My older dog is rough with new puppy. Is it normal play or dominance?

Question

We recently got a new puppy - a morkie and my west highland terrier constantly chases him down, bites his ear, makes him wine, etc. I can't decide if this is normal play behavior or if he is asserting his dominance. What should I do? Pet's info: Dog | West Highland White Terrier | Male | unneutered | 2 months and 19 days old | 12 lbs

Debi Matlack · Accepted Answer

As long as he isn't actually hurting the puppy, I would let them alone to work out their hierarchy. The Westie is probably letting him know that he's top dog. Don't leave them alone together yet, until you're sure they are getting along. There is probably some play involved, but they're going to have to establish their pecking order. If the westie starts injuring the puppy, you will have to separate them unless they are directly supervised.

My older dog is rough with new puppy. Is it normal play or dominance?

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