# Puppy won't leave older dog alone!



## Langy (Jun 7, 2018)

Hi guys, me and my girlfriend have a 10 year old jackapoo (tiny thing) and we recently got a puppy bull mastiff x rottweiler, she is 11 weeks old and already bigger than the 10 year old dog, she is a very well behaved puppy most of the time and has already learnt to walk on a lead well around the garden, recalls, sit etc but when ever our dog is around she just will mot leave him alone and although I know she is just playing she seems a little aggressive in her play constantly biting him and even tried to pin him down twice, anyway the dog snaps at her but it still doesn't put her off and she continues and eventually he starts going for her so I need to split them up.
I just don't know how to get her to leave him alone everything I've tried just doesn't seem to work so I am wondering what everyone else would do in this situation or if anyone has had this situation before and how they dealt with it.

Thanks Tom.


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## Jamesgoeswalkies (May 8, 2014)

The situation you describe above is what tends to happen when we introduce a puppy to an older dog. Puppies are generally annoying little crocodiles with too much energy and no manners. And that's their good points. 

Older dogs can be patient but they are not there to train your dog for you - that's your job - and a 10 year old Jackapoo is going to be vulnerable to a growing mastiff size puppy so it is necessary now to step in and call your puppy away and start to teach him that biting and demanding another dog plays even if they don't want to is not acceptable behaviour (let's be honest if your dog begins to think that it is, then he is going to be in for a surprise when they try it on a dog in the park!)

Install a baby gate so that your older dog has time and space away from the puppy and only give them time together under supervision. Interact with your puppy and redirect them away from your older dog (on to a toy etc) if they are going in to nip/be pushy/play rough or if the other dog clearly doesn't wish to play. Don't leave it until your older dog 'eventually starts to go for her' but step in *immediately *you see it starting. Put your puppy on the lead if necessary.

And give your puppy plenty of play/training etc away from your other dog.

J


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## Langy (Jun 7, 2018)

Thanks for this I will try it, o e of my main problems with it is the older dog is so needy, he is my girlfriends and has only known me since October when we moved in together, we have a baby gate but if he is behind it he will jump over it to get to me, he doesn't let me have time with the puppy alone at all, we are going to take the him to my girlfriends mum's house tonight so we can have lots of time with the puppy.

She tried to do it again today but I stepped in early and it seemed to work for a short time, I will keep making sure I intervene as soon as I notice it.


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## DizzyNova (Jul 17, 2015)

If you're consistent and set proper boundaries you'll be successful. We introduced a puppy to our household in Jan and already have a 3.5 year old mixed breed. Even though our eldest is also high energy she still couldn't keep up with the unlimited puppy energy that our cockapoo bought to the table. 

As they would play I established the boundary at a level that was suitable to both of them (ie they will play but it never gets too frantic or loud) and if I saw the play as getting towards this level I would step in and say "enough". To start with I was doing this all the time and our older dog often had a couple of hours in an evening in our bedroom with a kong for some time out from the puppy but they both soon learned that they had to keep below a certain level or play would stop entirely and I very rarely have to step in and haven't had to for the past few months. Our eldest never feels like she has to tell the puppy off as she knows if she looks to me I'll step in. 

If your older dog doesn't like to play at all it would probably be easier to keep the pup on a lead for now so you can control their interactions and teach the enough command whenever the pup starts to bother the dog. Replace this game with a toy and I'm sure your pup will start to realise it's much more fun to ignore the older dog and play with you or a toy.

Good luck!


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