Zac Is Stressed By The Puppy...

[tigerlily46514]

Dogster, it is not that unusual to find adult dogs who dislike puppies.
Zac is by no means, is the only adult dog on this board who dislikes puppies. Many dogs dislike puppies. I've seen posts by other members here, who have friendly, normal dogs who dislike puppies.
Sometimes, even adult dogs who DO like puppies, find themselves 'correcting' puppies who don't know any better than to pester and pester an adult who says "back off" etc etc. In general, puppies have few manners.

But some dogs DO like puppies.
I bet, mayyyyyyyyybe some of this has to do with if a dog grew up around many puppies, or got to meet puppies when he was still young dog, who knows? Just a guess.
Plus, Zac is having to LIVE WITH this puppy.
which is kind of different to a dog, than just playing with a puppy in someone else's yard.

some dogs dislike cats, some dogs grew up around cats. Maybe it is something the same there, as far as puppies go. (not sure)

But, you are right, Dogster, sometimes getting DogA to accept DogB can be complicated, especially if DogB is a puppy!

 

[running_dog]

Why does it have to be sooo complicated??? My dog LOVES puppies!!! Oh, I WISH Zac would to!!!!!

To be honest Dogster, I've learned so much from Zac and I like him so much that I'm not sure I'd change an atom of him even to like Gus. Gus is so easy to train but he learns by the book and it really doesn't give the same sense of satisfaction!

 

[Dogster]

Very true!!!

 

[TiflovesBCs]

My older dog Jenny is very tolerant of puppies and even Zara, and I do mean tolerant Zara is all in her face - not in a mean way but in a love me like i love you i'm a little stalker way lol and she tends to bat Jenny in the face with her paws a lot(i think shes part cat). But I think that's because Jenny has always know other dogs in the home and she's always been laid back sp that helps.

 

[tx_cowgirl]

Sounds to me like Zac is now just teaching Gus how to be a respectful dog. It does sound like Zac is not particularly fond of him, but from what you've shared it doesn't sound like Zac is correcting anything that doesn't need correcting. Even getting onto him for coming near his bone...Gus needs to learn from somebody that you can't just go around stealing everybody's stuff! Best that he learns from Zac, who corrects him nicely, than to learn from a food aggressive dog that might maul him.
Laying down is a calming signal--that's enough, I'm done. Gus hasn't quite learned to grasp that concept just yet, so Zac is helping him understand by being growly when Gus doesn't respect that.
I'd say Zac's just being a teacher.

Also, it's kind of a weird situation because Z is a confused dog, lol.....but Z actually did exhibit resource guarding with Gypsy. And Z is not a resource guarder. After they sorted out who fit in where in the pecking order, no more resource guarding. I think Z just needed Gypsy to understand the rules and where she fit in.
Weird situation because Z is an extremely submissive dog who is made to be at the bottom of the food chain, but he always tests his limits with new dogs. Gypsy is the first dog to put up with him testing his limits, so for the very first time in his life he is no longer at the bottom of the food chain. So Z is all kinds of confused right now, on a major ego trip....he's like a kid that's never ever been allowed to have candy, then one day he finds a huge, unwatched jar of candy. He's not going to just have a piece, he's going to gorge himself on the entire jar and get sick.
This is why Gypsy needs a new home...Z is just not a good fit with her at all. >< Poor Gypsy, she wants desperately to be his friend, and he is on his power trip all full of himself.

Anyway...rambling, sorry. ^^

 

[running_dog]

TiflovesBCs - I guess Zac isn't like Jenny He seems to have the attitude, "Puppies?!? Glad I never was one!"

TX - That is reassuring, I didn't want Zac to feel he has to be pushed around so I'll just intervene when he's giving an unprovoked baleful glare or trying to horde both kongs , LOL I think Zac thinks puppies should preferably be neither seen nor heard. Gus seems a very pushy puppy. I think Zac may have nipped him today as Gus finally eluded us to either bite Zac's paw or hang off his ear... either way Gus squeaked, shook his head and gave Zac some space for all of 5 minutes. With Gus being what he is maybe it is just as well that Zac is not a push over and we can be thankful Zac is going to deal with some of the training and socialisation! It would be a nightmare to have to start all the doggy side of socialisation in 2 weeks time!!!!!!

Oddly Zac is much more settled when we have to leave them (Gus in crate in one room, Zac loose in next room), maybe he feels smug that Gus is locked up or perhaps he likes the idea of company even if he doesn't like Gus.

Poor Zeke and poor Gypsy. I hope you get things worked out somehow. I'm glad Gus wasn't really mellow or Zac would've been much harder on him too.

 

[tx_cowgirl]

I would say just let Zac be Zac and Gus be Gus, so long as Zac's corrections don't get out of hand. Yay Zac for being a good teacher. And at least Zac gets some "me time" when you leave the house and Gus is crated.

Unfortunately with Z and Gypsy the only way it will work out is if Gypsy tells him off, and she won't. The best solution for us is for Gypsy to find another home. But, she should find a home easily, as she gets along with everybody and everything, and she now has her obedience training under her belt so she'll be a great dog for just about anyone that will give her enough exercise.


Glad everything is working out with Zac and little Gus!!

 

[Dogster]

VERY TRUE!!!! Zac IS like a teacher to Gus. I think Gus will become a BETTER dog after Zac teaches him some "life lessons".