Cocker Spaniels

[Blondie]

Hi! I'm back to this great forum and need some advice. Blondie is now 3 years old, and yesterday we got a puppy, named Arwen-Charlotte. She is 6 weeks old, and we got her from a pet store.
Blondie has always been kind of afraid of dogs, he never had contact with any and he's the "king of the house". Charlotte is very funny, hyper and friendly, and the minute she sees Blondie, she runs to him but he runs the other way, so she chases him until he gets very nervous and hides in his "safe place". That's my parents' bedroom where he sleeps.
Charlotte has been with me, everybody in the family has tried to be nice to Blondie and show him the pup, but he is totally afraid of her. I don't know what to do, yesterday she ran to him to play and he growled and barked at her! I'm very sad, because Charlotte was supposed to be here to keep him company and he's now hiding all day.
I was wondering what I could do to help Blondie accept Charlotte. Thank you very much for all your help.

 

[wookie130]

It's too much to ask of Blondie to instantly accept Charlotte immediately. You will have to have carefully planned introductions, were Blondie and Charlotte meet on separate leads, and are allowed to sniff each other out. If Charlotte becomes too boisterous, then remove her from Blondie. This will take time, and a lot of patience. Blondie's used to being an "only child", and may not be properly socialized to other dogs...asking him to immediately befriend Charlotte is quite a demand. Over time, if you make their "meetings" pleasant, and non-threatening, Blondie will most likely come to make great friends with Charlotte. Also, smother Blondie with attention and lots of 1:1...he needs to know that he's still "top dog" in the pack.

I guess no one has advised you to not purchase future dogs or cats from pet stores. The biggest reason, is that by doing so, you're helping to keep puppy mills open...99% of puppies sold in pet shops come from mills.

For more information on what puppy mills are, and why we should not purchase our pets from pet shops, please visit www.prisonersofgreed.org .

 

[Brattina88]

Welcome back!!

Remember me and Maddie??
It's been a loooong time!

Congrats on the new puppy!! (what’s done is done people)…

It's going to take a while for them both to adjust. I agree with Wookie, and would suggest you and a friend taking them for a walk, and after they've both gotten some energy out, and Blondie has had some positive 1on1 time, then 'meet' up with the puppy and keep it very upbeat and positive. Lots of treats. Be careful not to praise nervous behavior, though. Distract, and encourage good behavior (ignoring each other is good, being interested in each other and sniffing nicely is good, etc)

I'm sure you'll get more really good advice in a little bit...
Again, welcome back!!

 

[Blondie]

Thank you Wookie and Brattina (Yes, of course I remember you and Maddy! Glad to find you here again! Well, yes I know about pet shops and all that, but this is Costa Rica and there are very few places to get puppies.

I know you're both right, it's too much to ask of Blondie to accept Charlotte immediately. Blondie was never as friendly as Charlotte is, she is playful while Blondie is kind of serious and shy... So he's very afraid of her. I was thinking of something like you suggested, taking them out but Charlotte is too small for a walk. Maybe to a park or somewhere they can interact without being at Blondie's "sanctuary".

If you have any more ideas, I'd be so thankful. I want to try anything, I don't want to depress Blondie or have him hurt Charlotte Thank you very much for your advice! Here are pics of the two of them ...


Blondie

Charlotte

 

[Barb04]

Oh, your new puppy is adorable. Just take your time with them. Remember your pup is very young at 6 weeks old too and was a little young being taken from the mother so be patient. It will take Blondie time to adjust to another dog being in the house and also how much energy a new pup has. Good luck and I look forward to more pics.

 

[Brattina88]

I've missed seeing pictures of Blondie? I hope you get a chance to post more in the general section

Your new puppy is soooo cute! Not that I'm biased to the breed or anything Charlotte is a very pretty name

 

[Peaches 'n Cream]

Your dogs are so cute! I dont think Blondie will warm up to the new puppy very fast, being that she wasnt around dogs very often. Give it a few months, Blondie will eventually warm up to the new puppy. Good luck with Blondie and Charlotte!

 

[Blondie]

Thank you very much everybody for the warm comments! Me, Blondie and Charlotte feel very welcome here

Day 3: We went for a car ride. Blondie always loves it, and he takes the backseat. He usually goes there on his own, but my dad came with us today, to keep him safe (not sure if it was a good idea, but I like to keep his stress level down, since he's suffered from gastroenteritis in the past). It was like a normal ride, almost as if Charlotte wasn't there. Blondie enjoyed the ride, and Charlotte slept through most of it. She was with my friend first, and when we got to her house and dropped her there, she moved to my lap and slept there till we got home. Once home, Blondie ran out of the car and into my parents bedroom where he likes to stay.

However, I try to make him come in the same room where we are with Charlotte. She's always carried by someone or on furniture, never on the floor with him because she gets too excited and runs to him and that scares him away terribly. So we try to make Blondie see that Charlotte isn't a threat and it's OK to be in the same room with her. So far, it's been OK. He can tolerate being in the room as long as someone carries her and keeps her away from him but we understand and try to be patient with him. He got a new ball and toys, too. Everybody's very affectionate towards him, but I'm still a little worried she can't get near him because he walks back and runs from her. I just hope it's temporary and he stops doing it in time.

I'll be posting new pics of Blondie and Charlotte soon! Thanks so much again!

 

[Blondie]

Day 4: Charlotte is sick We went to the vet today because she's been sleeping all day, had a fever and looked tired and sad. The vet said she's been eating too much, and probably a different kind of food than the one she was used to. So she's on liquids and antibiotics for 24 hours.

But the good part of the day is that we took Blondie with us for a check-up and he enjoyed the car ride, of course. And when Charlotte got the shot, she cried very loudly and Blondie came running to the table where she was being held by the vet's assistant (we were all in the same room) and stood on his hind legs, trying to see what was wrong with Charlotte. Everybody was like, Awww! So I think that was a good sign.... at home, he's still afraid of her, but a little more curious. We're all being patient with him, and he knows he's loved. He doesn't look sad or depressed, and is eating well.

I really wish we could have more time to take them out and have them enjoy time together, at a different place. Not at home. But now Charlotte is sick and it's the rainy season here, so afternoons are stormy and very, very rainy. I hope to be able to do something on the weekend!

Brattina and Maddie, I will be posting pics in the general section!

 

[Blondie]

This thread is breaking my heart now, since Charlotte died this morning.

 

[Maxy24]

OH my God I am so sorry! Do they know what was wrong? Did the pet store give you any type of health guarantee because chances are this was their fault. I am so sorry you have to go through this i know how hard it is. My prayers are with you, your family and Charlotte.

 

[Blondie]

Thank you so much, Erin Yes, I think it was their fault and we're going to talk to them tomorrow. I don't expect anything in return because that's so NOT the case but if only they did something about the other dogs and cats they have there, Charlotte's death won't be in vain.