# HELP.....nervous wreck about dog intro



## Rvent (Apr 15, 2012)

Capone has been living with us now for almost 3 months, all the dogs are kept separate.. 
Babs & Macy will always have to be kept separate, Macy attacks Babs and they have had some very bloody fights... this started more or less after Macy was fixed and Max passed, I would rather be safe than sorry, anyway Babs and Max got along very well (it took 3 months of slow intro's) they did have 2 small spats but nothing major.

Capone and Babs walk together side by side, no issues. They lick each other through the gate, (but so do Macy & Babs) They had an accidental off leash meeting, Babs escaped her side of the fenced in yard to his side, Capone did zoomies around her, by the time I was able to get to the door, he stopped and was by the door. No fight. 
Capone is very playful and ruff.. he is not quite 2 yet. Babs is almost 14, has lots of energy but when Max jump up and landed on her back she attacked him, so I am a little concerned about Capone.

I have realized that with the fights I have had to break up, and injuries, (mine and the dogs) I always end up hurt.. I am just a nervous wreck, which I know can cause a problem, I never was when I introduced Babs to Max and Macy to both them, not sure why I am now or how to get over it.


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## GoingPostal (Sep 5, 2011)

Honestly given the age of your girls and what sounds like typical high energy of Capone I would just keep them apart or just work on having them together in calm laying around watching tv type situations. Have you thought about a in house tiedown for one of the dogs until you are more comfortable or an exercise pen? I have an 8 year old female (Jersey) and added a rough and tumble 1 year old dog a couple years ago and they are such opposites in personality that they really don't like each other and Jersey steers clear if Ripley gets zoomies for fear of being bulldozed. They are fine together with a lot of management but they enjoy their apart time. My male is respectful of the older dogs corrections and they get along fine but they generally do not "play" or wrestle and if they do it's so much more lowkey then if the male and Ripley are playing.


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## Rvent (Apr 15, 2012)

its just real hard to spend time with each of them and make sure they get enough mommy time, and the doggie shuffle can be a real pain in the butt. 

Its weird Max was 2 and Babs was 9 when I brought him home, He and Babs never really played, he was a very mellow guy.


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## GoingPostal (Sep 5, 2011)

Yeah it really depends on personalities, if you think Capone would be calm and respectful maybe it would work but I just can't see a young energetic dog like that meshing well with an older snarky one. If he takes a warning and backs off good but a lot of these dogs just take it as an invite to fight and chances are your girls won't back down just because of age, could be incredibly damaging to them if a fight were to break out. We did a lot of Jersey in the x-pen (crate rest for her knee), one dog in living room, one dog in kitchen/outside when we were keeping all the dogs apart. The younger two didn't really get along then and I didn't want either of them to knock into or try to wrestle with the injured dog. I had to take them all on leashed separate potty breaks at the time too, what a PITA.


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## Rvent (Apr 15, 2012)

you would never now by your avatar that they don't or didn't get along. I am just now able to walk Capone and Babs together, Macy is a separate walk, unless hubby is home.. its so funny because I went through this when I brought Max home, and when I brought Macy home. a year ago I was able to take all 3 Babs, Max, and Macy on walks together ( with Macy off leash) never an issue on walks (Macy's issue is inside) I never gave a second thought to the intro thing, I did it the same, very slow over a few months.. don't know what happened to me I have turned into a nervous nelly..

You are right about one thing my 2 girls would never back down, even on their worst day... bitches


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