Is Your Older Dog Growling At The Puppy? Know When To Step In.

I receive a number of enquires about new puppies and resident older dogs not getting along.

By the time a new puppy enters the home you have lifted the restrictions you originally had in place for your older dog. This might have included baby gates, crates, exercise pens, and supervision in general.

Their needs, in general, are different. Different needs require different strategies. Life with a puppy is different from life with an older dog. Your older dog can roam around the house freely as you no longer have concerns about chewing or peeing in the house or the curiosity of a new puppy to deal with.

The older resident dog, depending on age, might be used to a quieter environment and is no longer interested in interacting with other dogs when on walks.  This is a very common change in behaviour as they age.

 Some of the most common complaints I hear are: the puppy won’t leave the resident dog alone, he is always jumping on him, one dog finishes eating before the other and goes to take the food, one or the other is grabbing toys and running off, the older one is growling at the younger one, it’s difficult to walk them, and so on.

 These are all valid concerns.

When you bring a new pup into the home it is best to install the same puppy protocols you had in place with the first dog, as much as you may not want to.

This includes a gated off area to separate the two (or more) dogs.

We often forget how different life with a puppy is. We get very used to life with a dog that has a repertoire of useful skills to call upon and who doesn’t require steady monitoring.

The older dog deserves to eat and enjoy quiet time without being constantly harassed by the puppy and the reverse is true as well.  

The younger one needs to learn he can’t always be in the other dog’s face.

This is often where the growling comes into the picture. All dogs should be able to tell another dog he’s had enough or he doesn’t want to interact.

Well mannered adult dogs are great teachers. They gently tell the younger one to stop. Signals might be subtle before they become more obvious such as a growl or snap.

Because pups are annoying and don’t know when to stop, it’s important for you to recognize when you need to step in and provide a safe space for both. Ideally this is before the growl.

As long as bodies are floppy, loose, and both appear to be enjoying themselves, then let them play. At the first sign of the older one walking away or turning their body away from the pup, it’s time to end play.

When I introduced a new pup to my home years ago, I implemented a lot of different strategies to ensure both had alone time with me as well as independent quiet time. I wanted my older dog to feel free to roam around the house as he was used to. At the same time, I had to restrict the puppy from doing so as I was dealing with the usual puppy behaviour of chewing and housetraining.

I made sure they were fed separately so each could eat at their own pace. I made sure I spent time alone with each of them.

Making adjustments included individual walks. One walked slowly, the other was learning leash skills and walked quickly. I needed to teach skills to the puppy and he had to learn to be independent of the older one. The older one was used to spending time only with me and I wanted to maintain our special connection.

Adjustments need to be made when bringing a new puppy into your home, both for your benefit as well as for the resident dog.

Listen to your older dog when he says he’s had enough. It’s okay to separate them during the day. It’s okay for him to tell the puppy “enough”.

Finding the balance between getting to know and enjoy each other as well as being apart is an important step in the two learning to get along.