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Toby is a 7 year old small Maltese. We have had him 5 years and we got him to keep Lucy the Bichon company when she was 10 years old. Toby pestered Lucy for awhile but they soon settled into a fun routine.
Lucy died at 15 and Toby is now the Old Dog.
Enter Teddy a 11 month old Maltipoo who is about half again bigger than Toby. He bugs the stew out of Toby. He wants to play all the time and nips at Toby's feet, leans his butt over on him, just generally drives poor Toby nuts.Teddy gets so frustrated at Toby he barks at him while he is in the butt-in-the-air play pose. BUT...sometimes they do play and chase and it looks like Toby is having fun.
I hate to separate them. The whole purpose of having 2 dogs is hoping for a friendship between them. I'm giving Toby extra kisses and attention. And I make a point of playing with Teddy to wear him out.
But if I reach to love on Toby little Teddy noses in on the action.
The other day I was petting Toby and Teddy pushed him over trying to get to my hand and I, unfortunately, bopped him on the nose. He did back off but I felt terrible and I don't want to do that again.
Is it just a matter of maturity or training? I don't want Toby to have a nervous breakdown because his new little brother is tormenting him. Suggestions please.
Pretty normal from my experience. If the existing dog is much older than a new puppy sometimes the existing dog is irritated by the puppy's antics. They may never be friends but as long as they are not fighting, that's the main thing. Water under the bridge now but you might have had more success with Toby accepting and interacting with a female puppy (no guarantee of course). I mention this in case it's helpful for anyone else reading the thread.
I'd spend some time one on one with Toby which may mean crating the puppy for an hour or so or taking Toby out and leaving Teddy at home. I'd also continue to try and wear the puppy out. It may be that once the puppy gets older and calmer they will be better friends. It sounds like Toby is irritated but fine and not close to a nervous breakdown. I'd just, as you have been doing, keep an eye on their interaction.
All in all it doesn't sound too bad, so hopefully things will get better as the puppy matures.
I agree it sounds pretty normal. And Toby can probably fend for himself pretty well - and probably will. It likely won't get farther than some growling and snapping, but if they were mine, I would be keeping a close eye on that. Theoretically, I was taught to let the dogs sort it out, so long as it didn't blow up into a real knock-down drag-out fight. I still feel a bit uncomfortable when they start getting into that "mind my territory" sort of act.
On the other hand, my sis/bro team are are like two kids, fighting one minute and working together the next. And definitely when one gets attention the other rushes over to get in on it. They can get very dramatic with one another - scary sometimes - but it never gets to a real fight.
I have a 3rd dog, as well, and between sis/bro and #3 I see more competition. I work with them always, at meal time, any time I interact with them, to make sure that they understand limits, and to make sure they feel confident that they are cared for. I frequently work with one dog - and tell the others to wait - that it is that one dog's "turn". Daily little 2 to 10 minute training sessions - that might happen a few times in one day - or not for a couple of days. But typically every mealtime is preceded by a small calming session - the dogs have to lie down out of the way and wait. If they don't lie down, then I call the good dogs and let them go eat, while I have the non-compliant ones wait until they do what I asked - be it lie down or sit. That helps build calmness. Somewhat, anyway! Number 3 is still terrible when we see a rabbit and he is on leash! And this does nothing for that!
After our Tiffy died (she was 10), our other Chihuahua Rocky was depressed, he moped and didn't eat. So we decided to get a Yorkie (we have another Yorkie but Rocky and Minnie just don't play together. Abbey (the new baby) drove Rocky crazy, he growled, barked and let her know to leave him alone. It took about 3 weeks then Rocky started letting her sit with him and she would just kiss him all over his face. She loved him, well they started to play. The old Man is 9 and he plays like a kid again. Abbey brought Rocky back to life. I truly believe she saved him. Tiffy was Rocky's love they did everything together she was like his Mom. Now Abbey has stepped in the role of making sure his feet are cleaned, his face she grooms him and he loves it. LOL
After our Tiffy died (she was 10), our other Chihuahua Rocky was depressed, he moped and didn't eat. So we decided to get a Yorkie (we have another Yorkie but Rocky and Minnie just don't play together. Abbey (the new baby) drove Rocky crazy, he growled, barked and let her know to leave him alone. It took about 3 weeks then Rocky started letting her sit with him and she would just kiss him all over his face. She loved him, well they started to play. The old Man is 9 and he plays like a kid again. Abbey brought Rocky back to life. I truly believe she saved him. Tiffy was Rocky's love they did everything together she was like his Mom. Now Abbey has stepped in the role of making sure his feet are cleaned, his face she grooms him and he loves it. LOL
Same here. We just got a young puppy almost a month ago, and she pestered the heck out of our 4 year old dog, PLUS our 4 year old gave me a VERY cold shoulder. She was angry at me for bringing this puppy into HER domain. She ate very poorly, didn't sit on my knee like she always did, and didn't sleep nestled next to me like she always did.
Well, it took a couple of weeks for our 4 year old to realize that the puppy isn't going to go away and she might as well accept it.
Our 4 year old is now back to normal. She's eating well again, sits/sleeps with me, and plays with the puppy many times through the day.
They had to establish a pecking order which they did: The puppy bit her hard at first and it took one yelp and a loud snarl to teach her not to bite down hard. Now it looks like their teeth are biting down on each other, but they must be just biting softly or pretending to bite. No more yelps or snarls.
When our older dog has had enough play, she just hops up on a chair or the bed to get away from the puppy.
I love these follow-up stories. It is so great when the older dogs do so much teaching - if we let them, in their own space, and time.
I have found that all of my dogs have learned great dog manners from their siblings.
When we visit friends with dogs, who have no dog manners, my dogs aren't very tolerant. In those cases you can see the difference. So thankful for teacher dogs, othwise puppy raising would be so much less fun.
A seven-year-old Maltese doesn't even really qualify as an "old man" - he's got another 10 years left in him possibly. He can handle what the puppy is dishing out, and eventually, he will put Teddy in his place or Teddy will learn it. If Toby was a 15-year-old dog, I would say this is unfair. But at 7 he can handle it just fine. Definitely spend some time with just him working on tricks or something like that. But don't worry otherwise.
I guess for the most part things are working out. Toby the 7 year old 6 lb Maltese was definitely ticked off for quite awhile with Teddy,the puppy's antics. And the puppy is about twice his size. Then they started playing around, nipping at each others' feet, chasing after the same toy and playing mouth games.
But once about a week ago they really got into it. Growling, yelping, the whole nine yards. I think Toby finally had a belly ful of being pestered. Now the larger Teddy lays on his belly while Toby stands up and they mouth and play together. This way Teddy isn't always standing over Toby.
But there is another problem. They get walked together about 3-4 times a day and let outside in the fenced back yard to pee between walks. if we put them out together Teddy pesters Toby, neither one pees and then about 15 minutes later one or both will pee in the house. So now we pick up Toby, set him outside and he immediately does his business and scampers back to be let in. Then we let Teddy outside to do his business and after we see him pee we let Toby back outside so they can play together in the yard. Mostly this consists of Toby sitting back and watching Teddy have manic zoomies around and around the back yard.
I guess for the most part things are working out. Toby the 7 year old 6 lb Maltese was definitely ticked off for quite awhile with Teddy,the puppy's antics. And the puppy is about twice his size. Then they started playing around, nipping at each others' feet, chasing after the same toy and playing mouth games.
But once about a week ago they really got into it. Growling, yelping, the whole nine yards. I think Toby finally had a belly ful of being pestered. Now the larger Teddy lays on his belly while Toby stands up and they mouth and play together. This way Teddy isn't always standing over Toby.
But there is another problem. They get walked together about 3-4 times a day and let outside in the fenced back yard to pee between walks. if we put them out together Teddy pesters Toby, neither one pees and then about 15 minutes later one or both will pee in the house. So now we pick up Toby, set him outside and he immediately does his business and scampers back to be let in. Then we let Teddy outside to do his business and after we see him pee we let Toby back outside so they can play together in the yard. Mostly this consists of Toby sitting back and watching Teddy have manic zoomies around and around the back yard.
They can be so much work for a while until they get older and used to a routine, but it's still so much fun the work is worth it
They can be so much work for a while until they get older and used to a routine, but it's still so much fun the work is worth it
Too true! I can't take my pup out with the big dogs for potty time, because he is so easily distracted and then he is too cold to find a poop spot, so I have to go inside with him, and back out 5 minutes later. So now we take trips out to a separate solo potty spot.
At least now we know I can be trained!
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and then he is too cold to find a poop spot, so I have to go inside with him, and back out 5 minutes later. So now we take trips out to a separate solo potty spot.
