two dogs in one house.. please help

Well.. we've had our male miniature schnauzer - Pepper - for 2 and a half years now.. during that time we were in school so there was always someone to be with him and keep him company.. now my girlfriend and i are both working and not at home 10 or more hours a day.. we decided to get another dog to keep Pepper company.. we got it from a non-profit organization hearts for hounds.. it looks like some kind of pug/terrier mix and he is quite cute. He is also a male who is not neutered yet...

In the past whenever Pepper interacted with other dogs he would always play with them and have a great time.. but our new dog, Toby, doesn't seem interested in Pepper whatsoever and we are kind of concerend about it. Pepper is obviously jealous and has a great amount of aggression towards Toby which is understandable. But a few months ago we had another dog live here for a couple of days and Pepper was like that at first, but once they got to know each other they couldn't/wouldn;t stop playing.

I really don't want to have to give Toby up since He and Pepper dont' seem to be getting along.. but i may have to give him up and get another dog to keep pepper company..

My question is there anyway to get toby interested in Pepper? Or to make them be friends? I think it is because Toby was rescued from the pound.. so he probably is so used to being around other dogs he just doesnt pay any attention to them.. Pepper goes crazy when he sees neighbors dogs and stuff..

any opinion or insight would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Well, when we got Nanook (GSD/Husky) Mikey was extremely jealous. We took them for walks on neutral territory together several times before we brought her home. Neutral territory is key I think. They still have occassional spats that get pretty rough but I think that is because they are too much alike

I don't know really what advice I can give you except to take them out and let them get to know each other better away from home and still making Pepper feel special. Pepper may feel better if you make him 'top dog' by feeding him first, petting him first... help establish hierarchy.

Ten hours a day is a long time for any dog to be left alone...How long have you had Toby ?? I really don't believe in bringing another dog in as a " sitter "....You really have to re-think your situation.

I have only had toby for two days now.. but all the other dogs that Pepper has interacted with they have gotten along just fine and he has played with them non stop...

It is not that they fight.. It's just that Toby COMPLETELY ignores that Pepper even exists.

Yes, ten hours a day is a long time for a dog to be left alone. That's why we got Toby so the two dogs could play and keep each other company while we are at work. We didn't get Toby as a sitter, but as a friend for Pepper.

Also, Toby is not Nuetered, do you think that makes a difference?

Not being neutered yet could definitely be making a difference. Saje gave you some 'sage' advice Neutral territory will make a difference; so will not making a big deal out of Toby being there. The more normal everything is the better!

It may be good that they don't interact at this point.....after two days with no
"issues" could be a good sign. Give it a little longer......company doesn't always mean play time......keep us posted...it's an interesting case !

Yeah, I'm gonna wait the rest of this week out first... if things get better -- as in Toby actually pays some attention to Pepper -- then we'll progress from there.. if nothing has changed at all after one week.. we're going to have to seroiusly reconsider calling the society we got the dog from to see if we could find a more suitable dog for pepper.

But yeah, i'll just have to wait it out and hope things improve.. we really don't want to give up Toby!

THanks for the advice, i'll keep you guys updated.

Here's an update on the situation for anybody who cares

Well.. everytime Tobi is given any attention pepper keeps on nibbling at Tobi's neck, legs, back and growling.. grr grrr... in the beginning Tobi was completely ignoring it.. however slowly Tobi has come to the point where he bites back and it ends up sometimes Tobi is chasing pepper around..

Now my only concern is are they playing? Or are they fighting? I know Pepper likes to play rough and I don't mind it.. i usually get pretty rough with him myself when i play with him..

Is there any easy way to tell if two dogs are playing or fighting? I'm mostly concerned because i once found quite a lot of Peppers fur hangin gout of Tobi's Mouth!!

It does sound like playing behaviour more than fighting behaviour. When it sounds or looks like it might be getting too rough, interrupt and call both dogs to you for petting. You can give them each a treat - Pepper first or both at the same time. That makes you the one setting the limits on how rough the play can get.

That nibbling is a funny behaviour. I see mine do it to each other all the time. It's actually a pretty subtle communication; it can be an invitation to play, affection, or even a gentle reminder of who is top dog.

It sounds like things are beginning to work out for Pepper and Tobi though. A Pug/Terrier mix should be a very playful dog.

When we first brought Houdini & Myles home, Cocoa didn't like it one bit.. She was extremely jealous, went through resource guarding, etc. It has been 4 months now and although Houdini still doesn't play with Cocoa he will sometimes groom her. As far as Myles well I guess he got tired of getting his ears pulled so now he plays back. I bet they go 25 rounds a day chasing each other around the house, shadow boxing, etc. Definitely give it some time..

What are the age differences in the 2 dogs.?? Cocoa is a puppy and Myles is almost 7 years old or older. That's why I'm so surprised he plays with her as much as he does. We didn't even adopt them so Cocoa would have playmates, we adopted them so the boys would have a good home. So them 2 playing together is a bonus at our house.

I have two puppies that I adopted at the same time. Drellie was 6 weeks old when we got her and Venus was 3 months old. Drellie is now 5 months and Venus 7 months. They play in the way that you describe. Sometimes Drellie will grab Venus by the tail and pull on her. As Renee750il suggested, when they become too rough, I tell them to cool it and call them over for some petting or treats. Drellie is usually rougher than Venus and I've had to call her down more often. My son (10 years old) likes to play wildly, so when I have to call down Drellie, he will take her outside and run her a bit and Venus can relax and get some one-on-one attention from me.

MC2 ....please don't play rough with Pepper....

Why? He seems to like it.

The age differences are only about 1 year apart.. one is 1.5 years old, the other is 2.5 years old... Pepper is a schnauzer.. he's pretty playful by nature.. Tobi on the other hand is the most affectionate dog ever.. he follows me EVERYWHERE i go and only pays attention to Pepper once Pepper "annoys" him enough..

But hopefully after sometime they will start to play with each other more.. the only thing is Pepper is only interested in Tobi when i am at home and whenever i give Tobi attention. I spied on them once by locking them in the bedroom and watching them through a webcam on my computer.. They completely ignored each other. Then once i opened the door Pepper was all over Tobi again!

My question is how do you " play rough " with Pepper ? This only riles him up and he will do the same with Tobi. If they don't do this when out of your sight..it's obvious they both don't want to constantly play. Just chill out and let them be friends!

I agree with a few of the other posts, the non neutered part could be a large cause of the issue. That is why when we were looking to parent our second dog we talked with our vet who mentioned the opposite sex was easier sometimes to bring in. So that is what we did, we had a female at home and brought home our male. My female was not thrilled for a few days, but they are the best of buds now. She is spayed and he is neutered. I think what helped us is that Gidget was 2 1/2 almost three when we brought Dexter home, he was an 8 week old puppy. She may not have adjusted as nice if the dog we would have brought home was an older dog. She takes a little time to adjust. And it was her home for a lot longer than it was Dexter's (at the time) There will always be little tiffs, but it is that way in humans too.
Do you plan on neutering Toby?

When i play rough i kind of roll around on the floor with him and push him aroudn and let him nibble at my hands.. he's always enjoyed playing like this.. is it not good?

Yup, we do plan to Neuter Tobi.. he's been sick since we have got him iwith a runny nose and a hack/cough.. he's on some medication now but once he gets better we're going to bring him in to be nuetered.

I hope that does make a difference!

Thanks again for all the input, it is greatly appreciated!

Well, you're only telling him to roll Tobi on the floor and nibble on him which Tobi obviously doesn't like. The only "rough" play I accept is tug of war with a rope type toy...but you always have to win and there can't be any aggression or the play stops. Yes, growling in play is normal , but no snapping or nipping.