Behavior with new puppy - info, please? (long)

[Mom2SweetPea]

I know I'm not here very often, but I need some help. We brought a new pup - female - into our home. Mixed breed. We already have 2 dogs... Cadence - pitbull mix, Sweet Pea - boxer. Pup (no, we haven't named her yet) is Cadence's sister by same mom (red nose pit with wonderful disposition) but another litter. Cadence is 3 - not spayed (roomie's dog... not mine!) she was the first dog to come into our home. Got her at two months old. Roomie moved out and later.... along came Sweet Pea. We think she's about three (she's a rescue), she's spayed. Roomie moved back in this past summer and Cadence and Sweet Pea have gotten along wonderfully!! There's been a few scuffles over toys and bones but they happen rarely, both dogs seem to be equal during this, tho Cadence is considerably bigger/stockier than Sweet Pea. (also, Cadence was a pup with a young cat and a kitten... they all grew up together. She has a few cat like qualities... high jumping.... thinking she is very small)

To make a short story longer (y'all needed the background)... Sweet Pea gets along with Pup just fine. She pouted a bit when we got Pup... was a bit suspicious of her for a couple days... but they're in the other room playing right now.

Pup is NOT around the other dogs without supervision!!

Cadence, however, is the question. She ignored Pup for the first day or two. Since, she's had this weird growl (not the same one she uses for critters or play with Sweet Pea) when Pup tries to play with her... we figured it was a "pack" thing, Cadence making sure Pup is in her place. But she just started this really strange thing.... nudging Pup on the back with her snout... she nudges hard and it almost looks like she's trying to engage Pup in play, but I've never seen her do that before. I'm afraid she's gonna hurt the puppy... It almost looks like she is 'hitting' Pup on the back... she pushes downward, sharply.

Again... we will keep supervising them together. Any thoughts or ideas what Cadence is up to?

 

[Net45582]

Sounds like Cadence is warming up slowly but making sure the pup knows its place in the pack. Hopefully,things will come to gether but in the meanwhile continue to monitor them closely. Three female dogs in the pack may or may not work well.Good luck!

 

[ehayes21]

I agree with Wanda, but let me add that not only are you dealing with three females, but two are pit bull mixes - pitties are known for their same sex dog aggression, even if the two have been in the same household all their lives. I am not saying this is a bad thing, it's a trait of the breed and it's something you need to keep in mind and watch for carefully as the pup matures.

 

[SILLY6PAK]

First please get the roomy to get her female spayed. I think having three females work out is tough and near impossible if one is intact.

Yes I have 7 females but it is not ideal and all are fixed and I am a drill sargent at times. Many rules so the dogs know their places. Even with this I would never leave certain pairings alone. Hope lives to some day kill Jessie. She hates that little dog. Abby has little patience for Mia. Hope also finds Mia annoying and has let poor Piper know whos boss on several occations.

With multiple females you HAVE to be the boss. I never allow intact animales on my property.

 

[HevNewsome]

All you need is time. Silly6pak is right, you do need to get her spayed. If the two girls were getting along swimmingly before this pup came along, then cleary someone has had there nose put out and she is a little jelous of this pup, more so cos the other one is getting on so well.

Give a month or so and they will learn to live with one another. You will have to make it clear to them that you are top dog though!

I had the same problem when my sister brings her dogs to stay with me. Indie loves it, the sisters dogs do nothing but growl and snarl at her. It started to calm down after a while, then she went home.

Good luck babe!