# how to avoid jealous behavior in a dog w/ a new puppy?



## Love my lab (Dec 9, 2010)

This is for all of you have more then 1 dog in the home who had to endure a first time dog..aka...only child syndrome lol....learning to share their humans w/ another dog/puppy. Our dog is almost 18 months and is totally my dog. She loves everyone else, but I am the one she gravitates towards. With that being said I understand it is because it has been me who has done the work thus far w/ her. But some friends of mine have a 4yr lab who they bring over to play w/Reahven which goes great until Coco decided she wants some loving from anyone in our family. Reahven will walk over and actually come in between Coco and whoever it is that is petting her. I am pretty sure this is normal behavior because Reahven has never really had to "share" attention in her own home. However this has sent up a flag and made me wonder if this is how she would act w/ a new puppy? When Reahven is 2 we are going to add another dog. We have waited becuase we wanted to make sure she was in check w/ commands and such until addin another. 


I probably should add that she plays really great w/ all other dogs and there has never been an issue of jealousness up until a few weeks ago. I also had to puppy sit for my mom a few weeks back and Reahven was super great w/ the puppy..very kind and gentle and even let the puppy be a crazy puppy w/ out getting ticked at her. But it just so happens the 1st time Coco came over to play after the puppy had been here Reahven played the jealous dog role. So I kind of am just throwing this out there wondering if there was any advice I need to keep in mind when getting/having the dogs meet/and bringing the pup into the home. I realize I will need to make sure Reahven is not feeling left out by playing w/ her just as I always have and not letting the new addition change my interaction w/ her. But just wondering if there was any tricks that would be helpful when we do decide to add. Thanks


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## Javadoo (May 23, 2011)

Judging by your description, there may be a jealousy issue when you bring a new pup home, but it will pass.
We have 2 labs...Java & Moka. Java was 9 months old when we brought 8 week old Moka home.
Java tried to kill Moka (seriously) every chance she got for the first week-she tried stomping on her head (Java was 75 lbs, Moka was 11 lbs), running her over at full speed in the yard, jumping off furniture at her.....it was awful. I thought we had made a huge mistake and we were very close to returning Moka to the breeder. 
But.....after a week (of close supervision) Java figured out that the little one wasn't going anywhere and she finally accepted her. They started playing together, wrestling, running, chasing...and Java realized how much fun it is to have another pup in the house. It took a few weeks after that before they would lay together, but they eventually did. Java doesn't get up and move anymore when Moka tries to lay with her...LOL I give Java a ton of credit-Moka was the puppy from hell. She never left Java alone for a minute...she still doesn't (Java is 2 1/2 now, Moka is 2 ) yet Java has always been great with her. She will put Moka in her place if she has to though. 

It takes time, but once you get a new pup they will figure it out. You just have to be there to supervise. Unintentional injuries can happen when you mix a full grown lab with a puppy, so you'd just have to make sure they're always monitored until the pup is big enough to defend itself.

Now...Moka is my jealous little girl. She does not care for any other dog getting attention from her momma!! But she's not mean about it...she just sits and whines. 

Here are a few pics of my girls just after Moka came home:


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## RawFedDogs (Jun 16, 2008)

Love my lab said:


> Reahven will walk over and actually come in between Coco and whoever it is that is petting her.


This is completely normal behavior. My dogs have been together for 6 years and they do this to each other everytime I pet one. :smile: It's a continuous circle of ... I'm petting dog A and dog B wedges in between pushing dog A out of the way. Dog A then makes a circle behind dog B and wedges herself between me and dog B. Dog be repeats the process and it goes on until I walk away. :biggrin: There is never any growling or anything aggressive. Just pushing, accepting being pushed and turning around and pushing back. :smile:



> However this has sent up a flag and made me wonder if this is how she would act w/ a new puppy?


Don't worry about another puppy. Abby became best friends with Thor the moment they touched noses the first time. The reason I got a new puppy rather than another rescue adult is that Abby can be DA with large dogs and I thought a puppy wouldn't be a threat to her. So when we got home with 12 week old Thor, my wife opened the car door to let him out at the same time I opened the front door of the house to let Abby out. Abby went charging towards him and I thought, "Oh Lord, I have just killed a new puppy." :smile: Abby charged up to him, slid to a stop, they touched noses and have been best buds since then. :biggrin: We didn't use any leashes. Didn't do or say anything. We just left it up to Abby and Thor and it couldn't have worked out better. I have always preached that the less humans intefere with dog's relationships, the better those relationships will be.



> I probably should add that she plays really great w/ all other dogs and there has never been an issue of jealousness up until a few weeks ago.


I don't see what you described as jealousy. I see one dog seeing another dog get petted and wanting to be petted also. She showed her desire the only way a dog can do that.



> I also had to puppy sit for my mom a few weeks back and Reahven was super great w/ the puppy..very kind and gentle and even let the puppy be a crazy puppy w/ out getting ticked at her.


Generally adult dogs recognize that puppies are puppies and give them great lattitude behaviorwise. As the puppy becomes an adult they aren't as forgiving.


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## wags (Jan 31, 2009)

Funny, but my four dogs all do this. When ones being pet the other comes up then so on and so on! Its just how they are ones getting attention the other pushes in wanting attention! When we got Gordon the last (ummm so far heehee) Roxi my Velcro dog went through some nastiness I have written about it, and whew that was trying but Gordon and Roxi are the best buds now. So you never know you can experience different things with dogs, but I was very frustrated with these two and I cried, just went through craziness thought my god this will not work and then went through I am not giving up this is going to work and my goodness took a bit and like I said they are best buds! So everything will work out when the newbie comes along and you will have to give them both the same amount of attention. Its just double! And all worth it! Good Luck when you get the next furbaby!


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## Love my lab (Dec 9, 2010)

Thanks so much for the words, and it makes me feel better to hear from others who have more then 1 and the transition went well. I felt kinda silly posting seeing as it wont be for a few months that we will be adding, but I wanted to get some instite before I did this. I do believe the addition will be nothing but more puppy love....once your hooked your hooked and I am wrapped.


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## angelbears (Jun 9, 2011)

Not to be Debbie Downer but not all dogs get along. While it is true most all dogs will accept a puppy, that puppy will grow up. Sometimes personalities just don't mesh. I do believe that if you stay vigilant watching for signs of aggression or discord, you can nip it in the bud. I just don't want you to think that since you brought it in as a puppy and had a year of harmony that every thing will be fine.


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## chowder (Sep 7, 2008)

Shade does that all the time when I am petting Rocky. As soon as I start to snuggle Rocky, Shade shoves his way in between us. It's a 'pet me too' thing.

As for the puppies, I've brought a lot of new puppies in to the house. The only issue I ever had was when I had two females chows that were close together in age. (less then a year apart). Those two never did get along together in the 7 years I had them but it was strictly the one girl who instigated everything and she was actually the younger one. She just didn't like other any other dogs. I don't think you'll have a problem bringing a new puppy in.


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## Chocx2 (Nov 16, 2009)

I introduced my new pup to my grown dogs and I also thought they were going to kill her, but they got over it. I think you also have to put your foot down and let them know as top dog yourself that your in charge of them and you won't accept bad behavior. I have a saying in my house when it comes to my four dogs, kisses only, and they know that means be nice and they stop there bad behavior right away. I have threeL:wacko:abs and one Aussie


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## Chocx2 (Nov 16, 2009)

I have to add if anyone is still reading this post, I know that a puppy was with two females that are never aggressive and got disciplined by one of the adults and ended up loosing an eye. Very upsetting for the owner of the pup so even though its normal I think precautions need to be taken, supervision is the key, always anticipate the worse that could happen when allowing a new pup with adults. And again being in charge of your dogs is important, not being mean, just in charge.


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