# puppy chasing older dog



## dogs123 (Feb 17, 2008)

I have 6 years old golden retriever, and 11 weeks old puppy. Puppy was at home for 2 weeks, and they seems to be getting alone fine and sometime play together. But sometime puppy is bothering older dog too much. For example, when my golden is laying next to me, puppy comes and starts jumping on her. Golden will get up and try to go to different place, and puppy is happily starting to chase her. I can tell that golden is not happy - she tries to escape and barks at puppy, sometime she growls, but puppy doesn't undestand it. Do you have any suggestion how to teach the puppy to leave the older dog alone? Or should I let them to figure out it by themself?


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## TooneyDogs (Aug 6, 2007)

Older dogs are very tolerant of puppies and will tell them off when they become too bratty. They can do it much better than we can so, just let them work it out. The puppy is learning the social graces and alot of that is trial and error.


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## dogs123 (Feb 17, 2008)

thank you! Yes I can see that my golden is very tolerant of the puppy, but I'm just afraid that she is too sweet and gentle to take care of herself. And when puppy is around, my golden can't lay down next to us, because puppy will come right away. I guess I just feel sorry for my golden, and not sure if she can stop the puppy, or I should step up. Besides, we have hardwood floor in some parts of the house, and when dogs are running, I'm afraid that golden will fell and hurt herself. The puppy is great dane and almost the same size with golden already


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## TooneyDogs (Aug 6, 2007)

Puppyhood is almost over....only about 1 one more month to go...the 'puppy license' expires around 16 weeks. When that happens there can be a dramatic change. Older dogs will no longer tolerate puppy antics and things can look nasty (growling, snapping, nipping). More social graces for the puppy to learn and these are really important ones.
Here's where you want to watch and be sure things don't get out of hand (bloody, tooth and nail fights) or that one dog doesn't start to bully the other one.


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## dogs123 (Feb 17, 2008)

But should I just watch it (of course before it gets out of hand), or should I step up and stop the puppy before?


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## MegaMuttMom (Sep 15, 2007)

The older dog should be better at teaching and stopping the puppy than you could ever be. When my dog was younger he over-stepped the bounds with a few older dogs they would show their teeth at him and give him a "look" and he learned very quickly what not to do. Just watch and see, it can be very small movements from the older dog. If the older dog gets to snapping at the air towards the puppy and the puppy doesn't back off, I would definitely step in. I have never witnessed a dog that didn't back off from an air snap. I have been lucky to never witness a true dog fight.


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## TooneyDogs (Aug 6, 2007)

Dogs are highly social and don't go around killing each other...like humans. They can however, get very nasty, very quickly if the occasion calls for it. You'll definately know when it turns ugly and goes over the top..that's when you step in before any real damage is done.
You'll learn their vocalizations and their different growls ...it will be become 2nd nature to you. I know when my dogs are having just a small tiff in the next room that will end within seconds but, I also know from the growls when there's trouble because neither one will back down (they both have fight defense).


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## Mr Pooch (Jan 28, 2008)

TooneyDogs said:


> Older dogs are very tolerant of puppies and will tell them off when they become too bratty. They can do it much better than we can so, just let them work it out. The puppy is learning the social graces and alot of that is trial and error.


Perfectly said


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## shewolf4 (Feb 24, 2008)

well...would you tolerate it if puppy where to do this to any other dog? Or human? Just because your older dog might be very tolerant at the moment, its still rude. If you let them "work it out" it can turn nasty and the older dog would usually be punished because he "hurt the poor puppy", so why tolerate it to begin with? Start with teaching puppy "time out" either in a crate or on his spot when he gets that way- your older dog might be very grateful to you for doing that. I have a 7 month old puppy that loves to play- is very well socialized- but I also see when the other dogs have had enough and before they "can work it out" I call Yuna and ask her to settle. She looks kinda bumped, but listens and everyone is able to relax again.
She is learning to listen to me with distractions- thats a good lesson.
If I ever figure out how to post pictures here, I will do that, but I am admittedly a "computer challenged idiot"  my hubby is the genius with these things and I am very grateful for that


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## dogs123 (Feb 17, 2008)

MegaMuttMom said:


> If the older dog gets to snapping at the air towards the puppy and the puppy doesn't back off, I would definitely step in. I have never witnessed a dog that didn't back off from an air snap.


Thank you everyone for your help! And yesterday the older dog did showed her teeth and snap at the air toward the puppy; the puppy stopped, and it seems like today she is not going after the older dog that much. Hope they worked it out


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