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Tuesday, November 24, 2009 - 2:09 PM
I will soon be bringing home a female Golden Doodle puppy to our home. We already have a nine year old male dog. Do you but we also will want to be affectionate to the puppy.
Thanks,
Chris
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Adding New Dog to Existing Dog
ANSWER:
Chris,
I crate train all my dogs. I believe crate training is one of the best tools for potty training and preventing separation anxiety. It also
helps when introducing new dogs to each other or even has helped when introducing a dog to a cat. It also gives the puppy a
safe place to retreat to when things get overwhelming for you and the puppy. The crate becomes their own private den and place
of rest.
I have observed many times that food can be a stimulus that triggers aggression. I suggest to not leave a food bowl down for your
older dog. Also, when you first feed the dogs, feed them separately. This is an example where crate training can be helpful. You
can use the crate to feed your puppy. Also, when I put a bowl of food down, I never leave it longer than 10 minutes. I then pick it
up and discard whatever food is left over. Personally, I feed my dog raw diet. I always hand feed my dog because it is quick and it
also helps in the bonding process. With raw diet, the food is usually gone in less than 45 seconds.
Once the puppy is well mannered and has some training, and your older dog can be well controlled, then I would not hesitate to
feed them both together. Fighting over food is a form of resource guarding - not jealousy in the dog. Always remember, you are
the manager of the dogs and should always be in control of the situation – supervision is the key.
So, how do you control the learning or behavior of the dogs when you are not present? I suggest to not leave the puppy
unattended until you are absolutely sure your male is compatible. It is also important to know how well you can control your older
male dog. If you have a good handle on your dog, then you should have little or no problems. When the dogs are unattended, you
can either control the environment that the dogs live in – (ie: creating physical barriers), or you can control the dogs themselves
within the environment – (ie: crate training). Of course, it is important to provide a good foundation in the training process, as
there is no substition for a solid foundation of training. This will carry over during those times you are unable to attend to the dogs.
Training and learning is simply building associations. You cannot make your older dog understand that the puppy is not a threat.
As he begins to build associations with the puppy, in time he will learn on his own that the puppy is not threatening. When your
dogs begin to interact with each other, a bond between the two will be created, even when you are not present. However, it is our
responsibility to provide the puppy a safe learning environment. I believe this is best done with constant supervision - especially
for the first few weeks that the puppy is home. When you cannot be present, it is key to control the environment when the two are
left unattended.
In conclusion, for the first few weeks - always supervise, use the crate to your advantage – but be sure to not ever use it as a
punishment – make it a place the puppy “gets to go to” not “has to go to”, don’t feed them together right away, and aways control
the environment.
Soon, I will be writing a little article on crate training. I believe this helps solve so many problems and/or difficulties that arise with
dogs and especially with puppies.
Hope this was helpful.
Army
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