When you bring home a puppy and you already have another dog (esepcially a senior), there are some things you need to know.

First, your senior has earned his/her stripes, so please honor your eldest.  Some people cast aside the old for the new, cute-as-a-button pup, but that is a crummy thing to do. Your puppy needs to learn from the adult dog in the house, and you also need to be part of the education process.

Your adult dog may be snapping at the puppy to correct, which is the correct thing to do, because the puppy will learn. However, this doesn’t always happen, as some older dogs can’t be bothered or are timid in nature.  If that’s the case, you need to step in and coach the puppy.

Puppies should not be allowed to harass our adult dogs.  On the flip side, don’t let your older dog intimidate the pup.  There must be balance.  Play is okay, but should be approved by the adult, and then limited and supervised by you.  There should be no biting or jumping repeatedly on your senior!! If your adult dog doesn’t correct the puppy (like Chase does in this video), then you need to stop the pup.   Let me emphasize, if your adult dog doesn’t want to play, do NOT allow the puppy to instigate!!

Rules of engagement—have your pup drag a leash so you can easily stop the play session when it gets too rowdy. 

Allow play, but only for short periods (stop before things get out of hand) and always supervise.

When play is over, put your puppy on place, in an exercise pen or crate for a couple of hours.  This helps to reinforce a calm state of mind.  

Remember to always advocate for your pup and your senior dog.  This will create a harmonious household, and your senior will be able to rest easy knowing you are handling the new kid on the block.

You can see where rules and boundaries help the puppy understand his/her place in the pecking order.  This will empower you and create a sense of calm in your home (not something you see a lot when a new puppy enters the picture).