My puppy has too much energy and attacks my older dogs. What to do?

Question

I have an almost 6 month old puppy. She has so much energy, and both dogs I live with do not want anything to do with her. When she tries to play with them they growl, snarl and attack her when she aggravates them. My puppy does not understand the signals the other two are giving her. She is not interested in playing with me because she wants to play with the other two. I've tried playing interactive games with her, but the other two always butt in and everything escalates. Any suggestions? Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Female | unspayed | 5 months and 28 days old

Jessica Desrosiers · Accepted Answer

Puppies can be very rambunctious, and may not yet understand "dog language" so it could be that your older dogs are attempting to teach her appropriate boundaries. Appropriate body language behaviors saying things are "too much" can include showing teeth, low growling or snapping at the air around your puppy. If Elly backs off at this point, she is actually learning to read those signals and not escalate the behavior. However, if it is escalating to full bites, or your puppy continues to pester the dogs even if they've told her off, it is time to step in and give everyone a time out. Removing Elly from the situation completely in either a crate for some time out with a toy, or in a different room can help. Puppies are VERY full of energy, so extra walks or a puppy kindergarten class where she can interact with other dogs her age and size can help her learn to interact safely while burning excess energy. Once she is vaccinated, the dog park can be a place to go, but it is best that she knows how to properly interact with and respond to "dog language" prior to going so a fight doesn't start. If you are concerned that things are getting bad between all the dogs, it is best to keep them separated at all times unless under close supervision, and to contact a local trainer or behaviorist in your area that can help you in person.

My puppy has too much energy and attacks my older dogs. What to do?

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