Hi everyone, I'm hoping someone can help me out as I have a question that I can't even begin to figure out an answer to.

I have a 2 1/2 year old female, spayed, border collie mix. She is just a loving, hyper dog with every other dog I've ever brought her around, or brought around her, but recently we have been thinking about getting another dog, and we'd like a puppy, so we have been taking her to the shelter with us to see the puppies, and my sister in law just got a little 3 month old black lab. Well my dog Panda, just can't stand to be anywhere near these little puppies. She runs away, growls, shows teeth when they chase and try to play with her. I'm just shocked, I've never seen her act like that, never mind with a little puppy.

Needless to say my hopes of getting a new little puppy to add to our family are becoming dashed very quickly, which I'll get over, we'll just find a dog closer to her own age, but I'm still concerned of why in the world she would act this way around a puppy. Does anyone have an ideas?

Thanks in advance everyone!

It's possible she's trying to assert dominance. My border collie was kind of a jerk to our new puppy for a little while but once the puppy understood the rules, she calmed down.

I think you just need to try a controlled situation, put the BC into a sit, make her stay, and let the new puppy come up and be near her, let the BC examine the puppy let the puppy examine the BC. Usually a lack of dominance (IE letting the BC interact as she pleases without maintaining strict rules) on the part of the owner can make the dog feel skittish in a non-controlled situation which prompts aggression.

taking her to the shelter, it's not surprising she would react that way to the puppies. It's a new place, and totally overwhelming with dogs and doggie smells. Not to mention a ton of little bitey puppies who haven't learned their manners yet. I'd say the reaction to puppies at the shelter could be attributed to stress.

And older dogs do have to teach puppies some manners until they learn what's acceptable and what's not.

If you do decide to get a puppy im sure Panda (LOVE that name by the way) would get used to the puppy. There might be some issues in the beginning but it could just be Panda trying to teach the puppy whos boss. Of course there is the issue of if it doesn't get better, unfortunately im not really sure what to do there.

Thanks everyone so far for your comments, each one brings a little something else to the table, and I like that, gets my brain thinking!

I'm really hoping that if I bring a new puppy into our home permanently, Panda will accept our new addition as a "permanent" fixture and I"m sure she would act differently. You know, put HER rules down. LOL I was just concerned that maybe Panda just really didn't like puppies. I wasn't sure if dogs could be like that or not? (First time dog owner, can you tell LOL )

Thanks everyone for your answers so far though. I really do appreciate it.

[lil mutt]

Puppies usually wants to play more and maybe this what ticks your dog. You can try socializing your dog to the new one or give her own space...