New PB owner in Austin introducing myself, need advice

[gpaustin]

Hello,
I recently picked up a 1 year old pup from a couple in Houston that found him and 4 months old and have kept him since May. Based on his bio, I thought he'd be a good fit with my older girl, Maya. I've come to suspect a lot of misinformation or at the very least, a healthy sugarcoating of his training and behavior since taking him in. The introduction of he and Maya has been a challenge.

Regardless, my girl is ten years old and very reticent of the current situation. She's a ridgeback and very diplomatic when it comes to other dogs. In fact she and my new pb have played extensively, and when she gets annoyed she rebukes him in the way a dog should. She shows annoyance and when that doesn't work, she gives him the proper correction. Anyway, I took him and her to a behaviorist today and her diagnosis was that my girl is stressed and that she and the new pb may not be a good fit and it will be a very hard road if I keep them together. I took them after a weekend fight with each other over a bone which was my fault more than anything. I can ignore a food based fight between two recently introduced dogs.

So that's my situation. I'm growing very attached to this little guy, but I don't want to stress out my girl Maya during her golden years. She's my biggest concern as I was taking in a new dog to enhance her life, not make it worse. Has anyone else been in this situation? If so, how much time do you think I should give this? I would never let him go without finding a new home thats better than mine and want to do the best thing by all of us. Thanks in advance should I get some replies.

GP

[Nichole]

Hi and welcome!

This is a new change so of course this is going to be a challenge and stressful for your dogs. Once you get access, go to the training section and check out the two week shut down sticky. It is a good, smart way to integrate new dogs with each other that better sets them up for success. Not sure how long your new pup has been with you, but it probably isn't too late to give it a try

Your pup is one year old. Congrats, you have a brainless teenager! This is the worst time of their life. All training they have gone through goes out the door. I have trained both my pups since youngsters and as soon as they turned into teenagers it was like I had never done any work with them. It feels like you're starting from scratch. It's probably a combination of newness, excitement, and the age that you are dealing with.

Your number one ally in this battle is exercise. You need to tire your crazy teenage pup out. Some long walks, maybe a run, hikes in the hills, playing some fetch... if you do this daily everyone in your house will be happier - including your 10 year old ridgeback. This one simple trick could change the vibe in your home dramatically.

Aside from the physical exercise, you need to mentally stimulate that crazy pup. Maybe a work to eat puzzle, or feeding them their kibble through obedience. Sit = piece of kibble. Down = piece of kibble. Work for that food! They also sell devices that work their brains. Here is a video of my girl using her work-to-eat toy for the first time.

[spammie]

Welcome.
Please slow down or stop all interaction for now. Here's a link for the 2 week shut down. It's never too late to start it. I found it incredibly useful when bringing a new foster or resident dog into my home.

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