how to help my chihuahua to stop growling and nipping at my new puppy

Question
I brought home a lab puppy about 3 months ago, currently she is 5 months (had her since she was 8 wks old) I have had a chihuahua that I rescued from the streets for about 4 years now. Not quite sure what he's been through, but has a lot of anxiety along with fear aggression, he is a lovely dog and usually needs sometime to warm up to people and when he does he will love you forever. He only gets along with a few dogs that he knows, it's really hit or miss with him. He is neutured but still humps other dogs (mostly other males) My question is, as of lately my 5 month lab puppy is getting very big and considering how my chihuahua is, with his anxiety and aggression. I wonder if she (the puppy) will one day display the same aggression towards other dogs and even on my chi. Since my lab puppy was brought home we have always supervised them and NEVER have left them alone. I'm afraid that when my chi gets into nipping and growling at the pup, usually due to the puppy being to close or bumping into him, my lab puppy will snap back or even worse. There have been a couple of incidents where my chihuahua will give the pup some warning by growling or nipping, and it seems the puppy gets into her feelings and wants to bite back, at this point I step in removing the lab from the situation. Other times all three of us will be walking and I will have the chi off his leash while still having the puppy on her leash, and she will go CRAZY..lunging for my chi and at times growling. I'm afraid of what she would do if she wasn't on the leash. How do people train their labs to be so submissive? How could I stop that behavior when she lunges at him or when the chihuahua snaps at her and even bites the flap of her lip. I'm worried that my chihuahua is teaching the lab aggression and will one day take it out on the chihuahua since he tends to give off that energy. When I walk the lab alone she is fine and will bow to other dogs, but when we walk all three of us including the chi, if he starts barking at other dogs so does she even at times her hair standing up on her back and neck. I also don't want them to have possiveness over toys, do I share toys or should each have their own? How could I play with them both without the lab puppy trying to steal the toys from the little chihuahua. Also I have notice that wherevever the puppy pees my chihuhua will always pee over her pee..what does that indicate? the lab is not spayed yet but will be in the next month..will that help to make her more submissive? Thank you so much and I'm sorry I have so many questions. But really need some advice because I'm really considering giving up my puupy to insure my chihuahua doesn't get hurt. Thank you again

Answer
Hi Stephanie...

Your questions are good ones and make it clear that you are a very caring and proactive dog owner that maybe needed to do a little more research before acquiring a second dog that could live in harmony with your little Chihuahua.  

First off, I want to say that a lot of what you're observing concerning your Chihuahua's behavior is absolutely natural and normal!  I'll explain that below...

I want to start off with addressing the fact that you rescued your little Chi off of the streets and have no info. on his background, but you DO know that he suffers from anxiety and aggression when he's in fearful situations.  Even well adjusted Chihuahuas that are not rescues can act with aggression when they experience fearful situations.  Sadly, animal shelters often euthanize Chihuahuas because they see them as fear biters when in actuality, the majority of them are perfectly nice little dogs that are just reacting to the stressful situation that they're in.  It has been my experience that Chihuahuas are extremely devoted little dogs that can be very protective of their owners and easily experience anxiety in certain situations - new dog in the family, new baby in the family, changing homes, etc.  Having said all of that, let me say that when you rescue a Chihuahua and it has had an abusive background (or appears to have had such a background), you may see anxiety and aggression responses that are more severe or you may see them more often. You describe that he takes awhile to warm up to other people and then becomes very devoted - that's a very typical Chihuahua trait for sure!  So is the fact that he's choosy about his dog friends.  Someone told me many years ago that "Chihuahuas love other Chihuahuas".  I have absolutely experienced that as being true.  The "humping" that you're talking about has to do with wanting to be the dominant dog when he meets other "alpha" dogs!  Also a common trait.  It's a display of dominance and it has nothing to do with sexual behavior. I have a Chi here that is not my alpha dog, but he sure wants to be.  He often "humps" my older Chihuahua that really is the "alpha" Chi in our family.  They have been together for almost 10 years and love each other - the younger one just wants to be dominant and displays that fact.  I do notice that he tends to display that behavior more if he's in somewhat stressful situations - like when we're out at a park or at a dog boutique...places like that.

I can't predict that your Lab pup will ever display aggression because I don't know anything about her background.  I do know a little bit about Labs though... I highly doubt that she will display aggression due to how your Chihuahua has been growling and nipping at her. That nipping and growling is perfectly natural training behavior that an older dog uses to set limits with a young, rambunctious pup.  If your puppy would have stayed longer with it's mother and siblings, the mother and some of the siblings would have nipped at her and growled at her to make her mind and learn boundaries of what is acceptable and what isn't.  If you had a Poodle or a Cocker Spaniel, instead of a Chihuahua, it would be the same scenario.  When your Lab puppy snaps back at the Chihuahua, is it in a playful way or do you sense that she's being aggressive?  I ask because Labs have been known not to always be a calm, loving breed.  In fact, they are sporting dogs with a high "activity drive" and often times a high "prey drive". I rescued a Lab one time that displayed aggression towards some people and other animals, so you can't dismiss individual traits that dogs have regardless of known breed traits - in other words, maybe the Lab would act out with any other dogs regardless of her relationship with your Chi.

I think it was a good idea to get a second dog that is a female instead of another male.  Chances of them getting along are better in my opinion.  However, I have to say that it wouldn't have been my preference to get a large dog as a companion to my current extremely devoted, but easily stressed Chihuahua.  Additionally, it wouldn't have been my choice to get a breed that is a sporting dog with a high "prey drive".  You're doing the right thing by NEVER leaving them alone together unsupervised.  I truly commend you! I run a Chihuahua Yahoo group and I can't begin to tell you how many people have joined over the years who have had their Chis either killed or injured by larger dogs in the family.  Sometimes it was due to pure out aggression and sometimes it was just due to an accident that can happen when one dog is so much larger than another and has different breed traits.

You ask me, "How do people train their labs to be so submissive?"  Well, I can't tell you anything about that...I can only say that Labs are not known to be a "naturally" submissive dog.  They're a high energy dog that can display a very high "prey drive".

I have to be honest with you and say that you shouldn't be walking your Chihuahua off leash.  That's just waiting for a bad accident to happen one of these days by having absolutely no control of the situation when you're walking him.  Chis already have "big dog attitudes" and it doesn't take much for a larger, more aggressive dog to get angry about that and attack your dog while walking.  Your lab has a high "prey drive" and so do other dogs out there that are off leash - that's an accident waiting to happen also. I'm not there to observe how your Lab acts towards your Chi when you are walking both of them, but I have concerns. Are you absolutely sure that the Lab isn't lunging and growling at the Chi in a playful way?  After all, your Lab is leashed and the Chi is running ahead and that probably gets the Lab all "wound up".  If your lab has a high "prey drive" (which Labs do), I can well understand her behavior when the Chi is off leash.  It is natural for Labs to become stimulated when seeing a small, running animal. Labs have been well known for chasing and killing chickens and rabbits. Labs are "high drive" dogs that are always ready to work and I'm afraid that you're putting this dog in a situation (without knowing it) where she's expected to be happy with the activity level of a Chihuahua.  She's a puppy which is going to kick up her activity level, but she's also a "high drive" dog!  Take a look at this website (at least the first part of the page):  http://www.canismajor.com/dog/hidrive.html  It's clear to me that you need different activities for your Lab than what you're providing.  Your Chi and your Lab have different requirements and different activity levels.  Perhaps if the Lab pup was exercised more, it would be more laid back when around the Chi?  Keep in mind that the active puppy phase lasts at least a couple of years though.  Don't walk them together and please don't walk your Chi off of leash with or without the Lab being present.  Without knowing it, you have been inviting your Lab pup to indulge in it's instinct to want to chase a small animal.

I don't think your problem is as much that your Chi will teach your Lab aggression as much as it is that they are two different breeds of dog that have totally separate traits and requirements and you're not distinguishing those needs and requirements and you're actually inviting some of the negative displays of behavior when you walk one off leash, etc.  This is why the Lab acts just fine when you walk her alone - you're not putting her in a situation where her possible "prey drive" insticts kick in.  If you decide to keep both dogs, you will need to establish a routine for both of them that is separate and significant to their individual needs and breed traits.  You can't ask your Lab to become a Chihuahua any more than you can ask your Chi to become a high energy, prey driven sporting dog.

No, they should not share toys - that's asking for trouble.  I'll say it again...the Lab is a "prey driven" dog and, as such, will do what she has to to obtain her prey object (toy) even if that means smashing into the Chi and maybe breaking a leg.  That's her breed...that's what she was bred for - high activity and sporting activities like retrieving.  Why is it that you feel you need to play with both of them together?  You could do that if you would have adopted another Chi or perhaps a Chinese Crested...something like that.

No, spaying will not help in making your Lab pup more submissive.  She's a Lab!  She's displaying Labrador traits!  Your male is urinating where she urinates because that, too, is a display of dominance.  He's marking "over" the territory she urinates in to signify that it is his territory.

Stephanie, you can do some research on the Lab breed and see if you think that you can maintain both dogs with their individual needs.  If you expect them to be good friends with a lot in common, I'm afraid that you're expecting too much.  Doesn't mean that it can't work out with the right type of supervision and attention to their differences though. You may have a lifestyle that lends itself to maintaining two dogs that have different needs.  Anytime you get a new dog, there are adjustments that take time and maybe the adjustments ahead of you for these two breeds will work out just fine in your situation?!?

If you have further questions, please don't hesitate to write to me.  Take some time and familiarize yourself with both breeds and their needs and don't make any hasty decisions.  

Jo Ann