Introducing the new dog!

Question
Hi Kristen,
Last week we got a deer head chihuahua, Dolce, who is 12 weeks old. We
have her on dry food, as recommended by our vet, she is not neutered and
she is mostly an inside dog.
We have an elderly family member staying with us for a prolonged period of
time, who has a toy fox terrier, Tippy. She is over 12 years old and has been
very spoiled her entire life. She has been staying with us, only visiting, off and
on throughout the years and this stay has been prolonged for over a month,
so she has grown accustomed to our home. Years ago, she played with other
dogs just fine. She is not a friendly dog, usually just minding her own
business and staying in her room.
Upon first introduction, Tippy didn't seem to mind Dolce. She met her and
then simply walked back to her room. Later that day, given Dolce
hyperactiveness, Tippy started to snap and really wasn't being friendly,
sometimes growling and snapping.
I have never dealt with introducing a new dog. I am aware that we should
always give Tippy attention first, but is she ever going to warm up to the
puppy or should we expect and live with this cold behavior?

Thanks so much Kristen, I really appreciate it!


Answer
Tippy, being a senior dog, is probably not going to warm up to the puppy, at least not in the way you're expecting. What she is doing by snapping and growling is teaching Dolce some basic manners. I wouldn't worry about it, and I would just try to re-direct Dolce's attention elsewhere when she starts pestering Tippy. I'd also keep them separated when no one's there to watch them.

At 12 weeks of age, Dolce is old enough to consider having her spayed, before she has her first heat. What the heck is a 'deer head' chihuahua, by the way?