Are you looking to buy a second dog, but you are afraid to break the harmony in your home, you are afraid not to break the relationship with your first dog, which is a little older and has got very close to you, you fear your dog’s reactions towards the little invader, you assume your dog is going to feel abandoned and possibly develop a destructive sense of jealousy and you fear not being able to handle all these reactions?
You should not worry so much.
First of all, your "senior dog" will be afraid of being replaced when you bring your little newcomer home. It will always push the puppy away from its things. This whole thing can last from 15 days to two or three months in extreme cases.
Do not change anything about your behavior! Talk and treat your dog normally. Do not let the puppy sleep in the basket of the elder dog. It should have its own basket. The two dogs should only sleep together in one basket when they develop a perfect relationship. Both of them should feel like they have their own home. You can buy them enough dog toys so they don't fight from them.
If the puppy gets three to four meals per day, you must make sure that your dog does not try to eat its kibble. Similarly, you should also make sure that the puppy does not eat the elder one’s kibble from its plate. Each dog should mind its own plate from the first day. They must get used to eating from their own plate as soon as possible. Also pay attention to the amount of croquettes you give them so that they do not end up fighting over them.
Of course, the elder dog should always be served first and the puppy second.
As for the pee tray (if you have one), the puppy should only do its business after the first one has finished.
The same goes for grooming. The elder dog should always be groomed first. Do not forget to reward it when you are done. Then do the same with the puppy. This is a very good technique to strengthen the relationship between your dogs in time.
Make play a priority. Buy it latex toys appropriate for its age (solid and very noisy). These toys will encourage the two dogs to play alone, which will be very useful when you must leave for work or elsewhere.
The youngster will try to seduce the senior dog all the time and its facial expressions will bear fruit eventually. But do not be afraid of aggressive reactions from the elder dog. The little dogs usually bite with their sharp teeth. Of course, the elder dogs roar back and let them know that they must not do it again. And they won’t.
The elder dog should always have the collar and the leash put on first.
Cuddle your eldest dog first but do not exaggerate when you cuddle the younger one afterwards. Do not make demonstrations of joy or play crazy games with the puppy. Try to be moderately affectionate.
You must make sure that the eldest dog keeps its leading position. This is indisputable. The little one should feel that it is the newcomer in the "pack".
Try to teach the little one the basics of separation at the beginning of the summer holidays. These should not be too difficult to acquire if you do not cuddle it too much. Then you will no longer have to worry about bitten furniture and damage around the house. You can put plastic bottles on the table legs to discourage it. Of course, forbid any barking from the very beginning. Turn on the radio and leave a garment with your scent when you leave.
The little dog is usually inclined to take over around the age of 8 to 12 months (in its adolescence). Of course, you can stop the fight over domination. The, they will calm down and stay in their places. The little one should only be allowed to take over if the senior dog is too old and sick.
Fin more tips at www. petwell.co.uk. But remember that you are the one who decides the leader of the pack and you can always buy other dogs later on! The situation will always be the same. Do not panic because things always come around. However, you should not buy two or three puppies at the same time if you want to avoid all these problems related to their adjustment.