How is your dog with visiting dogs ?

[bbcessex]

Hi all, any advice please?

We had overnight visitors on Christmas Day, who, as arranged, brought their 7 year old dog Viszler with them.

Our 9 month old lab puppy did not like it at all.
Didn’t want him sit on any sofas, barked at him constantly, chased & agitated the whole time.

It was a complete nightmare.

We did our best to separate, keep him calm, occupy him, but our puppy was just incredibly unsettled the whole time.

Visiting dog much older & calmer, wasn’t bothered, was very chilled out, just didn’t want to spend time with the puppy.

Obviously, lesson learned for us; we thought it would be fine and it wasn’t.

If there is to ever be a next time (maybe not?) how should we prepare?

Probably not.
It sounds like he was very distressed by the experience.

He was, doggy.

I felt very bad for putting him through it.

In my experience it's never a good idea to have visiting dogs if there is an already resident dog. Really stresses my dog out however is is quite happy to be social with dogs that he meets on neutral territory!

Older dog should be left to teach the puppy manners. Obviously you need to intervene if either is being hurt but it is a good idea to leave them to it as much as you can.
Puppies need to learn.

Top - my dog just barked and barked and barked all the time he was In the same room.

No older dog shouldn't be pushed into putting puppy in it's place as that is unfair on older dog.

How did you introduce them bbcessex, as it's quite unsettling and confrontational to let a strange dog walk straight into an existing dogs home, you would be best to met up and walk them on neutral territory and then take them back and into the house together, your poor pup just had a strange dog invade his territory and make itself at home.

I was worried about this with my 4yoddog when we agreed to look after my df much smaller 1yo dog but she was really good with him and mothered him the whole time he was here. We've had him a few times now and they adore each other with my df dog spending the whole time trying to 'do' my dog 😳
I just let them get on with it and would of only intervened if it turned nasty

My dogs are used to it, and really aren't bothered. But I know from other people that foster for the same rescue that sometimes a resident will just react to a particular dog in their house for no particular reason - so don't assume that this will always be the case.

When ds used to bring his ddog he got put out the back with our ddogs then let inside at the same time. Our ddogs don't have free access to our house and weren't happy if he was in and them out. They all got along with this schedule though.

Greyhare - they had met twice before during walks (planned, we know the family well).

The older dog had been uninterested then too - our dog was yappy at first then calmed down.

This time, yes, you’re right.. older dog just came and invaded space, i suppose. I don’t think we will do it again for quite some time (if ever).

Our dog doesn’t really have opportunity to socialise with other dogs on regular occasions although obv meets and is fine with other dogs on walks.

Should I work on that?

I don’t agree with Top.

First of all it sounds like the adult dog wasn’t correcting in the first place, you said he just wanted to spend time away from him. So puppy isn’t learning anything.

Sometimes adult dogs can discipline too harshly and cause lasting damage.
Not all dogs are terribly tolerant of puppies. Especially 9 months which is right on the cusp, puppy licence very much expired, almost an adult.

And finally, sometimes dogs that appear to be fine and giving normal appropriate warnings are anything but.
I have one of these dogs.
She will give what appear to be perfectly calm, appropriate warnings to puppies/adolescents and appears non distressed.
But actually, she doesn’t want to be correcting at all. And if she feels she has to it stresses her out big time.
The last time she was faced with a boisterous adolescent she gave appropriate warnings but was visibly agitated and stressed for the next few days.

I used to think it was good for older dogs to show pups the tiles as it were but my opinion has changed now.
My view now is that we as owners should be immediately correcting poor behaviour and never leaving it up to our dogs who may not actually want or be comfortable in that role.

Rules! Show them the rules.
Tiles 🤣

I think I was out of my depth, doggy, as my dog was really just wanting to play, then barked barked barked when the older dog didn’t want to.

We separated them for most of the time but it was incredibly stressful.

Yes to the socialising of your dog. Sounds as though he doesn't have many skills to deal with other dogs - if he's only meeting on walks, he's not spending much time with any of them really.

He was clearly unhappy with an intruder in his home as he saw it, but did anyone amongst the adults there encourage play? Sharing of toys or space? Calming behaviour with him to make him realise it was ok for the other dog to be there and to do things like sit on the sofa - he was being territorial which is all very well for a guard dog but he needs to know when to turn it off and when you and he are all safe!

At that age yours is hitting the teen thug stage! A new dog could be stressful or could be very exciting. What did you do when he started barking etc?

I agree with pp advice. We have a 6 month old pup, he has had other dogs rounds to play in 'his' garden and he is fine. As he is a giant breed, we started early with bringing other dogs round. We've always met away from the house and let them play or walk near each other off leash and burn off some energy, then walk together back to the house. The dogs then go in the garden together. They come into the house at the same time and follow the same routines, so ours always goes in his bed when he comes in so we send the visiting dog to bed too. When they've both calmed down and relaxed after the exercise of the walk then they're allowed in with the family.

When he started barking first, we took them both outside & threw some balls around.

My dog wanted to play, the older dog wasn’t much interested.

This is my first dog and I’m still learning with him... he’s made lots of progress in general, but I think probably we, and over visitors, let both dogs down In expecting them to pretty much get on with it.

I’d expected some initial wariness then calmness.

Lesson learned there, poor dog(s)

Ah but you said he wasn’t letting him on the sofa?
That’s a touch of territorial aggression/guarding behaviour there rather than just pure play.

Our dog was unhappy when older dog sat on the particular sofa that is essentially an extensive of our dog’s bed, Doggy

Still guarding behaviour..

Also, excessive pestering to play, not taking no for an answer and getting agitated, barking can sometimes be a sign of anxiety.
As is guarding behaviour.
Which would again suggest that he was distressed by the experience.

Possibly.. I will have to look into it.

He is an anxious dog. We’ve been working with a behaviourist and had a lot of success.

I do feel really bad that we put him through this. Will be more aware / prepared if it needs to happen again.

Will also seek behaviourists input.

Thanks all.