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4.5 year old KCc struggling with new puppy. HelpšŸ˜©

J

Janinegroman

Member
Hi! I am new here and bought a KCC 4.5 years ago and FELL IN LOVE. We recently added a new puppy, Cavapoo(my husband devlelped an allergy to our pure bread Cav). My Cavalier is having extreme anxiety of the puppy, drooling, won't have anything to do with the puppy, and started growling(not bad just a little, which I actually thought was progress of the severe fear). I am DOING all that is recommended so just hoping some can tell me this will resolve!!!! Help.
 
Karlin said:
Welcome! How long ago did you add your new pup? (and yes -- these initial challenges often happen).
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We added the puppy three days ago. I feel so bad for both. Doing everything I can but itā€™s rough watching my KCC be so unhappy and the new sweet puppy see a familiar looking dog and try so hard so acknowledgement and get none.
 
Oh that's very soon; I wouldn't worry too much. But I'd definitely keep the pup separated from your adult for the time being; I'm sure you've read this already as advice but I'd use baby gates, a welcoming comfy wire crate or two and a puppy 'x-pen' (playpen) is a very worthwhile investment as it can be used to block off a room or as a pen indoors or outdoors -- I've had one particular model for over a decade old that is 36" high and comes in eight separate panels with poles that can be assembled in many ways, and gets endless use with my adults, fosters of yore, and any puppies that have been added, large and small breed!

Some adults can get really miffed, first by sharing its humans and living space, and second by the antics of puppies. So just letting them see each other and get used to each other without actually having to interact except through a gate, with it being your adult's choice, is a really good starting point. I would guess that soon your adult will be more interested in the pup and you can try some direct interactions, very limited in length. I'd give them a week or so of gated interactions, then begin to introduce brief direct interactions. Once your pup is safe to go out in public (2 weeks after the last of the puppy series shots, usually about 16 weeks or so) then you could try some little trips to neutral territory like the park. You want to be briefly introducing your pup to people, other dogs, noises etc even though at that age you cannot walk them for more than 5 minutes per month of age... but if the two are on leads in a neutral space rather than home turf, it can take the stress away for your adult. You don't need to do much, let them have a little wander, and/or sit with the two on short (say 5-6 foot max), secure leads (not extendable flexi type though, which tangle too easily and are easily dropped, and also can injure a dog in minutes by getting caught around limbs or neck). Neutral territory really can help transform a relationship :).

It's good for pups to interact with tolerant adult dogs and even to let them be told to behave themselves by an adult dog, which might involve a polite warning growl or no-contact snap. Adults will shape a pup and help it learn to restrict its puppy nipping much faster than humans! But of course never let any interaction become really stressful for either of them, or put the pup at risk.

I highly recommend downloading this (free) book from the legendary Dr Ian Dunbar who pioneered rewards based training. It really is such a superb puppy manual and I still refer to it when I have new pups to care for, even after decades of owning dogs.

https://www.dogstardaily.com/files/downloads/AFTER_You_Get_Your_Puppy.pdf
 
Karlin said:
Oh that's very soon; I wouldn't worry too much. But I'd definitely keep the pup separated from your adult for the time being; I'm sure you've read this already as advice but I'd use baby gates, a welcoming comfy wire crate or two and a puppy 'x-pen' (playpen) is a very worthwhile investment as it can be used to block off a room or as a pen indoors or outdoors -- I've had one particular model for over a decade old that is 36" high and comes in eight separate panels with poles that can be assembled in many ways, and gets endless use with my adults, fosters of yore, and any puppies that have been added, large and small breed!

Some adults can get really miffed, first by sharing its humans and living space, and second by the antics of puppies. So just letting them see each other and get used to each other without actually having to interact except through a gate, with it being your adult's choice, is a really good starting point. I would guess that soon your adult will be more interested in the pup and you can try some direct interactions, very limited in length. I'd give them a week or so of gated interactions, then begin to introduce brief direct interactions. Once your pup is safe to go out in public (2 weeks after the last of the puppy series shots, usually about 16 weeks or so) then you could try some little trips to neutral territory like the park. You want to be briefly introducing your pup to people, other dogs, noises etc even though at that age you cannot walk them for more than 5 minutes per month of age... but if the two are on leads in a neutral space rather than home turf, it can take the stress away for your adult. You don't need to do much, let them have a little wander, and/or sit with the two on short (say 5-6 foot max), secure leads (not extendable flexi type though, which tangle too easily and are easily dropped, and also can injure a dog in minutes by getting caught around limbs or neck). Neutral territory really can help transform a relationship :).

It's good for pups to interact with tolerant adult dogs and even to let them be told to behave themselves by an adult dog, which might involve a polite warning growl or no-contact snap. Adults will shape a pup and help it learn to restrict its puppy nipping much faster than humans! But of course never let any interaction become really stressful for either of them, or put the pup at risk.

I highly recommend downloading this (free) book from the legendary Dr Ian Dunbar who pioneered rewards based training. It really is such a superb puppy manual and I still refer to it when I have new pups to care for, even after decades of owning dogs.

https://www.dogstardaily.com/files/downloads/AFTER_You_Get_Your_Puppy.pdf
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Thank you so much!! Appreciate all the info and advice. I am going to block off areas so my cavalier can relax.
 
Karlin said:
I should have added this link too -- tons of information here on every possible dog and puppy topic from an excellent trainer: https://www.diamondsintheruff.com/behavior-faqs---free-articles.

She offers this great article from Karen Pryor Academy on introducing a new puppy to adult dogs: https://www.clickertraining.com/what-to-expect-introducing-a-puppy-to-your-adult-dogs (knowing about clicker training isn't necessary, there's plenty to take away and it should be reassuring).
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Thank you. I almost wish my cavalier was setting the puppy straight. Itā€™s an amazing puppy and my 11.5 French bulldog has done it all right textbook style. She set limits, allowed small interaction and before we knew it was walking into her pen watching her play and sleeping in her bed. My anxiety is coming from my Cavalier being petrified of this 4 lb sweet puppy. I am worried that the behavior is extreme anxiety. You know?
 
No, I doubt it's any concerning level of anxiety. But they can pick up on your concerns. Best human approach is a kind of friendly indifference, but cheerful praise when they have some good interactions. It's just different dogs with different responses. The Karen Pryor piece notes this -- some dogs take longer and the article suggests about 3-5 weeks as typical for introductions for new pups/dogs. Some will never be great friends. I've had up to 12 dogs at a time with fosters in and out and some adults are friendly and interacting right away, some more aloof and some want absolutely nothing to do with a new puppy or dog for several weeks. I definitely had dogs who just don;t care for puppies but become good friends as the pup matures. I've a shih Tzu cavalier cross rescue that was very poorly socialised and he was not at all happy about the arrival of a large breed puppy at the start of the year. Now the two are inseparable and play constantly. Think of kids: they can be the same when young, some are eager to play with a new arrival, some take more time to adjust. Also: like people, not all dogs become best friends. Let us know how things go!
 
Karlin said:
No, I doubt it's any concerning level of anxiety. But they can pick up on your concerns. Best human approach is a kind of friendly indifference, but cheerful praise when they have some good interactions. It's just different dogs with different responses. The Karen Pryor piece notes this -- some dogs take longer and the article suggests about 3-5 weeks as typical for introductions for new pups/dogs. Some will never be great friends. I've had up to 12 dogs at a time with fosters in and out and some adults are friendly and interacting right away, some more aloof and some want absolutely nothing to do with a new puppy or dog for several weeks. I definitely had dogs who just don;t care for puppies but become good friends as the pup matures. I've a shih Tzu cavalier cross rescue that was very poorly socialised and he was not at all happy about the arrival of a large breed puppy at the start of the year. Now the two are inseparable and play constantly. Think of kids: they can be the same when young, some are eager to play with a new arrival, some take more time to adjust. Also: like people, not all dogs become best friends. Let us know how things go!
Click to expand...
I canā€™t THANK YOU enough for all your responses. I think you are right about my cavalier. We are very connected and I have a touch of anxiety adding a new puppy to the mix. The puppy is as perfect as they come but I so appreciate all the responses here and it has helped enormously.
 
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