How to Train a Puppy to Respect an Older Dog

Hello Keira, In this scenario the puppy is actually more than half the problem. When a dog jumps on a dog that has not indicated that it wants to play, the jumper is being rude and not responding to canine social cues. Be an advocate for your older dog and work on boundaries with the puppy so that Jack feels like he can relax around the puppy. Don't necessarily expect Jack to play with the puppy. He may never want to play with him and that's okay as long as they can peacefully coexist and simply enjoy each other's company. Work on obedience and structure with both dogs to help them listen and respect you and not compete with each other. If both dogs respect you and you make and enforce the rules then they don't have to - which can help prevent fights. Teach both dogs (especially the puppy) "Out" (which means leave the area). Use the command to let the puppy know when he should get out of Jack's space. Get in front of the puppy, point to where he should go, tell him "Out" and firmly but calmly walk toward him, making him back out of the area. Block him from going back until he gives up trying to get back there or leaves the area completely. When he gives up, return to the area yourself to see if he follows you. If he follows you, tell him "Ah Ah" and walk him out of the area again. Repeat this until he stops following you back in. When you want him to come back, tell him "Okay!". Doing out communicates that you want a dog to respect a certain space that belongs to you. It also tells them that a certain thing belongs to you and they should respect that also (a child or another dog typically). You can use "Out" for Jack too when he is behaving poorly toward the puppy. When Jack is being tolerant, give him treats (not right next to the puppy though because you want to avoid competing for food). When the puppy enters the room, feed Jack treats. When the puppy leaves the room, all treats stop - you want the treats to be associated with the puppy. Supervise the dogs and make sure they both have their own space. Crate training at least the puppy will help with that a lot. I also suggest teaching both dogs a good Place command so that they can simply get used to being in the same room with each other but be relaxing. Place can also help with self-control (for puppy), respect and calmness. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=omg5DVPWIWo#dialog Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Kien, It sounds like Lucky is bored and making up games to get attention. Since he's not allowed to bark out the window he is simply doing the same thing in a different location to get her attention. I suggest teaching him the "Quiet" command, rewarding him whenever you catch him playing calmly and nicely (and being quiet), and giving him something else to do besides bark. An AutoTrainer or Pet Tutor could be a good investment for him. It works by releasing a treat when it senses he is calm or quiet for a certain amount of time. You can also feed him his meals in food stuffed chew toys like Kong's, Kong wobble toys, or puzzle toys. Finally, you can correct the barking with a remote training device and collar like I mentioned in you last question about barking at dinner. To get Sweet Pea used to other dogs will be a long process honestly but it is doable if you are willing to put in a lot of work. Socialization is typically done while dogs are still puppies and haven't developed fear. It would involve taking her places with other dogs, rewarding her with her favorite treats, toys, and games whenever she sees another dog and stays calm (while the dog is far enough away for her to stay calm). I would also suggest practing a lot of obedience with her with dogs in the distance (such as heel, sit, watch me, and come) and rewarding her for obedience and focus. The training will keep her mind on you and get her in a following made with you so that she can trust you more and relax more. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Diane, I suggest that you hire a professional trainer who uses both fair corrections and positive reinforcement to come to your home. The new puppies likely generally need more structure and boundaries. All dogs need to look to you to make and enforce the rules, so that none of them will bully another dog. Right now they are likely vying for who is going to be in charge, and if the older dog is generally more timid personality-wise, then the puppies are probably taking advantage of that and finding it fun to pester the older dog. Puppies also just tend to be obsessed with older dogs and have not learned doggie manners yet. Following an older dog around and constantly trying to wrestle and play is normal - especially when that dog won't pay attention to them. That doesn't mean that it should continue but they are probably doing what comes naturally to them when there is a lack of boundaries to teach them otherwise. They need to be taught those manners by you so that your older dog doesn't have to use aggression to teach them. Once you are enforcing the rules, rewarding your older dog for being tolerant and calm, and giving the dogs more time apart, your older dog will likely begin to relax more. If not, you need someone to help you in person because the trainer will need to evaluate the dog's body language and interactions to see what's really going on. To start, crate train the puppies if you have not already done so. They need a calm place by themselves where they can chew on food-stuffed chew toys and relax. This is important. It is also important that they spend time alone to teach them to self-entertain and self-soothe, rather than be completely reliant on you or the other puppy's presence. Fill a hollow chew toy like a Kong with dog food that has been soaked in water until mushy, and mixed the food with a bit of liver paste, cheese or peanut butter (Avoid Xylitol sweetener -- it's toxic!). You can make several of these toys ahead of time and refrigerate or freeze them. They can even eat all of their daily food out of the Kongs and as treat rewards for obedience, and you do not have to use food bowls at all at this age. https://wagwalking.com/training/like-a-crate Decide what your household rules for all dogs will be. Some examples are: "No pestering a dog that wants to be left alone", "No stealing another dog's food or toys", "No pushing another dog out of the way - usually to get food or attention", "No blocking another dog from getting to a space", "No claiming you by standing on your lap and acting aggressively or pushy towards another person or dog", "No acting possessive of furniture and keeping another dog from coming over", "No acting aggressive toward another dog or person", "No barking at another dog when he wants to be left alone". When one dog breaks a rule, you be the one to handle it so that the other dog does not have to. For example, if one dog steals another dog's toy, take the toy away from the thief, return it to the dog that originally had it, and make the thief leave the room. If one dog is trying to sneak over to another dog's food while he is eating (Do not free feed the dogs! - all food should be removed after fifteen minutes unless a dog is eating in the crate where another dog cannot bother him), then get in front of the sneaky thief, tell him "Out", point to where the dog should go, and walk toward him until he leaves the area. If he does not move when you say "Out" and start walking, don't be afraid to move him with your legs by walking toward him. Leaving is not optional for the dog. Shuffle your feet rather than lift them if you end up having to walk into him, so that you do not step on him while moving. When he is out of the area, block him from going back over to the other dog -- pretend like you are a soccer goalie or a brick wall. When the dog stops trying to get past you, return to the dog that's eating to see if the thief tries to follow you back. If he follows you, then repeat walking toward him until he leaves again. Repeat this process until you can stand next to the dog that's eating or leave the room, and the thief stays out of that area - away from the eating dog. When you are ready for the dog to go back into the area you told him to leave, then tell him "Okay!" in an excited tone of voice. You can use the "Out" command to teach the dogs to respect each other's space in other ways too. When one dog is bothering another dog, tell the problematic dog "Out!" in a firm but calm tone of voice, and enforce it like you did with the eating dog above. I also suggest teaching the puppies "Place" and practicing them each having a visible, consistent "Place" spot that they can go to and lay on with a toy and stay there. Finally, don't expect the older dog to play with the puppies. The goal here is peaceful co-existence. When the puppies are older and there have been more boundaries and less anxiety, the older dog might decide that she wants to play, but if that never happens and the dogs can peacefully hang around one another, that is still great. Older dogs and puppies play very differently, so not all older dogs will want to play with puppies. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden