Hi all,

Firstly, thank you to those who suggested we clean some of the scent from our new addition. It has worked a treat.

However, I was wondering if I could ask how others with a new addition gauge the play time they allow between the puppy and other, older dogs?

At the moment when pup wakes I allow her five or ten minutes of play with the older dogs. When it is clear that the older dogs have had enough (i.e. removing themselves from her as she does get pretty full on!) and she fails to take their hints to leave them alone (told off sternly by older bitch and after sixty seconds still went back for more)  I take her into the kitchen and play with her one to one, which normally results in her going to sleep etc.

This means she gets some measured and supervised play with the other dogs when I decide, and the older dogs get their space when she fails to behave.

Does this sound about right?

I had forgotten how full on pups can be with other dogs when they want to play! Exhausting twenty minutes for all!

:)

Sounds perfect to me. :-)

Great!

It has been seven years since a pup was in the pack and I had forgotten how her integration/socialisation takes some thought and a little management!

:)

P.S. As an aside I find it fascinating to watch them all interact. The bitch pup pushes her luck far more with my two boys than with the older girl who the pup rarely approaches, other than to sniff.

I think you've got it spot on.

Personally I just leave them, unless I'm out the house then all dogs are together from the moment a new pup arrives. They are only separated when I'm not there for house keeping purposes, new pups house training is not reliable so they are confined to the kitchen. Pups learn manners very quickly from their elders and adult dogs are great at telling them when they've had enough :-)

I am somewhat with chaumsong on this .. the time the pup is with the older dogs is not an organised schedule as such  , I tend to leave them to sort themselves out because after a short while pup calms down and find thier toys to play with and make thier own enjoyment (apart from the fact they fall asleep often) .. they are not trying to play with the older dogs all of the time.. I find if you separate then allow them together at separate intervals pup gets excited upon seeing  the older dogs  who then always appears to be a nuisance rather than a pal.
One or two grumbles  will teach new puppy what older dogs consider to be  acceptable behaviour or annoyance. BUT only allow them together when I or another adult is present .. even when I nip the loo pup goes in the crate.

> I tend to leave them to sort themselves out because after a short while pup calms down

Understand that if you separate pup from adults that when back together they are hyper - that I remember very well!  But (not knowing the breed) surely there are some that really should not be allowed to charge around with adult dogs for long periods.  Our pup had to be crated for time out during the day or shut in a room with one of us for a while, not only for his sake but for the elder dog as he just didn't stop. There was no timetable, just constant monitoring when they were together

Lacy...
Agree that they do need time out I do this when pup falls asleep, I usually pop pup in thier crate which is in the same place as me and my other dogs ..not seperate in another room .
My dogs dont charge around for long periods I wouldnt allow it... they have rules which pup learns from them and the only way i can see that they will learn them is when they are allowed together.

Expressed myself badly - charging around - change to playing, no I didn't/don't allow them to do that other than when they were in the garden under supervision. But even in the house pup would not stop if other dogs around, he was tireless, separation, distraction, sitting quietly with him, did not prevent him charging off when he could get to them. A short sleep/rest & he would want to go again, perhaps it was something I wasn't doing but other than confining him for periods he would have played till he dropped.  I've had people tell me that they don't like having adults & young pups together with our breed!

I find as time goes on the pup gets used to the older dogs and doesnt make such a nuisance of themselves... I have a 6 and half m old here atm , he has had the odd moment of madness but I just distract him if I see my older dogs becoming fed up , as long as he is with me and I know what he is upto they seem to get on fine but the crate is always at the ready for when I need to leave him or go to the shops but still  stays with the other dogs ... as you say different breeds need alternative handling.
Although anyone who has had my breed will know they are pretty full on most of the time! :)