Hi everyone! I have a 4 1/2 month old puppy named Prince (3/4 lab, 1/4 pitt) that I got 4 weeks ago. Overall he is a great dog and though I just started training he seems to pick things up fast and go along with it well. My one unfixable right now is that before getting Prince I already had a 4 year old rescue named Scrappy(probably a terrier poodle mix but not sure) and Prince just won't stop cheppering him. He only wants to play but he quickly gets wild and will not stop and my older dog is getting VERY annoyed with him. I know in general older dogs are supposed to know how to put a puppy in their place but either Scrappy doesn't know how or he is just too overpowered. Prince is already 40 lbs and Scrappy is only about 18 lbs. I have tried supervised play and separating them when it gets too rough and I have tried not allowing it at all but lately it seems like Prince has one thing and one thing only on his mind, to play with Scrappy. Its at the point where I can't have them in the same room or outside at the same time without some serious puppy distraction on my part. Any advice? Any help please!?
Hi there , Gosh Prince sounds like a big puppy ,poor Scrappy he does sound like he is being challenged by his antics. Dex is our first dog and he's an only dog so I haven't got much to give you but I'll try and give you a few ideas.... I think it's great that you step in and separate them when it's all getting too much for Scrappy.Have you then got segregated areas that you can put them so they remain separate without you having to supervise?Prince might still be hyped up when you do this as he's the puppy and probably overexcited.Once you've interrupted play do you have a secure area,a crate if you are using one,or behind a child gate?If you can I'd give Prince something like a filled kong toy to chew on to settle him down in his segregated area and then Scrappy gets a rest in his place too. I used to do this last Summer when I started having a regular play dates for Dexter.we were housebound due to the heat so it could get quite hyper just playing inside my house.Dexter used to get put in his room behind the gate if he got too boisterous or wasn't giving the other dog a break,sometimes just a few mins timeout is enough,other times they'd have a kong each in their separate areas and a proper break from each other and I could get on with something.... I can remember asking other members on here with multiples if they ever thought I could get to a point where they would just chill out and relax together....now we have 3 friends dogs that regularly sleepover and mostly all is calm ......there are moments for sure but not many! Scrappy is only quite a youngster himself but I think it's really important that he has his own space ....and for your sanity too! When we first started having play dates too and the dogs were super excited and this new development in their life,I used to be right down there with them ,passing toys around ,getting involved checking no one was getting biffed or chewed on too much....this got less and less over time . I also used my clicker to teach Dexter 'get a toy' ,he can go supercharged over his threshold sometimes ,even now ,and will chase a dog around and around very hard and fast which can end in a roll of fur,legs and paws.now if I see him cranking up his gears I interrupt him with 'get a toy' and he'll stop and pick something up. Sorry if I've rambled a bit there,I'm just trying to pick out what I think might help from my very 'part time' knowledge of 2 dogs together.i can appreciate its a lot more full on for you with 2 all the time. Best wishes Angela x
