Puppy Vs Puppy

[Ridgey2]

I desperately need some advice. I'm new to this forum and hope it will help!

We have a 6 month old male rhodesian ridgeback named Max. We brought him home aged 10 weeks and he has been a brilliant puppy so far. But a couple of days ago we brought home a new puppy, a 9 week old female ridgeback named Mia. Yes I know, we probably should've just bought two puppies of the same age at the same time, but lesson learned.

Max and Mia have been working each other out, and sometimes they will play together quite relaxed or just sit together. Max does a LOT of sniffing of her rear and has started mouthing her neck and legs. She gives him what for by barking at him, and for the most part it is not rough, just play, from what I can tell.

But today I watched Max take Mia by the neck (skin and fur, not whole neck!!!) and practically drag her until I went out an intervened. That worries me, and I wonder whether what I thought was just play could be something more negative.

I understand they need to work out who's going to be dominant, and she is very strong willed for a young pup. Max is quite a relaxed puppy but he doesn't want to submit either.

Is this relationship going to work, or is the mouthing of the neck and legs, and the dragging today, a sign of problems????

[fuzzy82]

I'd say it's just a very rude play style. My adult dog does it to my puppy all the time, despite the puppy now being bigger than her (he's so tolerant of her and never tells her off for it). I just intervene, either say 'no' and break it up, or put her in time out or similar.

But if they are outside all day mostly unsupervised you can't really expect it to stop... You'd have to spend some time supervising and get him every time he does it, until he realises that it doesn't pay off. Praise when he plays nicely.

[persephone]

Welcome

I understand they need to work out who's going to be dominant,

life is not really a

continual fight for dominance

you have a BIG puppy, playing TOO ROUGH for a tiny puppy.

It is similar to a 5 yr old human playing with a one year old human.....VERY different sizes, and ways of playing ..and a potential for injury

and , No, I don't think you should have bought two the same age .............. but perhaps you should have waited until your first one was mature and settled .

Sorry,I have no suggestions for you, other than to separate them when you are not around....

[poodlefan]

Separate them unless supervised.

Be sure to socialise and train them on their own.

If you can't separate them when you're out for probably at least the next 12 months, I'd be returning the female pup.

[Pretty Miss Emma]

Keep them separate unless under very close supervision. Even with a mature older dog I would be doing this for some time. When Kenzie was a baby she was not left unsupervised with Em for probably at least 2 months, and Emma is a an absolute role model of a tolerant dog who will give puppies every warning signal under the sun.

Agree with PF about socialising them on their own. I didn't do enough socialising with Kenzie on her own (we did heaps of socialising but she had Emma who is 11 years her senior with her too much of the time) and I think that has created some of her problems now which I am woring very hard to fix up. The next time I get a pup I will be trying to do the majority of socialising with them on their own for at least about 6 months.

But that certainly won't be until Kenzie is at least 2-3 years of age. One puppy provides enough issues to deal with (Kenz is 18 months and she's well and truely still a puppy at times!!).

If you aren't able to keep them separate and are considering returning her do it sooner rather than later (hopefully will mean less issues for her from having to deal with the boy being too rough, plus emotionally much easier for everyone).

Good luck with whatever avenue you choose to follow!

[Nalaridge]

Yes I know, we probably should've just bought two puppies of the same age at the same time, but lesson learned.

I would've said just stick to one puppy at a time, especially Ridgies. Wait until one is at least 1 or 2 years before getting another. You're going to have a heck of a time training them. You'll try be rewarding one for doing the right thing while telling the other off at the same time. It sends mixed messages at times. But best of luck to you. I'd like to know how you cope, because one RR pup is enough for me until she's an adult. Though we did consider getting 2 at first, our breeder advised us not to.

But today I watched Max take Mia by the neck (skin and fur, not whole neck!!!) and practically drag her until I went out an intervened. That worries me, and I wonder whether what I thought was just play could be something more negative.

I understand they need to work out who's going to be dominant, and she is very strong willed for a young pup. Max is quite a relaxed puppy but he doesn't want to submit either.

Is this relationship going to work, or is the mouthing of the neck and legs, and the dragging today, a sign of problems????

As for this, I think you need to step in when it gets too far and separate them for a little. My Ridgeback does the same thing to other pups, it's a dominance thing and it shouldn't be tolerated. Our trainer noticed it and reprimanded her straight away, because it's how they treat prey usually. I know it looks like rough play, and neither dog is really yelping, but it shouldn't get to that. Normally if Nala starts biting at legs or grabbing at necks, i jump in grab her snout (not tight, just so she can't open her mouth) and give her firm NO or growl! After awhile all I need to do is growl at her if she does it again and she backs off, but if she doesn't then I try separate the dogs.

Another point I'd like to make, and I know the situation is a little different in your case because you have 2 pups. But usually when you introduce a new dog into the family with an existing dog, their place is still at the bottom. They can't come in and start dominating the first dog, because IT WILL get to their head and they'll test you even further.

There's a good book that I'm reading at the moment that covers a lot of this: http://books.google.com.au/books?id=jEg3dWtFlFIC&printsec=frontcover&dq=rhodesian+ridgeback&hl=en&ei=eP7iTc7pOouOuQP44piNBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDMQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=rhodesian%20ridgeback&f=false

[ChelseaX]

hey everyone!

im new to this forum but just got a baby samoyed/jap spitz.

does anyone have any ideas on how to stop my older (5yr old collie) from stealing her treats. she just barks at him when he does this

but other than that, i intervene and take it off him. his already gotten one, so his just gona get MORE overweight =(

[stonecutter]

Does your BC know the "leave it" command?

[Pretty Miss Emma]

hey everyone!

im new to this forum but just got a baby samoyed/jap spitz.

does anyone have any ideas on how to stop my older (5yr old collie) from stealing her treats. she just barks at him when he does this

but other than that, i intervene and take it off him. his already gotten one, so his just gona get MORE overweight =(

Don't put them in a situation where he can steal her treats? So maybe crate one while they get treats if they are long lasting chewy treats, or one inside one outside. If they are short lived treats then hand feed them during training. And as stonecutter said - leave it?