doubt you can love this pup but what is the little thing doing all day/evening while you are at work/school/having a life? Home with another dog that doesn't like him? Doesn't sound like a wonderful time....That's not even touching on the financial responsibility that comes with pet ownership....Just my .02
Jasper is warming up to him a little..its only been a week, and Japs has had me to himself for 6 years. Its an adjustment to him.But Ive caught them playing together a bit...and I have a sneaking suspicion Japs helped Jupiter get out of his baby gate this afternoon (Getting out of the baby gate was Jasper's specialty as a pup, and the way the hole was chewed looked VERY familiar) When Im not home, Jupiter is either with Mom, or penned with a baby gate in the hallway with lots of toys. He isnt left along for very long, especially since we're potty training.
Everything seems to work OK as long as they each keep to their own toys, and Jupiter stays away from Jasper's food.
Jasper is warming up to him a little..its only been a week, and Japs has had me to himself for 6 years. Its an adjustment to him.But Ive caught them playing together a bit...and I have a sneaking suspicion Japs helped Jupiter get out of his baby gate this afternoon (Getting out of the baby gate was Jasper's specialty as a pup, and the way the hole was chewed looked VERY familiar) When Im not home, Jupiter is either with Mom, or penned with a baby gate in the hallway with lots of toys. He isnt left along for very long, especially since we're potty training.
Everything seems to work OK as long as they each keep to their own toys, and Jupiter stays away from Jasper's food.
I had a similar situation when I brought home an 8 week-old Mastiff puppy and introduce him to my 4 year-old Alaskan Husky female. It is important to ensure the older dog has some "alone time" away from the puppy. The continual play mode puppies are in can wear on an older dog's nerves eventually. Keeping Jupiter penned when you are not available to supervise is a good idea.
I would not be too concerned with the Jasper's growling, unless you see his hackles rise or he shows some other indication of aggression. This is very common and it is not necessarily aggressive behavior. Two years after I brought my Mastiff puppy home my Alaskan Husky still growls everytime my Mastiff gets near her. It doesn't bother the Mastiff however, he licks my Alaskan Husky's ears in response to her growls, which she loves. I watch her lean into him as he licks her ears, still growling the entire time.
Jasper and Jupiter will eventually develop a relationship that works for both dogs. But for the time being, there is no need to rush it. Don't forget to reward Jasper when he seems especially tolerent of Jupiter's play.
Thanks for the tip! Im rusty when it comes to puppy-raising, and Ive never had two dogs at once before. Advice is appreciated. Jupiter is a smart little sucker...I can tell already that when he hits teenager, he's going to give me a run for my money.
Im starting to learn to kinda interpret the growls Japs makes. One seems to me like he's saying
"Boy, what are you up to?"
or there's the
"Stop that!"
or
"Thats mine."
6 weeks is very young to expect much in the way of potty training, they just dont have the bladder or bowel muscle control that they'll develop in the months to come. He'll catch on though, just be patient and consistent and praise him when he 'goes'. They do try to please. Also, at 6 wks, he's prob. eating a lot and will be having to 'go' a lot (what goes in, must come out). Would just take him out more often. Viralmd has a post on housetraining that's immensely helpful to a lot of new puppy owners, you can search for it and it should help. Best of luck w/ your new 'kiddo'
Quote:
Originally Posted by Colddiamond102
Thats one of the issues we've been having. Pup is taken out alot, but hasnt quite caught on to potty training. Ive only had him over the last weekend though.
6 weeks is very young to expect much in the way of potty training, they just dont have the bladder or bowel muscle control that they'll develop in the months to come. He'll catch on though, just be patient and consistent and praise him when he 'goes'. They do try to please. Also, at 6 wks, he's prob. eating a lot and will be having to 'go' a lot (what goes in, must come out). Would just take him out more often. Viralmd has a post on housetraining that's immensely helpful to a lot of new puppy owners, you can search for it and it should help. Best of luck w/ your new 'kiddo'
He's done much better than expected. There are more liquid accidents than solid. But I do understand that he's very young, so we dotn have much of a hissy fit if he has an accident. Im planning to amp up potty training at about 9 weeks old. As it is, he sleeps with me and tells me when he needs to go, and is taken out after he eats, and after that about every 2 hours or so when we're home.
He picked up "Sit" in about 5-10 minutes, and I discovered today that he's a little escape artist...more so than I originally suspected.
Caught him and Jasper playing a gentle game of 'tug' with Jasper's toy ostrich. Made me very very happy to see them playing together, and Jasper sharing a toy.
I think the pup will learn alot off of my older dog...Im worried though that he'll focus too much on Jasper and not on me. How do I prevent this?
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When Im not home, Jupiter is either with Mom, or penned with a baby gate in the hallway with lots of toys. He isnt left along for very long, especially since we're potty training. 
