new boxer pup

Question
QUESTION: I recently bought an 8 week old boxer male, I also have a very friendly energetic and very strong 2 year old female.She has tried to be gentle with the new pup to be fair and i try to leave it up to her when it comes to play time.But today she started growling at him when he was playing. I know this means shes had enough but is there any possibility that she could bite or attack him if he decides he still wants to play?Also when will i be able to leave them unsupervised? Thank you in advance.

ANSWER: This is very difficult to diagnose without being there to witness the playing, then her growling.

If she displays "motherly" signs to the pup, it could be simply "discipling" him.

Mothers play with their puppies, besides nurturing and nursing them, and they correct their behavior by growling and even getting physically aggressive by biting and nipping them and running them off and corning them and standing over them growling.

The "growling" is a warning sign to the pup to stop and behave-- just as we warn our own children, the mother dog does too.

As I said, if she plays with him most the time, hangs around him like all is normal, even sleeps beside him, eats beside him (and often the surrogate mom won't and demand she eat first and unbothered and let the pup eat after her when she's finished), all is well and the "growl" is her warning him to behave.

Since she is 2 years old, she had taken on the surrogate mother role, adopting the pup as her own. She will do all what biological mothers will do, including the disciplining.

Watch them, supervise them and see if it is just a "discipline" growl- and be prepared if it goes further.

You can verbally reprimand her when she does this to teach her that it is unacceptable to you---

Let me know if it's a discipline growl after watching her awhile--



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you for your answer it was very informative.Would you mind answering one more? The male pup sleeps downstairs at night with a hot water bottle and a t-shirt of mine and the female sleeps upstairs,they will eventually both be sleeping downstairs but as he is so small and shes so big im afraid she might roll on him or hurt him they sleep in the same bed during the day and there fine but im there to watch them.Should i put him in a crate at night and leave them sleep in the same room or should i carry on the way im going until he is a bit bigger?Im not too fond of the idea of having him locked up in a crate all night. Thanks.

Answer
If they sleep together during the day, I don' see why he can't sleep with her upstairs.

If you feel uncomfortable and insecure, doubtful about the over night arrangement, put the pup upstairs in a crate so he can be in the same room with her, and you (I am assuming in your bedroom) and allow this "familiarity"  for  awhile- then when you feel the pup is well-behaved and accustomed to the arrangement- open the crate door during the night.

I guarantee she will go into the crate and sleep with him or he will come out and sleep with her.