My daughter is leaving her labradoddle with us. She is here for two weeks My ten month old lab loves her. I mean really loves her. She won't give her a minutes peace she seems to be in her face the whole time if my daughters dog gets up my dog does, she licks her constantly and every now and then my daughters dog has a go at my dog and its peaceful for a little while. Will this settle down after a couple of days or what can I do to give our poor visitor a little peace and quiet. One inside one outside has been tried and that seems to work a little. My dog has stayed at my daughters house and she says exhaustion seems to slow things down. Two hours in and it seems like its going to be a long two weeks.
Hi @Jeff Smith Some questions. Is your daughter's dog obedient? More obedient than your dog? Do the dogs retrieve? Are they similar ages and size? Are they taking turns when they are playing together? Exactly what does your daughter's dog do when having a go? Description of body language? How does your dog react? Is there some area where the daughter's dog can go, if and when she wants a rest? Are the two dogs crate trained? Are you up to taking the two for a walk?
My daughters dog is 4 years old and quite obedient they are similar in size. My dog is so happy to see her that she just wants to play non stop. By the way this is now she arrived earlier today. My dog licks her face constantly and every now and then she growls at my dog and she stops for a while my dog then jumps back and leave her alone for a a minute or two. Too hot today for a walk. They aren't crate trained either of them I will put one out and one in for a while but its very hot out there. They are not fighting just my dog is relentlessly playing. At the moment they are sitting apart in the lounge room. Mine is laying down and I think she is mentally exhausted my daughters dog is just worn out for now. When they meet there is much wagging of tails etc. Its just that my dog seems to want to be front and centre with all the attention and her nose is a little out of joint by the other dog being there. Is it best to just let them work it out.
Hi @Jeff Smith Your dog licking the other dog could be a remnant of puppy behaviour. Puppies lick the inside of their mother's mouth in order to get the mother to regurgitate some food. It sounds as if they are playing and that your dog is reading the other dog's signals. You don't describe any behaviour that would be a manifestation of bullying. Nor do they seem aggressive. All good news. You are right to give, however, the older some respite. Since the older dog is obedient, I think you have a golden opportunity to go some way to fixing your other concern. If you can get an assistant to walk the other dog, then you can follow at a distance where your dog is below threshold. Do some heeling. Go to the end of your street . Turn homewards. A little bit of heeling. Both dogs can sniff as a reward. The other dog sets off. Give yor heel cue. When your dog sets off rather than staging a sit in, enthusiastic praise and reward with a treat. Rinse and repeat 4 more times before you arrive home, ie heel, sniff another cue, release for sniff, and so on. You also have the opportunity to train them inside. Simon says "sit stay". Frequently reward the dogs during the stay, particularly your dog. Then give release cue. Let them play for a few minutes. Then Simon says down stay. Once again reward if each dog stays. You might need an assistant, and for both of them to be on lead. If the other dog knows retrieve, then Simons says daughter's dog, retrieve. Your dog has to stay either down or in a sit. Do it 4 times. See whether your dog has learnt from mimicry. The idea here is twofold 1. Your teaching the dogs to be calm around each other rather than like goldfish in a pond at feeding time. 2. Perhaps more importantly, you are teaching them that they can interact with you as the centre of attention. Let us know how you go.
It's important to give the dog-that-doesn't-want-to-be-pestered enough space. The easiest thing is probably just to put up a stair gate in your house and have a dog on each side of it for most of the time. If you want them to get along better for future, then have limited time with the stair gate down and both sharing the same space but keep the labradoodle on a puppy house line tethered to you, to prevent her from pestering the other dog and to enable the other dog to keep distance. It is hard if they are not going to permanently live together because novelty makes things exciting and habituation means things get boring....
