Puppy Bonding With Older Dog

[Max#1]

Ah another one here with a dog and a relatively new puppy and have worried a bit about the bonding and training.

But Corvus that photo is so beautiful!!!

The puppy is an angel - she loves everyone, but she does love Max and copies everything he does. And its adorable. At first I was worried about them bonding too much, but I don't think its really an issue. She seems to be highly food motivated and highly petting motivated (she loves a cuddle), so a game of bitey face is over in a flash if I crinkle a packet of anything!

If I take Max out (we've gone a few full days of competitions lately), she is happy with my OH and doesn't fret - so that's good. They train separately at obedience and she doesn't give him a second look as she goes off happily with the OH!

I love the tandom training, and find a bit of competition puts Max on his game. Even if I'm offering a nail clipping, having a second dog means it has all of a sudden become a reward!!!

My only concern is she's not so anxious to have work to do as Max was, and she's nowhere near as trained as he was at that age (at four months its only just silly tricks, but still). Max was probably born asking his mum if there was anything she needed him to do, and from day one was looking us in the eye almost asking 'okay, what's next?'. She's not even one quarter of that, so actually I'm enjoying having a dog that's a bit more relaxed and carefree!

[Mason_Gibbs]

Max i know what you mean, my older dog was always afraid to do the wrong thing and disappoint me, Gibbs is more carefree!!!