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Permalink Reply by Kristen on April 30, 2008 at 10:15am

It is a tough decision, but Rosie's reaction isn't that unusual. We have a 5 year old Corgi that reacted the same way with each of our other Corgis when we brought them home. Keep in mind you were not in her territory (away from home) and she probably didn't know what her place was and that would account for her scared behavior. At home it will be her territory and needs to let the puppy know that at first. Monitor their interaction for now and for a while. I would bet that she will warm up to the puppy quickly at home. I just took all the dogs down into the basement to see a new litter of kittens. They were all terrified of them and ran back upstairs. Go figure. In the long run I think you will be happy that Rosie has a companion to hang out with when you aren't there. It is important to continue to spend time with Rosie away from the puppy, but equally important to have them spend time togetner with you as well. I guarantee you will have "competition issues" for attention. We still do. Fergie (10 months) will herd Brodie (4 months) away from my lap when I am sitting on the ground. Lizzie will walk by and do a lip curl and both puppies will slink away. Then 10 minutes later we have a three dog FRAP going on in the house. There is always a chance that it might not work out, but if you are patient I believe there is a better chance that it will. Good luck to you. I am confident you will make this work and Rosie will stay a happy little girl and you will have a new family member that fits right in. Keep us updated.

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Permalink Reply by Sam Tsang on April 30, 2008 at 12:02pm

How old is Rosie and did they meet in a neutral place before last night? This is what I recommend for people who introduce new dogs into a family: before you even take a step into the home, bring two dogs and meet at a neutral place, several blocks away from home, walk them both at the same time for a good 30-45 minutes, have them one on each hand, walking beside you, not in front of you, this builds relationship, for you, and the two dogs. by the end of the walk, they will both be pooped out and will be alot more mellow.

feed them on the opposite end of the room, they can share the same water dish, but not food. give them both a place so that they can retreat and find safety, the best place is a crate, Rosie will need a place away from the puppy drama and the new pup will need a place for refuge if Rosie acts out.

Give me more info, tell us the specifics like under what situations and what happen.

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Permalink Reply by Laurie on April 30, 2008 at 2:31pm

We took Rosie with us to the Breeders home. We were in the living room of her house with just Rosie and the puppy. I wonder how Rosie would have reacted if we were outside in the yard without the smell of the puppies in the house. I have never seen Rosie act that way before. I think I didn't help matters because I felt so sorry for Rosie that on the way home I stopped at Dairy Queen and bought her a small dish of ice cream ( a special treat).

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Permalink Reply by Charlie on April 30, 2008 at 12:44pm

Since it sounds like she has had a lot of experience meeting other dogs and seems to like most of them, then I expect she would adjust and eventually enjoy having a canine buddy. Charlie likes about 95 in 100 dogs, but seems to really, really not like a few dogs (for reasons I have not been able to figure out yet). Is there any possibility the breeder would let you take the puppy home on a 3-7 day "trial period"?

Given Rosie's initial fear-reaction to the puppy, I would recommend searching the phrase "introducing a new dog" on Yahoo/Google to read several articles on the best way to bring a new dog into a home with an existing dog. The tips you'll find will make for as smooth a transition as possible.

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