Aggressive Dogs Against Puppies

Dogs can be aggressive to other dogs their age, to people or even to puppies. If you have a new litter of puppies and an older dog, or if you are introducing your puppy to older dogs at a park or somewhere else, it is important to use caution. Even dogs that are usually non-aggressive can become aggressive toward a puppy, often because the puppy plays too rough or does not understand the older dog's signals. Several things can help you control the situation when your puppy is around an older dog that could become aggressive.

  1. Introduce the Dogs

    • The way you introduce a puppy to an older dog is very important. Take the dogs to a neutral location, so that neither dog feels dominant over the other based on the location. Keep both dogs on a leash and let them walk parallel to each other, but at a distance, for a few minutes or until they both seem comfortable. Gradually bring them closer to each other and let them sniff each other. Keep them both on the leash and make sure the puppy does not become too excited and try to play with and nip at the older dog before the older dog is comfortable.

    Treat Them Equally

    • A family that has a new baby often worries about jealousy among older children. Just as older kids can get jealous of a new baby, older dogs can be jealous of a new puppy. Help control this by treating the puppy and the older dog equally. For example, if you spend all of your time with the puppy and ignore the older dog, it could become resentful toward the puppy. Therefore, if you play with the puppy for a few minutes, play with the older dog for the same amount of time.

    Supervision

    • To make sure that an older dog does not become aggressive toward a puppy, supervise them at all times when they are together, at least for the first few months. If the older dog has aggressive tendencies, you might need to supervise them for much longer. When you are gone, separate the dogs by using baby gates or keeping them in separate rooms with closed doors. Puppies often have much more stamina than older dogs and they can try to play when the older dog does not want to. This can result in the older dog becoming aggressive toward the puppy.

    Feeding

    • Build positive associations between the two dogs using food. Most dogs view food as the ultimate reward, so this is a good way to make the dog feel better about the puppy. For example, give the older dog treats only when the puppy is around. Feed the dog and the puppy at the same time, on either side of a closed door. That way, they can smell each other, but they are separated in case the puppy tries to eat the older dog's food.