# Puppy Bonding With Me or My Other Dog?



## juicedgr95 (Nov 12, 2010)

I have a 9 week old GSD and a 6 year old Boxer. I spend a lot of time with both dogs but they dont get a lot of one on one time with me. I've been noticing that if the boxer is not around, Axle (gsd) listens and plays and overall has a lot of fun with me  Now if my boxer is around, he is more interested in playing with her. I can sometimes get his attention and sometimes he will just ignore me. The boxer listens to me no matter what. 

Another thing I notice is that Hailey (boxer) is getting kinda tired of the puppy antics. Always jumping on her when she is sleeping, she can't walk around without Axle biting at her legs trying to get her to play. The first couple weeks she was very tolerant and just gave him a nudge if he was annoying her. This has now turned into growling and showing her teeth (but never snapping). I REALLY feel bad for her because he is obviously annoying her. I now it is just the puppy in him always wanting to play, and she is the old lady that just wants to lay around. Two different personalities colliding. 


I have tried redirecting him by giving him a toy instead of her leg but that lasts just minutes. He is learning what NO means though haha. 

He is crate trained and she gets full run of the house when I'm gone, but her bed is next to his crate, is this helping them bond? Should I move her bed to another room so they arent looking at each other all day?

Any help or advice would be appreciated, I would feel bad gating one in another room while I played with the other, but it may be the only way??


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

That picture is just too cute!!!! 

It's fine that they are together alot BUT you need to step in if the puppy is getting too crazy and pestering the older dog. Do not want a real fight to occur cause that will mess up the dynamics in the home in a bad bad way. If the pup won't let up, just calmly pick it up and crate for a few minutes. Not a 'bad dog' thing. Just a brief time out.

Of course the dog/dog thing will occur, it's normal and why good breeders don't sell 2 puppies at the same time. So easy for the dogs to be their own pack and you just feed them and give them a pet.

But it's easy to get yourself into the picture and you see it's been done with your older dog already. It's the one on one time OUTSIDE THE HOME training and exercising as well as socializing your puppy and leaving the older dog HOME. That way the pup learns to look to YOU, cue from YOU, get guidance from YOU rather than the other dog.

Also OFF leash exercise in the woods really helps calm all the dogs and makes things so much calmer in the house. This is what I must do with my puppies!


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## cshepherd9 (Feb 11, 2010)

What you are describing is exactly what I went through. My older dog was 7 when I got Willow but everything you say above is the same behavior I went through. Dallas would let me know when she had had enough and I would redirect Will back to a toy or even to play with me. Also, I don't know if it really helped but my puppy trainer said to make some time during the day to separate them completely, so when I went to work I put Willow in her crate in my bedroom and shut the door. This was to help with separation anxiety as she got older in case Dallas wasn't around. 
Also, to help the bonding with me, we have gone to various training classes together and worked on OB around the house one on one. It was as simple as leaving one dog indoors and stepping out back with the other. Not more that 15-20 minutes so it wasn't bad. Of course, when she was real young it took me a while to get her attention away from the door where Dallas was lurking and watching us!

Oh, and the separation thing I only did for about 5-6 months. It is no longer necessary as Willow and Dallas both have free reign of the house and get along great. I didn't leave them alone together until I was completely sure of how they interact with each other.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

You definitely want to do some one on one time with each of them. The puppy will need training, and it's hard to do that around the distraction of your other dog. You also want to make sure that you don't spend all your time with the puppy - you don't want the older dog to get jealous and resentful of him. Since puppies need a lot of supervision until they're housebroken and reliable about not chewing, I'd crate Halo or put her out in the garage pen when I was doing things where I couldn't watch her, like making dinner, and left Keefer in the house with me. 

It's also a good idea to step in and stop things before he pesters her to the point where she tells him off. I'd make them do simple obedience exercises like a sit or down for a treat and then release them back to play.


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## juicedgr95 (Nov 12, 2010)

Thank you everyone for your input. I have done some one on one training with Axle in the 'dog room' (extra bedroom with no furniture, just toys) I get him out of the house and do a lot of off leash walking with him but he is still at the point when outside he has to be at my feet and wont run and play. Only time I can get him to run and play is if Hailey comes along and then he will chase her. Tonight he is going to have a play date with one of his brother (a friend bought his brother) and I am hoping we will be able to get them together a few times a week so they can really wear each other out.


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## Mia Reyes (Sep 28, 2019)

Hi, I know this is a very old thread but I came across it because it is exactly the same situation I am in right now! It’s happening with my 2 year old Nimbus and 10 week old puppy Luna. I was hoping to see how the situation turned out for you?


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## Mia Reyes (Sep 28, 2019)

Hi, I know this is a very old thread but I came across it because it is exactly the same situation I am in right now! It’s happening with my 2 year old Nimbus and 10 week old puppy Luna. I was hoping to see how the situation turned out for you? 




juicedgr95 said:


> Thank you everyone for your input. I have done some one on one training with Axle in the 'dog room' (extra bedroom with no furniture, just toys) I get him out of the house and do a lot of off leash walking with him but he is still at the point when outside he has to be at my feet and wont run and play. Only time I can get him to run and play is if Hailey comes along and then he will chase her. Tonight he is going to have a play date with one of his brother (a friend bought his brother) and I am hoping we will be able to get them together a few times a week so they can really wear each other out.


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## tc68 (May 31, 2006)

I'd be surprised if juicedgr95 shows up to respond to you. His/her last activity in here was in 2013.


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