Hello,
I hope someone can offer me some help.  I am actually writing on behalf of my friend.  She has an 8yr old Jack Russell bitch and has recently aquired 2 new JR pups (both bitches).  Her old dog is being very aggresive when the pups approach to the point where Maggie is afraid to let them all in the same room together at the same time.  Jess, the older bitch, has never been too good with other dogs anyway, but seems to be showing a lot more than the usual warning growls that I would expect.  Is it likely that she could actually harm them or shall we take the risk and let them sort themselves out?  Do you think it would help to take them into another house so that Jess is not on her territory?  Any advice welcome.  Maggie has falling in love with the new pups and will do anything she can to get Jess to accept them.

I'd suggest that the adult bitch possibly doesn't even recognise the new pups as dogs if she hasn't had plenty of opportunities to associate with other dogs.  Your friend really needs to get somebody in who can observe her dogs reactions and give her some management techniques which could help in the short term, and training methods ontop of that to help her teach her bitch that the new pups are here to stay (hopefully) and not something to be feared or attacked.

Having said that, terrier bitches are not brilliant for accepting other bitches into their houses, and she may well have an unhill struggle on her hands.  She should be prepared to accept that her dream may not be realised....... :(