My older dog is aggressive with our new puppy. How can I help?

Question

hi. i have a wife & 1 year old baby. our family has a 6 year old dog who has been traumatized at an early age & we rescued her. the dog loves our family but is very dtandoffish & aggressive with strangers (people & dogs included). we have adopted a new pup to grow up with our son. the pup is 7 weeks old & our dog CANNOT get along with her. she always nips & harasses her . my goal is for them both to be friendly family dogs. any advice on what to do? keep them separated? or wait for this to pass? Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Female | unspayed | 6 lbs

Jessica Desrosiers · Accepted Answer

If your dog does not get along with other dogs it was probably a very bad idea (and a very stressful one) to bring a new puppy into the house. A new puppy can also be hard around a newborn as they aren't yet sure how to interact with each other. You can try to continue to get the two to get along by starting with limited introductions that are supervised, however if a fight breaks out the interaction should be stopped immediately and started again later. Never leave the two unsupervised together as even a good play sessions can cause accidental injury. You can also use baby gates as a way for the two to "meet" each other without being able to physically be together. If fights are continually breaking out, talking to a trainer or behaviorist that can observe within the home is best.

My older dog is aggressive with our new puppy. How can I help?

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