does anyone have any hints on introducing 2 dogs to each other, we have an 11month old dalmatian male and yesterday bought home an 8 week old puppy.  they seemed to get on well yesterday, but today the older one is constantly mauling and mouthing the yonger one. when i tell him to leave it a command he knows he has started to bark back at me as if to say no chance and completely ignores me til i have to hold his collar and move him myself, which does not please him at all. I have tried to distract him and fuss him, but he just seems obsessed with the puppy.

thanks
Chissy

You now have not one but TWO puppies. :) The older one is still a baby himself and thinks the new one is great fun -you'll simply have to separate them at times to make sure the little one gets a chance to rest etc.  My 13 months old would be exactly the same. Older pups don't always know their own size. :)

ur right,i do keep seperating them, but its difficult as the little one howls constantly as soon as he isnt with the older one, even though they are just the opposite side of a safety gate! my older one has also just weed all over the sofa, he has never done this int he house before - guess this is marking his territory oh dear...

Hi Chrissy,

Unfortunately this is a common problem with having a young, immature and not yet fully trained dog when bringing in a puppy - they are both puppies and are almost certainly going to find interacting with each other far more exciting and rewarding than doing so with you unless you ensure that both get lots of separate time, attention and training with you :)   It is not an easy task because the new puppy will obviously need lots of attention towards socialising and house training while you still have to develop a lot of basic good manners in your teenager and find time / energy for him to spend quality periods with you that will ensure he retains the bond shared prior to the Young Pretender's arrival ;)

I'd doubt that your older boy is "marking his territory" as such - probably just getting over stimulated by the presence of your new addition.

regards, Teri

The age gap in my opinion means that you have a big puppy and a little pup.  the older one won't ahve the maturity to interact safely with the youngster.  You will need to supervise strictly and limit the amount of rough play to what is suitable for such a baby so he doesn't get injured and has a chance to rest.

i would never leave them alone for even a second, and the little one is having plenty of sleep time safely in his crate.Both me and my partner are at home for the next month as he is off work sick so we are taking it in turnsspending time with each of them and giving both of them plenty of quality attention and making sure we still carry on with our older one training as we have done every day before. It has surprised me how the older one has reacted, because he was so well behaved.

This is why we often advise that a longer age gap is considered as a well behaved youngster is almost bound to regress.

unfortunatley i think i was advised by the wrong people. They seemed to have calmed a little bit this afternoon, after quite a bit of seperate playtime.

I agree - don't leave them alone unsupervised and keep play sessions between them short.  Don't let the play get too rough - stop it if it does.  Make good use of crates to keep them separated, and let them in/out in shifts.