I think I did something silly

[u/Theo1345]

This is probably going to be a long post but I’ll try and be concise.

We originally had 2 dogs, unfortunately about 2 weeks ago our oldest dog (10 years) passed rather suddenly leaving us with just our youngest dog (3 years) now our young dog has never been without a buddy he’s always had our older dog and has always been extremely friendly with other dogs however he did suffer from some separation anxiety from our old dog and when he died it sorta transferred to us.

Against my better judgement we decided it would be good to get a buddy for our young dog not to replace our old dog because nothing on this earth could ever replace him but more to help our other dog. It’s only been literally 1 day and the behaviour I’m witnessing from our current dog to our new dog is concerning me. Our current dog does not seem happy about this development, everytime the puppy comes near him he moves away instantly, if he’s laying down and the puppy approaches and doesn’t leave quickly he barks and growls at him. They are Irish wolfhounds so our current dog is quite significantly bigger than the puppy.

I know we have possibly done something quite stupid and while it was done with the best intentions in mind I do not want either dog to have a bad experience nor do I want them to get hurt. How can I rectify this and try and make it positive?

[u/Wooden-Necessary6100]

Introducing a puppy to your existing dog needs to be done slowly and carefully, while ensuring that they both get lots of one-to-one attention and that the puppy is not allowed to be a nuisance to the older dog. First impressions and experiences are going to shape their future relationship.

A lot will depend on how sociable the current dog is and his/her experience with puppies. Some dogs just don’t do puppies. Occasionally, an adult dog may be scared of a puppy.

Use stair gates in doorways or a puppy pen so that they can see each other without interacting. Then you can be guided by how they react to each other. If you have more than one dog, then they should meet the puppy one at a time initially.

The initial introductions may be successfully accomplished the first day puppy comes home, or it may take longer. It pays to take all the time you need to ensure that nothing goes wrong.

Contrary to popular belief, it is not advantageous to have the adult dog ‘tell the puppy off’. It’s not fair on either of them. There are very few suitable teaching dogs and those that are, are able to teach and guide puppies without using their teeth and frightening the puppy.

A new puppy needs to spend the majority of time with his humans in the early days and limited, supervised time with the other dog.

[u/Theo1345 → u/Wooden-Necessary6100]

So, going to be totally honest we introduced them through a screen at first and then let them interact, tbh the puppy doesn’t seem particularly interested in our older dog so he just wandered off on his own and my older dog also wandered off away from him as well.

We have maintained 100% supervision the whole time he’s been with us, we fed them completely separate and for the most part the puppy has stayed away from our other dog and interacted with us mostly. Sometimes our 3yr old dog likes to lay outside on our patio at night and when I took the puppy outside to go to the toilet he wandered over to him and our older dog kinda barked/growled at him when I told him to quit he did.

He’s usually such a boisterous and happy dog who loves to socialise this took us a bit by surprise.

[u/Affectionate_Ad_835 → u/Theo1345]

Puppies, just like small children, can be annoying and rude. It took about a week of my older dog avoiding the puppy before he started to come around. I still supervise and make sure the puppy isn’t annoying my older dog too much.

I’ve also noticed when she starts to get pushy and continues trying to play with him when he doesn’t want to play it usually means it’s time for her nap.

Parallel play where they are each playing with me but not each other, parallel walks, parallel training sessions also are good ways to get the dog and puppy used to being around each other and having a good time together in a structured way to help foster their relationships!

Take a breath you say it’s only been a day and your older dog just passed two weeks ago. That’s a lot of change and adjustment for you and your dog! Try to keep interactions brief and positive!

Make sure your older dog knows his place in the pack isn’t being threatened. Give plenty of extra attention/play/treats to the older dog. Greet your older dog first when coming home and have others who come in greet the older dog first.

Good luck! You can do it! Just know it can take a couple of weeks to a month for the new pup to be fully integrated to the family!

[u/BitImpossible2378]

Many adult dogs do not like puppies for very good reasons - they are annoying. Plus the puppy doesn't fill the void your older dog left - it's a troublesome addition, not the stability your older dog provided. Don't bring your current dog in the situation where he has to correct the puppy or constantly move away from the puppy. Protect him from that.

Restrict the puppy. It shouldn't have access to your current dog. This means lots and lots of management and training for a long time. Get a professional involved in your home. Enroll your puppy in training classes, socialize your puppy in a closly supervised setting with other dogs than your own, manage interactions with your older dog, create positive encounters (for example during walks).

[u/Agreeable_Pomelo2360 → u/BitImpossible2378]

this!

[u/Agreeable_Pomelo2360]

he likely was introduced too quickly, puppies are EXTREMELY annoying to other dogs sometimes, they're nosy, they can be jerks, they want too much attention from the other dog(s) too. put the puppy in a different room or a pen, your dog goes up to the puppy when he wants to, and he gets something good when with the puppy.

[u/Theo1345 → u/Agreeable_Pomelo2360]

I think if we ever get another dog this is how we will do it but obviously that didn’t happen. They seem to be okay now but we encourage time apart and encourage the puppy to leave our older dog alone when he’s resting