akira,hooch and hannah

Question
HiJannie thank u for taking my question. I have a 11 yr old arthritic great dane female, a one yr. old white male 70 lb. boxer hooch and just adopted a 10 wk. old 11 lb brindle/wht female. Loving my dogs but issues are arising. The great dane has to be put in another room because she doesnt want to be bothered b a ferocious 11 wk. old player. the one yr old boy loves the pup and doesnt hurt her but doesnt know his own 70 lb. wt. the lil pup bites and pulls on his skin and they get into these tumbling play matches whenever the lil pup is out of her cage. I first took turns w the cage between the two pups out together for 15 min or so(all i can take) then one out & one in cage till lil pup is pooped then switch. Hooch doesnt like the cage routine but will not stop the hectic wild playin w the lil pup no matter how i admonish or praise him he is showing his boxer stubborness.other than leashing him to me when im home and pup is out can u think of any other alternatives? he is also very possessive w the pup holding her near him with his paws! one other question is 11 lbs too skinny for the 10 wk. old pup? thanks for any help!

Answer
Okay-- an 11 year old Great Dane (big doggie!) with arthritis (bless her heart)....

and a i year old male white Boxer with a brand new 10 week old female. (that's only 2 1/2 months old!)

She is awfully young- and in my opinion, too young to have been separated from her mom and litter mates. She is almost a newborn and very fragile, although seems to play rough. (Mama Boxer taught her puppies how to be "big, bad Boxers.")


Great Dane:

I can certainly understand the Great Dane's attitude of not wanting to be bothered with arthritis and age. I suggest making a nice comfortable bed up for her in your bedroom (that will make her feel more at ease and secure being in YOUR bedroom as she'll feel she's special and loved which is important for her at her age and having the 1 year old and 11 week old Boxers invading her home)...Might I suggest a really good special pad/bedding especially made and designed for arthritic dogs? Yes, they are great and will help her be more comfortable and have less pain and stiffness.

So as long as the Great Dane is in your bedroom, door closed- she will be happy, I'm sure. At her age, she just wants to chill out and sleep mostly anyway.

Allow her time outside to be alone- no Boxers. Give her the ultimate luxury and freedom to pee and poop in peace, and to soak up the sunshine and fresh air in peace. She needs that- and deserves that.

Be sure to supply fresh water and her food in your bedroom too. Since she is arthritic, she might not feel able all the time to get up and eat and drink as a normal doggie would- so have it handy and close by her so she can when she feels good enough.
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1 year old Boxer:

I will have to suggest buying (borrowing, or whatever) another crate. Be sure it is for "big" dogs as he is still growing.

That way both Boxers have their own crates to call home and don't feel the competition with crates. It's a territory just like home and yard.

I know the swapping crates is frustrating and seems unfair to the one inside the crate- so this is not beneficial or positive.

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11 week old puppy:

She is so very, very young. The 1 year old Boxer doesn't mean her harm, but is big as you stated. Moms and dads play with their puppies and teach them to be "big, bad Boxers" and I imagine, he is doing just that.

She is learning. She is learning by association. She associates through sight, sound, touch/feel, smell/scents/ taste, and emotions.

She is learning to play rough because of the 1 year old (and mama's previous teachings).
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The Boxer situation:

Having two crates is the key. Supervision is another key. Your reprimands and commands are a major key.

Be patient and this will turn out alright and your sanity restored.

Allow the two to play while you supervise. When he gets too rough and possessive with her, use the simple & easy commands of your choice, and verbally reprimand him. Be consistent with this and the command.

We need to work on him playing more gentle and not as rowdy. (that sounds impossible for a Boxer!).

Do the same with the puppy. She needs to learn- but as long as the 1 year old is rough- she'll react- in a rough & tough way.

So they both need the "calmer" play. They need to learn the boundaries and not to push the envelope.

As I stated- supervised. You are the "alpha" of the two- you are in charge and command. Teach them. Teach them what you accept and what you do not accept. Teach them what you expect from them and they will soon learn and understand, thus their behaviors will conform. They'll know your boundaries.

When one does not heed your command (mostly the 1 year old because he is old enough to understand)then put him in his own crate will reprimanding him for his bad behavior.

You need to be careful not to teach him that playing with her is bad- but that he did not heed your command. The punishment is for not doing what you commanded of him- not for playing with her.

When he paws her to pull her closer and is possessive- verbally reprimand him. This is not acceptable.

When the puppy behaves to rough by "instigating" the roughness- verbally reprimand her. This is her learning period. She is only reacting to his roughness and what mama taught her. So teach her that roughness is not acceptable.

Put her in her crate for no more than 5 minutes That will seem like an eternity to her at her age.

After the reprimands, (even if only one of them) let them out together and supervise. See if they both are catching on and learning your commands and the boundaries.

This can take a week or two and has to be supervised.

You might try getting a baby gate and placing it in the room you are at so the puppy can be with you separate from the 1 year old. You don't want to keep one or the other in crates all the time. This is not teaching them to co-exist within your established boundaries and rules.

Let me know how it's going, and be patient- it will pay off.