Anyone out there with a multi lab household?

Not sure if I need advice or just some support, we have Holly a labrador who we rehomed at the age of three, is a delight and is now six and we now have Poppy who is 17 weeks also a labredor.
When they play nice it is so lovely to watch, but the last couple of days Holly seems to get a bit annoyed with her, she has never hurt her just gets a bit bossy, I seem to end up more upset than the dogs, wondering if we have done right getting the puppy and if I am going to be able to cope?
But then I see the lovely pics on here of your multi dog families and think maybe we will get there in the end.
However any advice to help me along the way would be greatly appreciated

 

I have two-year-old litter mates, which is different to your scenario, and another puppy joining the family in a few days. My plan for introducing the new puppy is to make sure she doesn't get to pester the older dogs. I have a puppy pen which I can use to keep her away from them if she's being annoying, but still allows me to get in and interact with her. Does your older dog have anywhere to escape to, that's away from the annoying beast?
It's not a bad thing for Holly to be giving Poppy boundaries, but you don't want to be putting her in a situation where she has to do it time and again; you need to step in and allow Holly to have some peace, too.

Let us know how you get on - I'll probably be wailing about the same thing in a few weeks!

 

Yes Holly has a bed in the lounge, so when things get a bit much Poppy goes behind the puppy gate in the kitchen where she has her crate, so both have a nice space. I am quick to separate them when I think things are getting out of hand, I just wonder if I am reading them right.
To be honest I think I have got myself worked up, as I have read articles suggesting not to have two female dogs, 'it doesn't work'. Maybe I have done too much reading.

 

I have a three year old black Lab and I have a new puppy every year. Once the pups get to about five months Tatze will tell them off when they overstep the mark.

Let it happen and don't let it upset you, upstart pups need boundaries

Tatze has two safe places where the pups are not allowed near her - her chair and her crate, she dives for her chair or paws her crate door when she's had enough (the pups are not allowed on either whether Tatze is using them or not, they are exclusively hers, so the crate door is kept shut unless she wants to go in there - it's her space)


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Poppycock (no pun intended!). Plenty of people have two girls quite successfully. I've heard when they don't get along, that two girls can be the most volatile combination, but that's just hearsay and, as I said, far, far, far more people have two girls that get along perfectly well than two girls that try to kill each other.
A little telling off is fine. If Holly has her own space, great. You're doing everything right, just give it time.

 

We are a multi dog household, and have three labradors, Casper nearly 8, Benson 3 and Bramble has just turned one. So Casper, was a similar age to your Holly when Bramble came on the scene. Benson was 2.
Up to about 4 months old, Casper simply ignored Bramble, he was happy for her to cuddle up and doze, but didn't interact in play. Benson was happy to jump around and play, he just couldn't help himself! . I did limit this however, as would never tell her off, but I could see at times he was just too polite.

Crates are really, really important, for Bramble, as well as managing playtime. She has a crate in the front room (with us) and Benson has one in the kitchen, his own space and retreat, because he is happier to disappear and chill in his crate, rather than tell her off.

Now we supervise play with Casper and Bramble, let them play with toys..they usually like a few minutes of tuggy after tea. Then the toy gets put away. One thing I don't allow with Bramble is jumping around with Casper, he knows she is a playful (and clumsy...) adolescent. Casper has back stiffness (A/S) as well as mild HD in one hip. So he can get growly at her,and has every right too, I never interfere just manage the environment, so they are comfortable. Casper doesn't want growl (tell her off..) but I can see he gets worried and anxious sometimes. Benson is older (wiser????? ) and he knows that Casper can be stiff and sore, I guess they read the nuances of body language, where young excitable dog/pups can't.

 

I've experience of it twice a colleague had 2 staff I bitches who could not get on and a close friend who had 2 borders who really wanted to kill each other. but with both of these it was as the first and oldest dog became infirm. Its very different to what descibed here. Your dogs sound very normal and as if your older dog is setting her boundaries and teaching some manners.
I got my first 2 labs from a home with 4 girls and 2 boys and they were great together. the 3rd came from 6 girl and 2 boy home and they were like a sisterhood they girls ruled there. Labs seem to be able to live in groups happily most people I know who have labs have more than one. my old male was great with the young boy pup and taught him how to conduct himself, it was so funny watching the young fella try to copy the old boy. He also comforted him and gave him so much confidence. Separating them with crates etc really worked for me too. I just made sure each older dog got some peace from the brown pest

 

Thank you so much for all your support,
this forum really is a lifeline to new puppy owners x

 

I think senior dogs should be allowed to 'tell junior dog off', but it didn't often happen in my household. Just to reassure you I have had two lots of 2 bitches living together over the years and never a cross word I was more concerned about 2 dogs living together, now I have 2 and again with the males, never a cross word.

 

I have a 3.5 year old dog, and a 7 month old puppy. It is always the case that the older dog has to be protected from the puppy. He would never, ever tell her off in the house. She is a pushy little thing, and boisterous. Because he won't tell her off, it creates no end of problems. I really would prefer it if he marked out the boundaries himself, but he doesn't and will get increasingly miserable until I step in. I don't like him taking himself off away from the family in order to get some peace, at one stage he started to do this too much and it wouldn't be his preference if the puppy wasn't bothering him.

Stepping in is usually just separating them. The puppy in a crate if needs be, but I try to avoid having her in a crate too much. My solution tonight is me in the middle of the sofa, and a dog each side and I just put out my arm to create a barrier to stop Betsy nagging Charlie.

He is often happy to play, just not forever! Which is Betsy's preference.

He will tell her off outside, or at least he has done twice. Which I was pleased about.

So long as an older dog is proportionate and appropriate, there is no harm in a puppy being told 'enough now'. I wouldn't let it happen too often though, I'd still do my share of stepping in before it got to a point where the older dog had to react.

 

We got Cooper when Tilly was 9. Tilly put up with Coopers puppy antics, and occasionally told her to stop. Cooper is so much bigger than Tilly now, it is mostly the other way around. They play fight sometimes, but never actually bite. They make a lot of noise, and usually chose to do it while we are trying to watch TV in the kitchen or family room. They are good about sharing bones and toys, and often play tug together.

Cooper can be a bit of a bully when they are chasing Tennis Balls outside, mostly because she can flatten Tilly just by running into her.

 

My two are both bitches, with only almost two years difference in their ages. We had Wispa as a puppy when our two older dogs were about 10 (bitch) and 12 (dog), then bought Tuppence when Wispa at nearly two eventually became an only dog. Even the older dogs always had their crates as a safe haven with their Kongs, partly because they needed to be crated at night or sometimes during the day during our regular trips to Scotland for our grandchildren's holidays.

Wispa has always been a bit lenient with Tuppence, e.g. just stepping back when Tuppence as a little puppy used to try to eat Wispa's food as well as her own, but she can sometimes get carried away when they're playing tuggy games or bitey-face, usually just after meals! If their play gets a bit boisterous, "Enough!" soon stops it, so it's useful to have a similar command to calm things down if necessary. I still do on-lead walks with them separately too, so that each dog has its 'me' time.

It's hard work for quite a while, but worth it in the end.

 

The one thing just to add (just in terms of general thoughts) is I think it's probably much preferable for a dog to 'tell off' a puppy than to be bugged until they sort of react.

Charlie doesn't tell Betsy off generally, but when he does (all of twice) he sort of went 'Ok, you want to play big boy games? Huh? Let's see if you really like it....' and basically booted her down the field, using his far bigger strength and weight. She didn't come to any harm, but still. I'd rather he had just growled at her really. But he doesn't do growls.

This was when she was about 6 months, and her puppy licence just ran out, I think.

 

Exactly the same happened with me and my brother - I can remember it to this day!

He was so good with me and I always pushed it - one day his patience ran out


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Love hearing all your stories.
We are doing ok at the moment, putting all the advice you have given into practice.
My husband who works away, is home for two weeks at Christmas so looking forward to
having the help.
HAPPY CHRISTMAS FROM HOLLY AND POPPY XXXXX

 

You have basically described our household - 6yo adult male and 6 month old female. The puppy she will be the boss when she gets older - our male dog was always the follower and likes that role but currently being the adult dog he is supposeto be the 'boss dog' for now. Except he rarely even tries to tell the upstart off at all and as you said she just wants to play forever. The rare times he has told her off she got the message but its few and far between. Usually takes us to tell them both to calm down when she goes over the edge. The puppy is the one who gets over excited and goes too far but they both are involved in getting to that stage

 

Hmmmm, I'm reading these posts and replies with interest! We've got a 3-and-a-half year old lab and have just introduced an 8-week old lab puppy.

It's only been a day, but the older one is pretty wary of the pup and really seems to want nothing to do with him! I imagined that the bond would be pretty instantaneous. Aaah, the innocence. The naivety...

Is there some kind of magical timescale that the bonding happens over?

 

My two are able to exist in the same room as my puppy now, without snapping or pulling faces at her. Pup is 13 weeks and we've been at this stage for about a week now. Until then, it was all very careful introductions. As she grows, it will get easier. Don't worry, just try to keep all associations positive. Give your older dog lots of verbal and food rewards for any little sniff of the pup. Let us know how you get on!

 

My Tatze bonds with the pups instantly, Zaba keeps them at paws length for a week or two. He will play with her now (she's 17 weeks) but on his terms.

This was Tatze's first meeting with Mollie!