Why won't my older dog use the yard or drink water after new puppy?

Question

I got a new puppy 5 days ago but my older dog (who is almost 2) now won't go to the toilet or play with her ball in the back garden and won't drink water from the water bowl. She was a bit wary of the puppy for the first couple of days but now they get on better and even play wrestle together. What can I do to get my older dog to use the garden and water bowl again? Pet's info: Dog | English Springer Spaniel | Female | spayed | 1 year and 11 months old | 30 lbs

Jessica Desrosiers · Accepted Answer

It sounds like Lily is still adjusting! You may want to temporarily add a second water bowl to give her options (and make sure she gets enough to drink) until she gets used to sharing. It may be once she's comfortable she'll go back to using the other bowl as well. As for pottying, taking her out on a leash to the area you'd like her to go and asking her to "go potty" can help show her that it's still OK to go out there. You may also want to bring along a few of her absolute favorite treats and reward her for successes to encourage her to continue going potty there, and make sure to clean up anything left behind by the puppy in case that is making her wary. As for her ball, playing with a different one, or encouraging play by going out there a bit more often/offering treats may help while she adjusts. It's likely that she'll return to normal play behavior in a few weeks once she is more used to the puppy, as well.

Why won't my older dog use the yard or drink water after new puppy?

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