New puppy fighting with our established dog

by Dave
(Baltimore, MD)

Tiff and Molson taking a nap together

My girlfriend and I moved in together recently, and just a few weeks ago we adopted our second puppy, Molson.

He is a mixed breed whose mom was a Pitty and whose dad was half German Shepherd and part Husky. My girlfriend adopted Tiffany over two years ago and she is now 3 years old. She is about 30 lbs and is a mix herself (she may be a lhasa-apso mix, we're not sure) but she is also quite the good girl after getting her over separation anxiety.

Now that we have Molson, Tiff is a bit upset at not being the only pooch in the house, and Molson is happy to jump, nip, and bite Tiff just about all the time while we are in the house. When we are walking they don't fight. However, what's worse is that Tiff sometimes comes after Molson with a few nips and bites, and the cycle of puppy fights continues!

After a few minutes they start to growl and bark at each other which worries us.

We know that puppies need to sort out which one of them is the boss, but I'm a bit lost as to how to stop the fighting before Molson gets too big and can become dangerous to Tiffany, but even more importantly to other puppies, people, and children.

What's a lost family to do before it's to late?



Hi Dave
It sounds as though you have a bit of difficulty on your hands, but really this is pretty normal behavior, so don't panic!

It definitely sounds as though Molson tends towards being dominant, but at least right now he's young. It's very likely that this issue will have been resolved long before he's big enough to hurt Tiffany. Puppies can be pretty annoying to an older dog, but they do grow out of this eventually.

The biting, nipping and barking that you describe is normal, a little growling is also okay. But if either of them snarl, curl their lip or put back their ears etc., this is a more serious warning than just play growling.

Most puppies are submissive to older dogs, and most older dogs are more gentle with a puppy who's 'taking liberties' than they would be an adult. However, the fact that Tiffany comes back after Molson to reprimand him when he's stepped over the line is a good thing.

If you watch carefully, I think you'll notice that although they nip and bite at each other, they don't actually bite-down, it's more an open-jawed 'mouthing' behavior. Rarely does this sort of interaction draw blood or cause injury. It will tend to diminish as these two get more familiar with each other. It may also be that Molson left his litter too early (often happens with abandoned or rejected pups) and hasn't really learned the proper canine social behavior. Tiffany will teach him this.

Although it's best to let them sort it out themselves as far as possible, it's important that they both know who's boss - that's YOU AND YOUR GIRLFRIEND, not either of them. So, if you find that they're just going at it and it's getting out of hand - step in and separate them. If Molson gets too rough with Tiffany and you really feel that she's not protecting herself, get a hold of the scruff of his neck and give him a bit of a shake while telling him "NO". If he goes right back at her when your release him, repeat the same thing. If he still won't listen, separate him from her by taking him to his crate, or another room and give him a chew toy and time to settle down.

Giving both dogs lots of exercise on a daily basis will also help them (particularly Molson) to use up their excess physical and mental energy. There's a lot of truth in the saying 'a tired puppy is a good puppy'.

Molson's genetic make up probably has something to do with his play style as Pitbulls and most bully breeds tend to 'play rough' even in fun, German Shepherds are very active and can be dominant and Huskys are independent, strong willed dogs. It's important that you persevere with disciplining him and insisting on appropriate behavior while he's young. But never reprimand him harshly, shout, or use any kind of physical punishments. The breeds in his ancestry are all highly intelligent yet strong willed, and don't respond well to combative corrections. This style of training will backfire and cause him to challenge you at some point. So stay calm but be firm, and always loving, he will understand and respect you for it.

I'd recommend that as soon as he's had at least two sets of shots, that you enrol him in a Puppy Obedience Class (see my Dog Obedience Schools page for tips and advice on choosing a good school). It will help you learn how to communicate better with Molson, and he'll learn to obey commands and listen to you. He'll also get a chance to interact with other puppies in a supervised environment and the instructor will be able to give you advice on how to handle him and improve his 'social skills' if necessary.

I think, given a bit more time, you'll find that these two will come to accept each other and probably become friends. You can also discuss their behavior with your veterinarian if you feel it's unmanageable and he/she may be able to recommend someone who could help you out.