introducing a new pup to my 10 month old staffy

i have a 10 month male staffy puppy, last wek i bought a 8 week female staffy im looking for some advice on letting them play together as im so worried that my older pup will hurt the little one as he's so hyper n strong.at the moment ive been introducing them through there crates theyve been fine sniffy each other the little one is confident and loud where at the moment the biggin who's called bruno is being so gentle n loving i would really love some advice on how to go about letting them jst play together or even if i should

Hiya I would be ensuring that Bruno is tired/calm before allowing any play. Why do you feel that he's hyper? What does he tend to get each day in regards to exercise/training/mental stimulation? And what is he fed? Does he play well with other dogs out and about? My girl will play rough with bug dogs but will adapt her play style with pups or small breeds - it has taken time/socialization to learn this skill however.

Hya thank you for replying he gets quite abit exercise but lately since the new pup and with the kids being off school I've been walking him later on but he plays n my garden nearly all day and plus everytime u leave the pup tia she screams the house down so I have to wait till I can get someone to sit with her till I walk bruno. Bruno is friendly with every dog we meet up with bit I haven't let him off the lead yet I'm too scared incase he dosent come bck at the moment I'm feeding him any dry puppy food n butchers puppy tins mixed in he's quite a picky eater n dosent really eat that much I have to put him in his crate with his food n that way he eats it I'm just so stressed wi having them seperatevsll the time

Hey! There are a few reasons from reading your post for his hyperactive behaviour, at 10 months he's going to have a load of energy and needs structured ways of releasing that.

Exercise wise, he needs two walks a day minimum - at 10 months these walks can be 50 minutes of lead walking if following the 5 minutes per month rule, and/or as much off lead play as you can offer (but don't allow this off lead play to be out of control - ensure that there are rules and boundaries in any game play, that Bruno is "checking in" by recalling on a regular basis, not running up to random dogs and also not getting too overstimulated). Staffie's LOVE to run and play, I use a long line for my girl attached to a harness, so that she still gets that off lead time but I can keep control. You can buy these on eBay for about a fiver, you can then recall train Bruno at the same time. Still work on lead walking manners also, of course. Garden play in no way excuses structured daily walks - he needs stimulation, and socialization daily.

I would also include obedience training into his day - 2 x 10 minute training sessions to keep his mind busy learning new things. Interactive feeding with kongs, and "find the treat" games will also help; for example hiding treats in a cardboard box full of paper that he can play with/destroy if he really wants to.

Food wise, feeding him any random brand of puppy food will be doing him no good - a good quality food with minimal additives will do wonders for his hyper behaviour. I never buy dog food from a supermarket; generally brands that are sold there are cheaply made with poor ingredients (I.E bakers, butchers, supermarkets own brands etc). You could try wainwrights, James Well Beloved or Arden Grange for a mid range good quality kibble. He is also old enough to be fed adult food now.

I understand that you have a lot going on - but dogs crave structure, gentle leadership and routine. Staffies are in no way a part time breed, they need dedication to training, exercising and socializing or you end up with a dog that's bouncing off the walls and impulsive. Really, bringing another puppy into the mix isn't really going to help with that. Hopefully you'll be able to get into a bit of a routine with the children going back to school, and that will help both dogs. I hope you don't think I'm being harsh, but there are things that you can change to help his behaviour. A hyper, hectic dog is a stressed dog.

Rachel33 wrote:Hey! There are a few reasons from reading your post for his hyperactive behaviour, at 10 months he's going to have a load of energy and needs structured ways of releasing that.

Exercise wise, he needs two walks a day minimum - at 10 months these walks can be 50 minutes of lead walking if following the 5 minutes per month rule, and/or as much off lead play as you can offer (but don't allow this off lead play to be out of control - ensure that there are rules and boundaries in any game play, that Bruno is "checking in" by recalling on a regular basis, not running up to random dogs and also not getting too overstimulated). Staffie's LOVE to run and play, I use a long line for my girl attached to a harness, so that she still gets that off lead time but I can keep control. You can buy these on eBay for about a fiver, you can then recall train Bruno at the same time. Still work on lead walking manners also, of course. Garden play in no way excuses structured daily walks - he needs stimulation, and socialization daily.

I would also include obedience training into his day - 2 x 10 minute training sessions to keep his mind busy learning new things. Interactive feeding with kongs, and "find the treat" games will also help; for example hiding treats in a cardboard box full of paper that he can play with/destroy if he really wants to.

Food wise, feeding him any random brand of puppy food will be doing him no good - a good quality food with minimal additives will do wonders for his hyper behaviour. I never buy dog food from a supermarket; generally brands that are sold there are cheaply made with poor ingredients (I.E bakers, butchers, supermarkets own brands etc). You could try wainwrights, James Well Beloved or Arden Grange for a mid range good quality kibble. He is also old enough to be fed adult food now.

I understand that you have a lot going on - but dogs crave structure, gentle leadership and routine. Staffies are in no way a part time breed, they need dedication to training, exercising and socializing or you end up with a dog that's bouncing off the walls and impulsive. Really, bringing another puppy into the mix isn't really going to help with that. Hopefully you'll be able to get into a bit of a routine with the children going back to school, and that will help both dogs. I hope you don't think I'm being harsh, but there are things that you can change to help his behaviour. A hyper, hectic dog is a stressed dog.

Excellent advice

hi thank you for your advice i will definately take your advice on board.i think your right once the children r bck to school i will be able to get into a routine,at the moment i jst need to try n stop my pup tia from going mental in her crate when i leave the room shes absolutely brilliant sleeping in it through the night but i have her in my room nxt to my bed i totally agree with your advice about bruno needing more exercise n things to keep him occupied iwill look into changing his dog food also.lastnight when i had the two pups playing in the living room i noticed bruno looked to be getting abit aroused by being nxt to tia cud i been right i thought they wud both be too young.ijust really want the pups to get along i love them both dearly about 3 months ago i had to get my old staffy who was 13yrs old put to sleep which totally broke my heart he was an amazing dog n will never be forgotten thats why i bought bruno to keep me occupied n the kids wanted to get anuther while bruno was still young so they wud get along i wish i had of waited till bruno was abit older now didnt understand how hard it wud be

What does she have in her crate to keep her occupied? And how long does she spend in there each day? Arousal can come from over excitement/stress as well as being a sexual thing (my spayed adult female will hump other dogs in play/when she's over stimulated). Tia will be coming into season at some point though of course, usually 6 months and older, so if Bruno isn't neutered by that point arrangements will need to be made to separate them for the full season, this may be stressful for Bruno being in the same house as her.

Hindsight eh! But she's here now and you clearly care about them both a lot. Your hard work will pay off Two pups were never going to be easy, but perhaps you could get the children involved in their training too? Not sure of their ages? I would suggest separate walks while they're still being trained, as you don't want Tia picking up bad habits from Bruno until he's recall trained/calmed down a little and they will also have different exercise needs while she's growing. Staffie play is like no other, so they will keep each other occupied with play when she's a little bigger too hopefully Staffie play is like no other, so don't be alarmed by wrestling/noise but I would teach an "enough" command which means both dogs need to settle, so that they don't get too OTT in play.

I'm really sorry for the loss of your staffie, can't imagine losing my girl. My heart goes out to you x

Hi thank you tia haz everything in her cage probably to much she's not in her cage much wot I try in do iz keep swapping them both ova so ones in there cage while the other plays which I always feel guilty about the one that's been crated I totally agree on Bruno being trained more I'm ganna have to be more firmer with him I have noticed that he has started to bite our hands more since tia arrived which he gets told No! So wud u personally suggest not letting them play n be together at all until maybe he calms down r tias older,cud u suggest some puppy n adult dry food plz that's not to expensive thank you I so appreciate your advice

What a monster.

?????

The advice that Rachel has offered is great

Once you've added structure into the day things should become a lot more simple but you will have trying moments. Keeping a calm air will make them both more content too though I realise this is hard with youngsters in the house

If you set rules for training etc, make sure all the family adhere to them so that the dogs don't get confused. Do keep us updated with how you get on & if you get a chance, we'd love to see some pics