Urgent, afraid for puppy

dragona · 09-01-2022 11:19pm #1

Hi, need some urgent advice please!

I have a 17 month old miniature dachshund, male, and a13 year old retriever. They get on very well, and are not remotely grumpy with each other.

I have just gotten another dachshund pup, 8 weeks old, and the initial meeting did not go well. This was Friday. My older dog woofed and has ignored him, as he did with dachsund no.1, which is fine.

My little dachsund though is showing great discomfort. Barking aggressively, growling and generally acting as if he's eat him in a heartbeat.

Lunged at the crate when pup cried, practically foaming at the mouth. 😭 I know it will take time but that has upset me 😭

I understand its been more or less minutes, I don't want to do anything wrong, and I'm afraid that the pup will get hurt. Obviously I will take all precautions. My daughter (adult) is downstairs in sitting room for the night with pup in crate, and will be for as long as necessary or we will take it in turns.

My two dogs sleep in my room, as they have aleays done. Please advise me! I haven't slept a wink with anxiety, and I really really need to get this right! Nothing is improving so far.

VonVix · 10-01-2022 12:14pm

Advocate for all your dogs, someone looks uncomfortable, intervene and separate them from what is stressing them in a calm manner. Do not give out to anyone for showing uncomfortable behaviour. Start swapping blankets, get puppy's scent where the adult dogs are, give adult dogs blanket to the puppy, do things like set puppy's old blanket out, and suddenly the older dogs favourite treat appears after they sniff the blanket.

Puppy's scent = good things.

Do not fuss over the older dachshund when he starts throwing shapes, for some dogs it looks as though you're joining in and also feel like the puppy is a problem.

Wrap puppy up in a blanket, pop him in your coat (if he's not fully vaccinated) and take your older dogs for a walk. When you start walking them all together, it'll get better, walking is great bonding for dogs. You've literally brought a strange dog into their comfortable, safe home. It takes a little while. It'd be like me walking into your house and saying hi, I live here now. Would you be comfortable? I'm sure you'd throw shapes at me too!

dragona · 10-01-2022 7:35pm

Thanks for your reply, I'm a bag of nerves atm on red alert at all times! As obviously I should be anyway, but I'm finding this particularly stressful.

I already have allowed pup to wander around all of downstairs, and he's been on all sofas and dog beds etc. I made sure his scent is all over. Any sign of discomfort, pup is immediately picked up and removed. Pup isn't wandering around downstairs unless other doors are closed and big sausage is asleep on sofa or out on a walk. He's very fast, and could easily lunge and quite frankly I'd be scared!

I'm not a novice dog owner and have had older dogs and puppies before, I dont know, the initial meeting I wasn't expecting to go quite so badly

VonVix · 10-01-2022 9:14pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118451370#Comment_118451370

Keep in mind if you're nervous, your existing dogs are gonna feel that too, and not quite sure know why. Be mindful of your own body language/tone of voice.

With the lunging at the crate situation, have you heard of barrier frustration? Some dogs can be reactive if they are behind a gate, fence, window, on a leash, etc, they can feel barrier frustration, also sometimes they can feel braver too knowing there's a barrier in between.

Have you introduced your dogs separately to the puppy? Also, have you tried it in a neutral area? For example, a friend's garden? Sometimes if you introduce 2 dogs to 1 new dog, the 2 can gang up/bounce off how each other feels.

dragona · 10-01-2022 10:14pm

Ah, my 13 yr old lab is fine, it's the little 17mth sausage that's reacting

Urgent, afraid for puppy

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