Hey, I have had my dog Keiko for about 7 months now, she's a Shih Tzu Yorkie cross, 9 months old and very active. She loves to play and run around but isn't always cuddley. She always looks confused and happy and she loves other dogs, and my hamster. She has slept over at friends houses with me and had other dogs sleep over at our house too. It doesn't phase her at all. But today we brought home our new dog Clare, who is only 10 weeks old and a bit lazier because they spayed her (yes I know spaying usually happens at 6 months, but they have this new micro-something that allows them to spay the dog at 10 weeks) but is generally active. The surgery didn't phase her too much and she still loves to run around and play. She is more cuddley and she loves Keiko. They do get along.
See, the problem is though, is that Keiko won't touch any toys that Clare has played with, even if it's her favourite bone (which I do try to keep away from Clare). I'm worried that Keiko doesn't like Clare, but all my friends say it's just that a new dog is here and that Keiko will get over it soon. I don't want Keiko to feel like she's second best and that the new dog is suddenly better, which she's not. I love them both dearly and I don't want Keiko's relationship with me to change.
I think I have been treating them the same or almost the same, I've given them the same amount of treats and everything.
Am I worrying over something that will go away?
Oh another thing, Clare is a biter. My friend said it was because her mother abandoner her at birth (which is true, she was a rescued dog with her mother out of sight) so she wasn't taught not to bite hard, or just not to bite. Other people have said that she'll grow out of it and that it's just becacuse she's young. A lady at a training place that we're going to take our dogs to said that it was because she could have some lab in her and that labs are chewers, Clare is black by the way and from a reserve, which is why we think she could have some lab in her. Are we going to have to train her to stop (which me and my mom have started doing already) or will she stop on her own?

Originally Posted by Meh

See, the problem is though, is that Keiko won't touch any toys that Clare has played with, even if it's her favourite bone (which I do try to keep away from Clare). I'm worried that Keiko doesn't like Clare, but all my friends say it's just that a new dog is here and that Keiko will get over it soon. I don't want Keiko to feel like she's second best and that the new dog is suddenly better, which she's not. I love them both dearly and I don't want Keiko's relationship with me to change.
I think I have been treating them the same or almost the same, I've given them the same amount of treats and everything.
Am I worrying over something that will go away?

Let them work it out. Don't make an issue out of it and neither will they. It very well could be that Keiko is being submissive to Clare by not taking something Clare has claimed.

Originally Posted by Meh

Oh another thing, Clare is a biter. My friend said it was because her mother abandoner her at birth (which is true, she was a rescued dog with her mother out of sight) so she wasn't taught not to bite hard, or just not to bite. Other people have said that she'll grow out of it and that it's just becacuse she's young. A lady at a training place that we're going to take our dogs to said that it was because she could have some lab in her and that labs are chewers, Clare is black by the way and from a reserve, which is why we think she could have some lab in her. Are we going to have to train her to stop (which me and my mom have started doing already) or will she stop on her own?

Train her to stop, definitely. Even if she has Lab in her, she can learn not to be mouthy. When she bites your hand, yelp and then walk away from her. She'll get the point that (a) it hurts you and (b) you won't play with her when she hurts you.

Originally Posted by Frecs

Let them work it out. Don't make an issue out of it and neither will they. It very well could be that Keiko is being submissive to Clare by not taking something Clare has claimed.



Train her to stop, definitely. Even if she has Lab in her, she can learn not to be mouthy. When she bites your hand, yelp and then walk away from her. She'll get the point that (a) it hurts you and (b) you won't play with her when she hurts you.

Oh my gosh, thank you! I wasn't making a deal of it yet I was just getting worried. Thank you so much!
But how can I get her to stop biting Keiko when they play fight, because Keiko is a tough cookie, she hasn't yelped at all since my Uncle Jim (no offence to him, but it's a pretty big guy) stepped on her with all of his weight (accidentally of corse, he loves dogs.).