Dear Alecia,
My mom and dad have a shitzu-poodle mix that is about 2 years old. And when they watch my 2 dogs (bichon-poo and a goldendoodle) they play great together with hardly any issues. But they recently got a golden doodle of their own and their old dog hates him. He snaps at him any chance he gets and doesn’t show any interest in playing with him and it is the first few days.
Why is he so good with my goldendoodle and not the new one because their personalities are so similar and show no aggression? — Ryan
Dear Ryan,
Congrats to your parents on their new dog. Their older dog could be reacting that way for a variety of reasons.
- Their dog might like yours because it goes home with you; it’s not staying so their dog knows that and is happy to have it around but not stick around.
- Their doodle may be younger and therefore their older dog may be teaching it how to be a respectful participant in that household.
- Their older dog may be resentful of the newcomer.
This is sometimes the case and it generally subsides as the older dog feels it has sufficiently trained the younger dog to his liking. Hang tight and it will subside.
Paws Up! Alecia
Alecia Evans is the inventor of The Walk In Sync™ Humane Dog Walking and Training System with her exclusive 5 Minute Manners Makeovers using the Walk In Sync™ Harness and Accu-Grip Leash, along with her Walk In Sync™ 3 Easy Steps to teach any human/dog duos to Walk In Sync in just minutes.
The former host of the award-winning GrassRoots Aspen TV Series, The Whole Animal-An Alternative Approach to Animal Care, Alecia takes a natural approach to dog training and health care. Her work has been featured on Fox and Friends, The Sandra Glosser Show, NY 1, and in Aspen Magazine, DogTipper.com, The New York Daily News and Woof Report.
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