My Dog Does Not Get Along With New Dog

[BlueStar3398]

Does anyone have any advice?

Some friends are looking for a new home for their White German Shepherd. The dog has been living in a pen 22 hours a day. They do not have a fenced-in backyard. On top of that, they will be gone every weekend this month and she would not get out of the pen at all. They want a better life for her.

She is beautiful. Solid white color and huge. She weighs at least 85-90lbs. She is 17 months old. AKC registered.

I love Shepherds. I had one that passed away last year. She was such a smart, loyal, protective dog. I adopted Scarlett from a rescue a month later.

The problem? My Cocker Spaniel hates her. She will not stop snarling and nipping at her. The White Shepherd runs at her and pounces and slaps at her trying to get her to play. Scarlett is fine with her being around except for when she plays rough. The White Shepherd puts up with the snarling and biting for a little while, but I saw her start growling back at her and raising the fur on her back. I don't want a blood bath, so they are only together under my supervision.

I am keeping her this weekend to see if she is a fit for my home. So far, it's not working out very well.

 

[Yeagermeister]

Praise and reward the cocker anytime she looks at the shep and doesn't snarl or growl. She'll get the message.

 

[CowboyMike]

You need to let them sort it out themselves.

Dogs are pack animals. When they share territory, the establish a hierarchy system. Your Cocker Spaniel is simply establishing herself as the Alpha Dog. It is normal. Eventually the Shepherd will either stand up to her or relent and get the message. Sometimes it takes a couple of days and sometimes a couple of weeks, but it will happen. She'll let the other dog know that it is her food, not to be shared. She'll let it be known that something is her toy, not to be shared. She might even go up and take a rawhide or something away from the puppy. That's okay. At the same time she'll make concessions. She might let the other dog sleep in her normal area or share a toy from time to time. She's establishing her ground rules. When you let them go outside and back in, the Alpha Dog is most often the one that goes first. You'll see the other let them go first eventually.

Do not praise and do not scold for any behavior between the two unless they are hurting each other, then it is okay to separate them. Do not take sides and do not defend one from the other. It is important that you be equal in the treatment of both of them as far as praise and scolding, however, the Alpha Dog must be given everything first. If you feed them together, make sure you give the alpha her food first. If you play, she gets to fetch first, etc.

Another good idea is to maybe keep your Cocker out of site for a few minutes. Put her in a room or have someone take her for a walk, and let the Shepherd roam around the house freely and spread her scent. Then have them switch places without seeing each other. This allows them to get used to each other's scent in the territory without there being conflict.

This is from many experiences of introducing our new dogs to the established ones in our home. We have a new puppy as well and this exact same thing happened with our older Terrier. Now they are good friends, but the Terrier will let the puppy know what's what from time to time. It's normal. The vet and trainers will tell you the same thing.

Shepherds are amazing dogs. We recently lost ours to old age a couple months ago, and she was by far the kindest, most loyal, well behaved dog I've ever seen. We had a white shepherd many many years ago as well. They're excellent dogs and I hope you can keep her.

Good luck!

 

[trickblue]

They will sort it out... my dogs got pissed every time we brought a new dog in but they get over it...

 

[BlueStar3398]

The White Shepherd is huge. I took Scarlett outside this morning and she pounced on her while she was going potty. I'm afraid she's going to hurt her. Scarlett reacts by snarling, and snapping at her.

I am feeding them separately.

I talked to my cousin, who is a dog trainer. She said not to leave them alone even for 5 minutes for the first week. She said feed them separately. She suggested that I take them for a walk together. She also suggested using a crate. She told me to reprimand the dog that is misbehaving with a water bottle. She said to put a leash on both of them and let them run with the leash dragging in case I need to grab one of them. The White Shepherd was with someone that was shocking her with a shock collar in the past. She runs from me when she sees the leash. She says it takes 3 weeks for new dogs to get used to each other.

A guy I am dating has a German Shepherd 6 months younger than the White Shepherd. He also has 2 acres. If I can't make this work, he may be interested in taking her. Either that, or I will have to return her.

 

[dreghorn2]

Super super advice by Cowboy Mike above.

Give it time and let them sort it out.

I introduced a shepherd (white actually) to an older established pitbull in our home, took a little time but the Shepherd took the lead and hasn't looked back.

Their will be occasional rough stuff but as mentioned above it all works out, dogs are amazing creatures.

Please don't send that Shepherd back to it's original environment.

Hope everything works out keep us updated.

 

[Vtwin]

They'll work it out.

My male GSD battled it out with our 6 pound, female, 10 year old cat for the top spot. The dog would practically pick the cat up by the neck when they got going.

The cat eventually won out. They are best buds now but if the cat wants the dog bed she has no problem taking it.

Oh and, thanks for giving that dog a good home. 22 hours a day in a pen is no place for a GSD.

 

[dreghorn2]

They'll work it out.

My male GSD battled it out with our 6 pound, female, 10 year old cat for the top spot. The dog would practically pick the cat up by the neck when they got going.

The cat eventually won out. They are best buds now but if the cat wants the dog bed she has no problem taking it.

Oh and, thanks for giving that dog a good home. 22 hours a day in a pen is no place for a GSD.

Quoted for truth.

 

[BlueStar3398]

I know someone that put a larger dog with a smaller one to work it out and the smaller dog was killed.

I also know someone that put a big dog with a cat and the cat ended up with a dislocated hip and a broken leg. And the dog was just playing.

Sabra can be trained. I know how smart German Shepherds are. The one I used to have understood just about everything I said to her. Sabra was running full blast at Scarlett this morning and I got her to stop once. She needs a owner that is a strong pack leader to make her obey. Living in that pen, she hasn't been worked with or socialized with other dogs at all.

 

[jobberone]

You should not leave them alone together at all until they get used to the idea they are both in the same pack. Your smaller dog has not yet accepted the younger dog who may be too young to try to establish dominance. But you don't know the puppy and it is big esp compared to the other dog. It only takes a second for injury to occur.

There is probably no need to squirt water unless one is really misbehaving. And please don't raise your voice esp to the puppy who may already have trust issues. Rarely do you have to raise your voice to a dog but if you do you want it to be a big surprise to them. I never raise my hand to a dog (or foot). They want to please so badly its not necessary. If you have the time you can train both dogs to sit at a particular sound. Just generously use the reward system and even the puppy will learn quickly. You can then avoid any conflict behavior (mostly). If you can't manage let me know and I'll find her a home.

They will work it out over time esp as the younger dog loses more and more juvenile behavior. The younger dog will get the message and the older dog is unlikely to hurt the puppy.

 

[TheCount]

Sounds like that Shepard has had it pretty rough. She is probably dumb to the messages your spaniel is sending as I have a feeling two two hours spent outside the cage weren't spent being socialized.

Make sure you have them spend time on neutral ground by the way, not just in your house.

Other than that I'd say just remember that you are the alpha, not the spaniel and not she sheppard. You set the rules and you are perfectly within your rights to calmly correct them when you see any signs of aggression between the two.

 

[jcollins28]

Start taking them on long walks together. Do it everyday they will form a bond on these long walks.

 

[Cowboys&LakersFan]

Give it time.

 

[BlueStar3398]

I took them on a long walk tonight. They both LOVED it! It really did seem to help.

The White Shepherd loves me. I give her a lot of love and attention that I don't think she's ever had before. I have got to make this work. There is no way I can send her back to the dog pen to live 22 hours a day. The couple that left her with me didn't even call to see how the weekend went. I guess they do not want to be bothered with her.

Now, she whimpers when she can see me and can't get to me (Like through the French Doors). Tonight, I was working in the kitchen, and she was constantly looking around the corner to see what I was doing.

I think I know why she keeps charging my Cocker Spaniel and cutting her off. I think she has a strong herding instinct. It makes my Cocker Spaniel furious, but my cousin who is a dog trainer assures me it will work itself out. For now, I am letting them have time in yard away from each other.

At first, the Shepherd was afraid of the leash. They told me that their son lived with someone that was shocking her with some kind of shock collar.
The situation this dog has come from is the perfect example of why you shouldn't buy a dog as a gift. The son doesn't want her and the parents don't want to be bothered with her either. She is 17 months old and doesn't even know how to sit.

 

[TheCount]

The situation this dog has come from is the perfect example of why you shouldn't buy a dog as a gift. The son doesn't want her and the parents don't want to be bothered with her either. She is 17 months old and doesn't even know how to sit.

As soon as you said white shepard, I knew that was the case. People love getting "pretty" dogs as accessories, completely forgetting they are actually living, breathing animals that will rely entirely on you to survive.

To go and get a "designer" version of a working dog usually leads to disaster.

 

[jobberone]

You may consider having her checked for deafness if she is difficult to train. There is more deafness is white colored dogs both bilateral and unilateral.

 

[BlueStar3398]

You may consider having her checked for deafness if she is difficult to train. There is more deafness is white colored dogs both bilateral and unilateral.

I will do that. I put her on a leash this morning so my Cocker Spaniel could go potty without being pounced on. No issues with growling or biting at all from Scarlett.

 

[BlueStar3398]

UPDATE: My girls are doing GREAT! I couldn't be happier. Today is the 10th day since I've had Sabra, the White Shepherd. I have been managing their time in the backyard (where I was having most of the problems) and they are doing so much better! I took the advice of everyone. I take them on walks together and head off any potential fights by keeping Sabra on a leash. She learned quickly that I won't allow her to bully Scarlett. She learned fast! She really is a special dog!

 

[Yeagermeister]

UPDATE: My girls are doing GREAT! I couldn't be happier. Today is the 10th day since I've had Sabra, the White Shepherd. I have been managing their time in the backyard (where I was having most of the problems) and they are doing so much better! I took the advice of everyone. I take them on walks together and head off any potential fights by keeping Sabra on a leash. She learned quickly that I won't allow her to bully Scarlett. She learned fast! She really is a special dog!

Awesome....good work

 

[jobberone]

Wonderful!