Are my dogs getting along??

[jackiesilx]

I have a 11 week old golden retriever, which we have had for 3 weeks now. We have two older dogs who are nearly 4 and are brothers. They have been ok one better than the other. The pup tends to stand with his paws over his back and then starts to bite him I think its play biting but my older dog puts up with it for a while playing and biting but he gets sick - should I intervene like I have or should I let my older dog tell him off ? Most of the time there ok but it's only when the pup wants to play . I do distract him by getting his toys just not sure I'm doing things right

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Hello,

Welcome to the forums!

 

How harshly is the older dog correcting the puppy? Does the puppy appear traumatized? Is biting involved or is it mostly a ritualized display that is more loud than harmful? These are all important considerations to keep in mind. From your description, it sounds like your older dog is open to playing and is just telling the puppy he has had enough. So the next question is: does your puppy respect that? What is he doing next?

 

When it comes to the interactions between older dogs and puppies, there are a few things to be aware about. Puppies have boundless energy and they are prone to pestering dogs (and people, if no dogs are available!) in hopes for play. Usually, older dogs tend to put up with some obnoxious puppy behavior, letting some indiscretions slide, but always up to a certain point.

 

A temporary "puppy license" is usually granted for young puppies meaning that older dogs may tolerate some behaviors from puppies that they would normally not tolerate from older pups. These older dogs may therefore close an eye for some puppy face jumping, tail biting, ear biting and climbing, but these puppy licenses in general tend to expire around 4 to 8 months.

 

Of course though, until the day they grow halos on their heads, older dogs can only take so much. It is not unusual for an older dog to therefore lose patience with the persistent pestering that comes from puppies. Usually, these older dogs will use a warning growl or a snarl (showing the pearly whites) to teach the puppy some boundaries. These "leave-me alone" signs are loud but mostly meant to teach the puppy some ABCs of dog behavior. Mother dog may have started teaching these lessons in the litter, and older dogs may continue. This is why as trainers we often suggest that puppy play involves play among puppies, but also interactions with well-adjusted adult dogs who act as teachers and moderators.

 

Should older dogs be allowed to therefore "correct" a puppy? Generally yes, but only if it's appropriate and mostly ritualized behavior. The adult dog just delivers the "lecture" without harming the puppy, and the puppy usually apologizes by stopping and sometimes "squealing"or rolling on his back just to say "I got it, see I am just a puppy and mean no harm!"

 

Problems are often encountered when a puppy keeps pestering an older dog despite the older dog trying to send him away. These cases may need intervention (a time-out like you are doing) so to teach the puppy that messing with someone who doesn't have a lot of tolerance isn't correct. Other problems involve older dogs who have never been exposed to puppies before and dogs who may barely tolerate other dogs and a puppy is just be too much for them. These dogs may hide and try to avoid the puppy as much as they can and they may attack the puppy if the puppy fails to take notice of their warning signs of stress. Some older dogs may just have lower tolerances, they may have been under-socialized, they may be defensive, and some may even be resource guarding (attacking to protect their own food, toys, owners and sleeping spaces).

 

Because it may be challenging at times to tell if the older dog is really engaging in harmless discipline or if there is something more serious going on, the intervention of a behavior specialist may be required.

 

The behavior specialist may carefully observe the interactions between the older dog and the puppy paying particular attention to the body language of the older dog, what "infraction" exactly evokes the corrective behavior, whether the puppy appears emotionally traumatized from the correction, whether the puppy "apologizes" after the infraction displaying appeasement gestures, whether the older dog is accepting of the "apology," whether the puppy learns to be more polite from the older dog, and finally after all these observations, the behavior specialist can deduce whether intervention is necessary or not.

 

Warning signs of trouble may be older dogs who do not accept "apologies," adult dogs who block the puppy preventing him to leave the room or escape, older dogs who manage to physically harm the puppy or grab the puppy by the neck as a toy. If the puppy doesn't bounce back to normal shortly after being "lectured" by the older dog, this may be sign that he is being emotionally impacted and intervention (separation) may be needed. A puppy shouldn't live in fear of another dog sharing the household, especially during such a crucial time as puppy hood.

 

Mild cases may just require close monitoring and allowing the puppy to burn excess energy in other ways before sharing a room with an older dog. After draining excess energy, the puppy may engage in softer play. However, a right balance is needed as cranky puppies who are tired are also prone to misbehaving. Severe cases may require separation and even re-homing if the impact is too much. Unfortunately, not every adult dog can be fond of puppies.

 

I hope this helps!

 

Disclaimer: this answer is not to be used as a substitute for a hands-on behavioral assessment. If your adult dog shows worrisome behaviors towards your puppy, stop the interaction, keep both parties separated and consult with a force-free behavior professional to play it safe.

Edited January 15, 2020 by Adrienne Farricelli