15 week old puppy attacking 9 week old puppy

[CadburyChocolateCrunchie]

Good morning,

I have a 15 week old Shih Tzu and yesterday I brought home a 9 week old Shih Tzu as a playmate. I know that a lot of people will say you shouldn't have two puppies at the same time, but I weighed up the pro's and con's of having another puppy and decided to go for it. I went into this fully expecting and knowing that it is going to be incredibly hard work until both dogs are older.

The older one absolutely loves other dogs, plays with them in the park off lead, gets excited when he sees other dogs etc. So I wasn't expecting the reaction that I've had from him towards the new puppy.

He ignored her to begin with and then started trying to play with her (all she wants to do is sleep!) and now he is constantly trying to bite her. I don't think he's being vicious, probably just trying to play.

How can I help him to learn that biting is not acceptable? I live in a bungalow and have got a stair gate between the lounge and the hall, so one side there is the lounge and kitchen and the other side is the hall, bedroom and bathroom. I've been shutting the bathroom and bedroom doors and every time he bites, putting him the otherside of the gate from me and the younger puppy so he is just in the hall. But he barks and cries and gets destructive.

I am prepared to do anything (other than rehome the little one!) to help him to accept her.

[CreepingDogFart]

This was incredibly poor judgement and cruel to both dogs. I would ask the breeder to take he little one back and give it a chance with someone else to be honest.

[Jinglebells99]

If you wanted two puppies, wouldn't it have been better to get two from the same litter? Even that would have been hard work though.

[AlpacaLypse]

Sorry, but this is not going to work. One pup needs to be rehomed asap before irretrievable harm is done.

[CreepingDogFart]

I think that this is a case of hoping that the puppies would babysit each other tbh and it hasn't worked out. Selfish.

[Costacoffeeplease]

What on earth possessed you?

[HowToLiveThisDown]

Return the 9 week old fgs.

[Hoppinggreen]

So what exactly were these "pro's" you carefully weighed up?

[phillipp]

My dog loves other dogs in the park. She isn't that keen on them in our house. I think she feels they are taking the attention away.

You have got 2 young dogs, but that are at very different stages developmentally. The older one isn't old enough to have got out of the biting habit. My 20 week old pup is only just coming out the other side. At 15 weeks she tried to bite everything.

I have to admit 8 am wondering what was on the pro list.

[WeAllHaveWings]

Sorry agree with others, return to breeder. I am hoping you did get her from a breeder although I doubt any good breeder would have sold a pup to you in these circumstances.

Have you really thought this through or done any research? Surely you would have researched bringing up two pups together and the potential problems not to be so stuck on day 2? How on earth do you expect to cope when both dogs are maturing, the bitch comes into heat and the dog hasn't been neutered yet when you cant cope on day 2.

Send the new pup back to the breeder asap before she gets injured and while she still had the chance of being rehomed easily. If you do want two dogs wait until your older pup is at least a year old, settled in, neutered and trained.

[AlpacaLypse]

I'd wait even longer than a year OP, three to four years seems to be the best window for bringing in a new dog.

[Cherryskypie]

Your 15 week old is far too young to realise they need to be gentle with a much younger puppy. The 6 weeks in age is a chasm in terms of development. You need to return the 9 week old as soon as possible.

[CadburyChocolateCrunchie]

The 9 week old isn't going anywhere.

[Iguessyourestuckwithme]

What about rehoming the older one then?

[sealsandbeachballs]

I agree with everyone else sorry.

At 15 weeks they will be really mouthy. A similar aged pup would rough and tumble with them and be able to hold their own and warn when they had gone too far.

The 9 week old won't be able to do this.

[sealsandbeachballs]

Im also a bit hmm about when the male reaches sexual maturity and the female is too young yet to be neutered.

Or did you get the second female in order to breed?

[dalmatianmad]

If you thought this was going to work I think your a little deluded!
Have you done this to breed them?

[CadburyChocolateCrunchie]

Neither dog is being rehomed. Both will be neutered as soon as they are old enough.

[TrionicLettuce]

I agree with the others that the best thing you could do for both pups at this point is return the youngest to the breeder. Two puppies from the same litter is bad enough but two of such different ages (and there really is a gulf between them developmentally) is madness.

If you're determined not to do that though you need to keep them separated as much as possible. The older pup is still too young to have learned not to bite and is at risk of hurting the younger. It's also going to take it far longer to get through that biting phase when the younger pup is still going to be biting everything sight (including the older one) for months to come.

They need plenty of time away from each other being interacted with on a one to one basis. All training and socialisation should be done individually and not together or you're running the risk of them becoming completely dependant on each other. When the younger puppy starts going out on walks you need to do those separately as well, or at least a good proportion of them.

Any time they spend together needs to be very carefully supervised and managed to avoid the younger puppy being hurt and the older one taking a step backwards behaviourally.

Don't underestimate how hard this is going to be. It's far more than double the work to have puppies and even more when they're at such different ages. Honestly the best thing you can do for both these puppies is to return the youngest. The situation is completely unfair on them and there's a real risk it's going to have negative effects on both.

[Costacoffeeplease]

Then you're an idiot and failing both dogs

Poor pups

[HandBagsandgladrages]

Wow. You shouldn't have one dog, never mind two. You clearly have no idea what you are doing. Poor things.

[LilCamper]

Return the younger one to the breeder. Littermate Syndrome is very real, very dangerous and can be heartbreaking. The pups don't need to be related, just a similar age.

OP don't be an idiot and do the right thing.

[CadburyChocolateCrunchie]

Please don't call me names. There is no need for that. I know exactly what I am doing thank you. I was asking for advice on how I could combat biting. Would you rehome your child if he or she was displaying unacceptable behaviour? No, you would find a way to stop that behaviour. Neither dog is going anywhere.

[Costacoffeeplease]

You don't have a clue, and are being totally irresponsible

[LilCamper]

Your really do not know what you are doing. Behaviourist DREADS Littermate syndrome as the only real answer to making sure both dogs can mature and fulfil their potential is to separate them.

[Iguessyourestuckwithme]

A toddler and 2 puppies - you've got your hands full.

How do you want to fix things/change things/see things working out?