sort of staffy, lol.

I have had Buster for 9/10 weeks now. He has settled in great, and despite the odd problem we are working on we haven't had many problems with him. We are still having problems with LuLu though

She hasn't settled well with Buster. She will lie with him at night, and sometimes will tolerate him being near her, but she does growl at him alot. She will do it with food about, so they are fed in seperate areas and not aloud to eat out of eachothers bowls, but she will be ok with him if they are both sitting for a treat off me. Sometimes she will growl at him if he is just walking past. If I am fussing her she will growl at him if he gets close (I push him away if he tries to but in). He does try to get her to play sometimes, and then she growls and will snap at him, if I see him doing this I call him away and try to get him to play with a toy instead.

Most of the time when she growls at him I think it is nervousness as she has always been a bit unsure of really bouncy dogs, but I thought that by now she would be used to him, and used to the fact that when I'm there I will look after her and make sure he's not too bouncy with her (they are never left unattended together, which isn't hard when they are both like my extra shadows! Lol). How long does it normally take for them to settle down?

And before anyone says anything, neither dog is going anywhere, they are both here to stay, I just wanted advice on how I can get them to settle easier

Maybe they should be left to sort this out themselves, without your intervention, unless things get a bit heavy of course.

With LuLu being small (although far from fragile!) and Buster being so bouncy I didn't really want to leave them to it. I have left her to tell Buster off, and when she does he runs off, but then comes straight back like he thinks it's a game. With every dog that has ever growled at him all he does is wag his tail and keep acting like normal, I'm not even sure he understands what a growl means! Lol

Panda wrote:Maybe they should be left to sort this out themselves, without your intervention, unless things get a bit heavy of course.

Yea maybe. They need to find there own position in the pack. Lulu needs to tell buster herself what is acceptable and not

My 2 got on great straight away, the only time there's a warning growl is when one has a chew they really into and the other tries to pinch it while they chewing it, but whoever the pincher is will back off when warned. The odd occasion playing gets a bit heavy but iv only to raise My voice and they both stop..x

How can I put it in a nice way, I think your calling Buster away each time she growls, gives her the idea that hes doing bad cos you are calling him away. I think just let them get on with it. And she should be told off for growling for nothing at him so she knows its not acceptable.

I do tell her no for growling for no reason (only when he is walking past, etc.) They only time I call Buster away is when he is getting too OTT and trying to get her to play by jumping around her as I know she doesn't like this much with other dogs anyway and when she is snapping at him he seems to think it's a game. When she does snap at him I only call him away, she never gets fuss or anything like that as I didn't want to teach her it was ok to do, but maybe I am without realising it. I will try leaving them for a bit and see if they can sort it out themselves. Thank you for the replies