Hello

I am looking for some advice regarding keeping two bitches.  I have a 3 1/2 year old bitch who is lovely, I have recently been given a 6 1/2 year old bitch- I got a friend to take the older bitch out and meet me with the younger bitch to introduce them on neutral ground.  They were fine sniffing etc then the younger one snapped at the older one.  We managed to walk them together (with the younger bitch walking slightly in front to show we will let her be the 'boss') and the younger bitch ignored the older one which is a shame because the older bitch is very friendly and just wants to be friends with the younger one.  My problem is the older bitch is kenneled in the garden but when I let the younger one out she won't even go down near the kennel, she is blanking her.  Obviously I daren't let them meet again at the moment, my theory was that if the younger one could get used to the older one in the kennel then surely we are making headway.

Does anyone have any ideas on how I can overcome this problem.

Thank You 

The blanking is your bitch showing the other she is boss, and only when she feels she has made her point sufficiently and the other accepts it will she unbend and maybe make friends.  By shutting the ther away you aren't giving them the opportunity.

Do you never have other peoples dogs to visit in your home?  If you do and your bitch is civil then act the same with these two.

If your girls is not used to canine interlopers on her patch then you will have to introduce them together in areas least likely to cause conflict (feeding and resting areas) and stand back ready to intervene if anything serious kicks off, but leave them to it. 

Personally if the young one is unreasonably aggro to the other even if the other minds her own business and accepts her Alpha position then I would have words with her to make it clear she is to be well mannered, but otherwise let them find their own level.