Expert: Suzanne Harris BSc CPDT - 10/16/2008

Question
We just got an 8 week old puppy a week ago.  Our 3 year old female seems to like him.  She will lay down with him, roll around outside with him and she plays very gently with him.  But every once in awhile when he gets a little rough or steps on her back or does some random thing she doesn't like she growls and snaps at him and gets up and goes in her crate.  Is she setting the guidelines with him for what she will tolerate?  Should I intervene and correct her for this aggression?  Should I not allow them to play? I do not see this behavior with her and my other dog when they play.  She actually lets my other dog (11 month old spayed female) play very rough with her.  
Thank you for any input you may have.wg

Answer
Dear Tina,

I think you're going to be all right letting the dogs work it out.  If you had told me that the 3 year old had injured the pup I'd advise otherwise.  The  3 year old sounds like most adult dogs who simply don't see the fun in playing with a goofball pup.  We humans find it hard to believe when a dog doesn't think a puppy is cute, but usually they just don't.  I don't know what breeds you have here but if they're all generally the same size and temperament, that helps too.  

You might want to sometimes curb the pup's activities around the adult, just to help teach the pup what's tolerable and what's not.  The 3 year old is already pretty much doing that -- AND removing herself from the situation instead of forcing a confrontation, which many older dogs will do.  Get a squirt bottle and give the pup a little squirt when he gets overly obnoxious, and remove him from the room for a minute or so if necessary.  It's nice that the adult has a "safe place" to retreat to when she wants -- make sure you keep that available to her so she can get away when she wants to.

Most pups get really energetic and playful when they hit 5-10 months, so the worst is yet to come.  It'll help your adult to know that you're supportive of her, but do your best to stay out of it until it gets really ridiculous.  

Most important, praise your older dog anytime she's with the pup, particularly when she's tolerating any contact with him at all.  Try to hold off on attention to the adult when the pup is away, so that she starts to actually look forward to his presence.

Good luck and thanks for writing.
Suzanne Harris, BSc, CPDT
http://www.dogdaysUSA.com