AboutNicole Expertise I can and will answer any question pertaining to volunteering, fostering and/or adopting a rescued dog. I can also help with the behavioral and health issues that abound with shelter and rescue canines.
I am able to help you decide if volunteering is the right path for you and what type of volunteer work you may be best suited for. I have experienced and witnessed volunteer 'burn-out' and can be your sounding board if you're feeling a bit stressed.
Re-homing your dog is always a big decision...please talk to me before you make it! People often re-home dogs with behavioral or health issues because they feel they are out of options. Let's discuss it and see what we can come up with!
Experience I've worked with dog rescue for the past 6 years and currently direct/own a rescue. I have been an intake coordinator, application processor, volunteer cordinator and assistant director prior to running a rescue. I am the guardian of 5 adopted dogs.
Education/Credentials Certified obedience instructor and current director of a non-profit, 501(c)3 rescue organization.
Expert: Nicole Date: 2/7/2008 Subject: fostering a puppy
Question QUESTION: Hi, my boyfriend and I will be fostering a puppy for the next week or so and we just wanted to get some advice about how to introduce the puppy to our 8 month old lab. Hes very friendly with other dogs, and loves to play with them- maybe too much. I'm afraid he'll want to wrestle and play-bite the puppy- and I don't want the baby to get hurt. I also want Hunter (our lab), to get accustomed to having a new puppy in the house because we plan on getting other dog in the future. What can we do and how can we set up our home so that the dogs get along well? Any other advice you have would be great! Thanks!
ANSWER: Hi Ashley,
If you can introduce them on neutral territory, that would be great. If not, at least introduce them out in the yard and take them for a walk together before you allow them in the house.
Put up anything of Hunter's that the two could fight over...toys, treats, chewies, beds, etc. You're only having this dog for a week, no sense in allowing possible chaos.
Hunter will want to wrestle and play bite...he's a lab puppy. Most dogs/puppies know by nature what too rough is, assuming they've been well socialized and taught manners.
Hunter isn't going to get accustomed to having a puppy in the house because you are babysitting for a week I'm afraid. This will be no different than a play date.
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QUESTION: Hi, ok so everything you said was completely right, thats exactly what ended up happening! We fostered the puppy (who was sooo cute and laid back) and Hunter WOULD NOT leave him alone. If he wasn't trying to hump him, he was trampling him and play biting. All he wanted to do was play! I felt so bad for the puppy and the fact that he couldn't rest that we gave him back early! The puppy started biting him back but in a "leave me alone" aggressive kind of way, which I think was understandable, and our dog backed off at first but then thought it was a new game. What should we have done differently? Will our dog always be like this around other dogs? I wish he could just relax, he loves other dogs so much that he just cant leave them alone! Is this considered an obsessive behavior? I know we have to get him neutered, that is next on our list and he has an appt in March, but what else could be causing this crazy behavior. Thanks so much!
ANSWER: Hi,
Is this where I say 'told you so'? lol ;)
Nothing abnormal occurred. How else do you think I was able to tell you what was going to happen? Completely, 100%, expected puppy behavior.
What should you have done differently? Well...I don't know what you did but from your comments in your post, I can tell you that you need to get a whole bucketful more patience. Hunter isn't crazy or obsessive...he's absolutely normal. If that makes you feel any better.
Like I told you before, a week isn't going to do anything. You giving the puppy back early only tells me that perhaps you aren't ready for a two dog household.
Unless you have two extremely laid back puppies (good luck with that) what you saw is what you can expect for 2 or 3 weeks. Constantly. After that they'll sort of settle into their routine. A dog learns manners best from another dog. When the puppy was telling Hunter off, hopefully you let him do it. What Hunter was getting was a friendly warning...which is why you saw him back off. Trying to go back for more was nothing different than a toddler testing boundaries. The puppy would have elevated his warning if needed.
One thing you could have done, if you didn't, was put them in separate rooms (either with an actual door or a babygate) for a bit of down time. Crates also work well for this. Having a crate for each dog will give them a place to retreat to when desired.
Hunter will naturally calm down as he ages. Even though the other puppy may have been smaller, you have to remember that Hunter is only a puppy as well. You might want to put off getting another dog until Hunter is 2'ish. Between now and then, socializing him will help. Play dates, dog parks, walks, trips to the store...etc. Enroll him in a group obedience class.
I want to really drill this into your head...you have a Lab. He's not goofy because he has testicles, because he's a 'he', etc. You have a Lab. :) They are a good natured, naturally friendly, silly breed.
Neutering him will help, to a point, but it's not a magic cure. The hormones in his body will still be coursing through for about 6 months after the big chop. Humping is most often, surprise!, not a sexual behavior. It's a sign of dominance and is often exhibited during play or over excitement...even bitches hump.
Unless you want to have a replay of this past week, which some people find enjoyable, believe it or not, I strongly suggest you take my advice with regards to socialization and obedience training. The more dogs you can get him around, the more used to them he'll be.
Good luck and if I can help you further, let me know!
Nicole
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QUESTION: Right, well we ended up keeping them in separate rooms for a while so that the puppy could sleep and Hunter could relax, and that worked out okay. And I'm sure you're right, we are not ready for another dog yet, which is fine because Hunter is more than enough right now! Actually, I gave Jack (the puppy) back more because I was worried about his safety than anything else, but maybe I was overreacting. The thing is..Hunter is around dogs a lot actually. We bring him to the dog park at least once a week, and he always makes lots of friends! He displays the same behavior but its fine because most of the dogs are bigger than him and he cant bully them around. He loves dogs, and we thought he was well socialized because of this, but I guess he needs more time around them to make him start to chill out? I understand that hes a puppy and thats the main reason for acting like this, but I'm just afraid he will always be this excited around other dogs.How often should we be taking him to the park, and for how long each time? We will certainly look into obedience training as well. Thanks so much for your help! Hunter and I appreciate it!
Answer Hi :)
Yes, you probably over-reacted, lol, no worries, though, it's common if you're not used to it. I have 7 so I'm way used to it. I grew up only having one dog so the first time I had 2 in the house it was a bit nerve wracking! I was pretty sure someone was either going to have a broken leg or start bleeding out of their ears. :)
If Hunter being at the dog park once a week is what's making you say he's around dogs a lot, you're mistaken. Let me explain before you get offended.
Let's say when you were a kid, your parents only ever took you out of the house to go to the corner store. The same store, every time. Eventually, you'd understand how to act at THAT store, you'd see the same things, talk to the same people (more or less). It would become very common and non-exciting. On your tenth birthday they take you to dinner and you've never been in a restaurant, much less any place different than the corner store. You have no idea how to act...it's all new and VERY exciting. The people are different, the smells, sounds, etc. How would you act? Hard to say, isn't it? Because when we are kids, assuming we're raised properly, our parents expose us to new things all the time. We grow up knowing that it's ok to run in the park but not in the store (mostly lol). You eat with your hands at McDonalds but with utensils at a sit down restaurant. You are a well-adjusted adult with good social skills.
It's the same basic principal for dogs. The more you can expose them to, the better adjusted they'll be. The goal, during socialization, is 1 new place a week and 50 new people. Anywhere you can expose him to other dogs is a great choice. Dog Park, pet store, etc. Yes, you're taking him to the dog park and he's meeting new dogs, on occasion, but it's still the same park. Same smells, same sounds, same sights.
He's not always going to be a freak around other dogs...don't worry about that. He'll mature in his own time. My 'breed' is the Boxer...they don't mentally mature until about age 3 (think of the fun at my house). ;) The more you can expose Hunter to, the better he'll be. If you have a daycare close by, take him once a week, dog park, once a week, see if you can meet up with some friends to dog walk together (if they have a dog obviously), take him to Petsmart or whatever you have. Take him to an outside mall or a beach where pets are welcome and just sit on a bench and let people approach him.
Another trick, before you go to the park, is to take him for a good walk. A 1/2 hour brisk walk (not a slow, smell the grass kind of walk) will tire him out a bit. If you have to drive to the park, go, but before you let him into the fenced area, walk him for 1/2 hour around the other sections of the park or down the sidewalk. THEN let him in. Right now, when he's getting there, he's a bundle of nerves and energy...drain some of that and you may just see a difference.
