[M & M]

My 8 month old puppy is dominate over my 7 year old dog. My 7 year old dog will not stick up for herself. She just lets the puppy pull on her neck, bite at her feet, and stand over her. I stand between them and make sure the puppy knows I do not like this behavior. I try and make her lay down in a submissive position, but every day she continues. This has been going on for a while. Does anyone else know what else I could do to make the puppy stop and respect her more?

 

[Wicket]

Don't try the submissive positions, it's not working and it'll probably won't work in the long run. You need to set some rules for the pup. It's good that you're stepping in, now you need to redirect the puppy. She probably needs more physical and mental exercise, and is just trying to drain that extra energy on your older dog. Try walking her more, playing more games, and do some training. Make her work for her food. Try training her "off", so that she gets off of your other dog on command. You can also try the removal technique, when the puppy is getting to excited and rough, you remove her from the room into a quiet and boring place until she calms down. When she's calm, she can return into the room. However, if she acts up again, out of the room she goes. It's kinda like a time out, but the goal is to get her to calm down and not punish her. You don't want to be angry when you do this, just be really boring but firm. Does the puppy respect you? You won't be able to intervene unless she respects you first.

 

[M & M]

Yes, She respects me. I do training with her at my dog club and she is always excellent, but in the real world, not so much. I started putting her on the treadmill for 15mins. She went Frisbee Golfing with my son today, but still came home and was naughty with Maggie. Thank you for your ideas, I will try them all.

 

[sassafras]

I don't think this is really a case of dominance, this is a case of a puppy who plays rough and an adult who won't correct. I have the same dynamic going on between two of my dogs and this is what has helped me the most:

1. When the puppy is playing inappropriately (say, grabbing onto the older dog's neck), give a verbal warning. It doesn't matter what word you use, just use the same thing every time.
2. If the puppy ignores you, physically remove him from play. You don't have to force him into any posture. Just remove him and stand calmly with him for just a minute until he settles a bit
3. Release him
4. If you have to repeat #1 and #2 three times, on the third strike he is "out" and gets completely removed from the situation. He goes to No Fun Land (crate, another room, whatever) for 10-15 minutes.

Repeat as necessary. My boy still tries to play rough, but I usually only have to give one verbal warning at this point before he switches over to kind of head nudging her instead of actually grabbing on to her.

 

[hanksimon]

Normally when a pup pesters an adult, you have to save and protect the adult. Puppies tend to get a free pass until they are about 10 mos. Your adult may tell him to back off at that time.

 

[luvmyfurballs]

The puppy is playing and the older dog will eventually let the puppy know when its enough. I have three bigger dogs..7 yrs, 2.5 yrs, and 9 months. The 7 yr old has put the 9 month old(both female) in place since the beginning. I never had to step in, they have worked it out amongst themselves.

 

[sassafras]

The puppy is playing and the older dog will eventually let the puppy know when its enough. I have three bigger dogs..7 yrs, 2.5 yrs, and 9 months. The 7 yr old has put the 9 month old(both female) in place since the beginning. I never had to step in, they have worked it out amongst themselves.

Not always. Some dogs just won't correct puppies. Maisy won't take any crap from any dog - except Squash. For whatever reason, she doesn't correct him and never really has (I've seen her correct him maybe three times ever in his whole life). She will literally let him drag her around the yard by her scruff if I don't intervene. Sometimes you do have to step in.

 

[Labmom4]

I do the same exact thing as Sassafrass. I would say 'enough', short time out; she got 3 chances and then she'd go on tie down. I had the puppy until she was 18 months old (I'm a puppy raiser) and my 4 yr old never once reprimanded her.

 

[M & M]

Thanks for all the good advice. When she went to Maggie (7 year old) and started pulling at her face and feet, I used my voice to say no and moved her away. When I released her, she went right back to Maggie, but I corrected her again with my voice and removed her. This time when she was released, she walked away. I will keep working with her and I don't feel so frustrated with her anymore because I have a plan. Thanks again!

 

[Precious Puppy]

I'm smiling while reading this thread thinking about my border collie, Girl, who just passed away 2 weeks ago, and how she would correct Brutus, who is 8 now, back when he was a pestering pup. She hated him from the day she laid eyes on him and let him know it every time he tried to mess with her. She'd go into her wolf stance, hunch her shoulders, bow her head and show all those pearly whites. She put on a big show but never once would snap or bite him. Her carrying on was more entertainment for us than any correction for the puppy. Brutus did learn to not mess with her but when she was ready she accepted him and then she realized how much fun it was to chase him down and then roll him over and over like a ball. They became inseprable through the years. He always had more energy than she did when it came to play but she'd do her part to keep him happy. Brutus is missing Girl and that's why I'm going to get another dog so he has some canine companionship. He sure did enjoy his years with Girl. Tomorrow I will be hearing from the kennel director at my local shelter to find out if the little lab mix I picked out off of Petfinder is still available. I sure hope so because we're already fell in love with her and not even seen her yet. I'm not sure if one of these links will work.

http://neworleans.craigslist.org/pet/3077965495.html


http://neworleans.craigslist.org/pet/3077965495.html

 

[abbysrun]

If the older dog is not minding it I would leave it alone, if the older dog is showing stress then I would step in. You forcing the pup into a submissive posture is not going to help it will just teach the pup not to do such things when she is near you, not stop the problem. Let me guess you got this from Cesar? Try training with and stopping the behavior with your voice not with your hands. The problem when we get physical with dogs is that they begin to fear our hands. I suspect your old girl will let the pup know if shes gone too far

 

[hanksimon]

@Precious - very sorry for your loss.

The links worked, but you might introduce Brutus to the new dog before adoption, b/c the craigslist poster does not know if the Lab is dog aggressive... And despite interactions with people, you never know past history of socialization with other dogs....