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Hi, I am hoping someone can give me some sound advice on the following : I have 7 dogs (mostly rescue). The most recent, is a puppy I found wondering the streets this past summer, and she is about 5 months old now.
My problem is that one of my dogs - now 5 - who has always been highly sensitive and somewhat anxious, has not taken well to the puppy. Or, at least, the arrival of the puppy seems to have exacerbated an already existing rise in her anxiety levels. She is not aggressive, but she is always hunched up and trembles frequently to the point where I took her to the vet to see if she has a medical condition (not because of the trembling but because she has become obese in a short period of time, and this, prior to the puppy's arrival). She used to play with one of my other dogs (who now plays constantly with the puppy), and it is probable that she is jealous. But I am not sure that it is JUST the puppy issue... Even before the puppy came, I had noticed that in getting older her anxiety seemed to increase. Now she sits curled up all day on her own, or, if i'm around, will come and glue herself to me (she did this before too)... I make a point of spending time with her, letting her cuddle up to me, she sleeps with me (as she did before)... in other words I try to make her feel loved and that "nothing has changed", yet...
She DOES like to go on her walks, and her appetite is good. The vet said there is nothing wrong with her (re/her weight gain).
Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can reassure her ? Will it pass with time? The other dogs are ok with the puppy, at worst they ignore her or "put her in her place" but there is no aggression and I can leave them all together without concern. My concern is for Lucy, as I would like to find a way to make her relax a little more....
Thank you
My problem is that one of my dogs - now 5 - who has always been highly sensitive and somewhat anxious, has not taken well to the puppy. Or, at least, the arrival of the puppy seems to have exacerbated an already existing rise in her anxiety levels. She is not aggressive, but she is always hunched up and trembles frequently to the point where I took her to the vet to see if she has a medical condition (not because of the trembling but because she has become obese in a short period of time, and this, prior to the puppy's arrival). She used to play with one of my other dogs (who now plays constantly with the puppy), and it is probable that she is jealous. But I am not sure that it is JUST the puppy issue... Even before the puppy came, I had noticed that in getting older her anxiety seemed to increase. Now she sits curled up all day on her own, or, if i'm around, will come and glue herself to me (she did this before too)... I make a point of spending time with her, letting her cuddle up to me, she sleeps with me (as she did before)... in other words I try to make her feel loved and that "nothing has changed", yet...
She DOES like to go on her walks, and her appetite is good. The vet said there is nothing wrong with her (re/her weight gain).
Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can reassure her ? Will it pass with time? The other dogs are ok with the puppy, at worst they ignore her or "put her in her place" but there is no aggression and I can leave them all together without concern. My concern is for Lucy, as I would like to find a way to make her relax a little more....
Thank you
