New dog intoroduction.

Hi All,

I have probably done this all wrong but here is my story and I just wish for advice and experiences.

So I have Bella 11 months old bitch and have today took on an Already named Tyson (8 months old). So when they first met there was a wagging of tails and then aggression, so I thought I would take them out to get some energy out of them. Walking on the leads at first was a nightmare but then got better.

Got to the fields and no one around I let them off after Bella had a run first. All ok so far but then they started to fight, quite aggressively but no injuries. So put Tyson on the lead and walked them up an down the fields trying to be calm and install that in them both.

Walking back both very good in fact perfect.

I got home and they had a drink, they were licking each others mouths and wagging tails but Bella keep nipping him and having a go.

Bella is now in her cage clam and asleep and Tyson is by me sleeping and calm, I tried it the other way but Tyson kept barking.

SO I guess I want to know if this is normal and how should I carry on with them both correctly as I don't want them to fight as they are both such nice dogs.

I've never had 2 together but when Moo met Billy another Staff, and her play mate Ralph, they play hard! It sounds terrible, teeth and paws and rolling around, but its just play and if it gets too much I interveen.

I've only ever had one dog at a time so cannot really advize.

I think I personally would have first made sure they were going to get along OK before introducing a second dog. Try to keep things as calm as possible that includes how you behave with them and your voice too.

Agree , they do play really hard and you have to accept that , once the the growling and baring teeth start then thats a step too far and time to break them up , but you will get a few battle scars. Tilly plays rough with all dogs and thats when I have to be selective but generally they will work out the hierarchy through a lot of rough and tumble. If one of them appears distressed then separate them

Well they are sleeping now one on the floor and one on the sofa. Some peace!!!!

But when I get up they start all over again.

both dogs are still very young and will want to play alot,staffies do play hard and what might look like aggression might not be,learn their body language and if there is any yelps or it looks like one of them has had enough then its play time over,im sure the more they are walked together and wear them selfs out they will get on better and be the best of friends,just dont leave them alone together would be my advise.

I have 2 crates so they will have no chance of that. I guess if they really wanted to do damage to each other they would have done it by now.

Is it air snapping or is she actually connected? .. my two are forever air snapping during play and show teeth and growl but its how the play it loosk aggressive but its just the roughness of how they play.
but at the same time i always stop the play if its getting heated before one gets annoyed

Some air snapping but the male (new dog) seems to be biting her legs, chest and hanging onto the collar. Lots of growls, then up and down on the sofas, then one lays down and the other one starts.

sounds exactly like my two .. they grab ears, legs, skin, cheeks even muzzles lol but its completely harmless they have done it ever since skye was brave enough to hang of vins saggy skin lol.
Vin has the nasty habbit of grabbing his collar but i always tell him no when he does this cuz could really hurt her

My 2 play rough but I always keep an eye on them and stop it if they start to argue
I have a20 month old and a 7 month old so when they want to have a play it does get noisy you will start to know when to step in and when they are just being noisy but mine are not left together when I'm out and are crated
My boy likes to try and be top at the moment but Skye puts him in his place when she's had enough but I'm never far behind to interviene

Thanks for your replies. Thought I was going to have continued dog fighting on my hands. Fingers crossed it will get better.

If its play it will more than likely stay like that how they play but you will get used to it and no the differance between play and heated

One other thing, if it does get heated, what is the best way to split them, as when they were at it today I would be very hesitant in getting in-between either of them.

With my two (because i know my two) i grab both by the collar and they get seperate for 5 mins and then reunited again .. I never remove just one because that then gives the other more fule to try harder next time if you see my meaning? So seperate both either crates or rooms to cool of and when you let them back in dont say or look at them so they know what they did is wrong

If its just that they wont stop darting round and getting hyper i make one ait on chair and one sit on the other and make them sit and stay for a few mins, if they start again then theyre removed for 5mins

If you step in before it gets heated you shouldn't need to split them up but I've not had to split my 2 up as I've not let it get that far
But what staffy love said is good advice when you know them

Sounds like play to me as well. Here is a link on body language

http://staffy-bull-terrier.co.uk/dogbodylanguage.html

This will help you to know what to look for. If you think it is starting to get too aggressive seperate them and I would not leave them alone unsupervised

Sounds like they're playing. Staffies playing can look pretty horrifying if your not used to it. Romeo likes to body slam other dogs and grab their cheeks. He can take the hits as well as throw them lol, he once got completely flipped over and turned a 180 somersault in the air.
Because of this I only let him play with dogs that are bigger then him. (or other staffies!)
The noises are awful too, he sounds like a dinosaur.
But I've seen him in full on attack mode and its completely different, I dread to think the sort of damage he could do if really riled.