New puppy, older dog upset.

Question
We have had our Maltese Jazz for two years, she goes with us everywhere and is our little princess. Well, recently we brought a new puppy into our house and she is acting very upset almost sad.  We have another dog and they get along great. She is usually such a happy dog, I don't know what to do. We don't want to have to give the puppy away but she was here first and we want all of our dogs to be happy. Please help!

Answer

Hi Erin,

Even dogs that enjoy the company of other dogs will get jealous if a new pet is brought into "their" house.

You're actually lucky that Jazz is acting depressed, she could have just as easily reacted with aggression towards the puppy. If the new puppy is also a female depression can turn to aggression once the new puppy's hormones kick in. Households with more than one female dog (even spayed females) have more in the way of aggression problems than homes that have either two neutered males, or a male and a female dog. Establishing yourself as a strong "pack leader" by always enforcing the house rules and giving your puppy obedience training can help prevent this.

Jazz will get used to your new puppy in time. To help make the transition an easier one, spend extra one-on-one time with her each day. Go for walks with just her, take her for rides in the car (if she enjoys that), groom her, etc. Do things you know she really enjoys. Besides the special times spent only with Jazz, do things with Jazz and the new puppy. Don't force this on Jazz, she'll come around when she's ready. During these supervised sessions, give out plenty of dog treats, so Jazz can see that good times and the puppy can go hand in hand.

Try not to change Jazz's daily routine, which includes where Jazz eats (which should be a puppy-free time, for now) or where Jazz sleeps. If the puppy goes after one of Jazz's toys, take the toy away, and give it back to Jazz.

In a few weeks, you should start to see some progress. It's impossible to say if they'll ever be best buddies, or if tolerating one another will be as good as it gets.

Best of luck,

Patti