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kittykat52688 · Oct 16, 2011, 06:23 AM

I just recently got a german shepherd puppy (12 weeks old now) and whenever I try to introduce her to my golden retriever/chow mix dog (5 years old), my golden retriever looks the other way and will not acknowledge the puppies presence. When we take them on walks together, the puppy will attempt to approach her and sniff her. The second the puppy gets close and touches her fur, she picks up the pace and runs away. I haven't tried leaving them alone together because my golden retriever has shown aggression towards older dogs and I'm afraid that she might hurt the pup.

joypulv · Oct 16, 2011, 06:33 AM

This isn't uncommon. Give it time and don't force it. Many older dogs will 'put a pup in his place' with growls and nips but usually don't hurt them, knowing that you are the master and love them too. Many dogs (and cats) have very individual behaviors so you can't predict. I had a golden who, as a puppy, hounded my friends' older golden to the point that I had to keep him in check, but as soon as he grew a bit older himself they got along fine. I'm not sure what you mean by introducing - the should be together all the time in the house and outside, and not kept apart, to acclimate sooner rather than later, unless you see signs of viciousness.

kittykat52688 · Oct 16, 2011, 06:36 AM

Well puppy is inside dog and golden is outside. The golden does not want to be inside the house but we are crate training the german so she is inside pretty much all the time except for potty breaks and walks.

joypulv · Oct 16, 2011, 06:43 AM

That's slowing down the acclimation, I think. The puppy can be outside more too by now, for a hour or two a day (if you have a fenced yard), with you watching from a window?

Lucky098 · Oct 16, 2011, 11:31 AM

You're creating jealousy with the barrier of your adult dog being outside, and the puppy inside.

Think of this as bringing home a new baby to an only child.. Your dog has been the "only child" for 5 years, and now he has to share his space, toys and people with the new "baby".

Try and get the older dog to come inside more. Greet the older dog first. Give the older dog treats first and give him his own time with you. During this time, do not let the puppy invade your time with the older dog.

Don't push your dog to like this puppy. Some dogs don't like puppies because they are bouncy and annoying. As your puppy becomes more confident with himself and other dogs, your older dog will start to accept the pup into your pack. There is nothing that human intervention can do to change this. Dogs are dogs and they work accordingly.

NO, don't leave the older dog with the puppy EVER. An older dog can kill a puppy in a milisecond. Keep separated at all times unless you are physically there to watch. Even then, this can be dangerous. If you honestly do not trust your dog around this puppy at any time, you need to reconsider rehoming the puppy. You're older dog may be perfectly happy with the way things are.

Start socializing your pup with other dogs. Don't rely on your older dog to do the socializing for you. You're puppy needs to learn lessons in the dog world which can only be accomplished by other dogs