4 year old staffy bitch and 7 week old staffy bitch

Hi, I have a 4 year old (Shelby) and a 7 week old (Dolly) they only met 24 hours ago! I had to pop out today quick and when I got home Dolly was out her crate with a wet neck, I'm guessing Shelby has something to do with this! Shelby is extremely over excited so keeping a close eye on them, when they play Shelby nudges her then stands over her.. just wondered if this was normal behaviour.. just to put it out there Shelby has had a litter before and was a fab mum (Dolly is not her pup).. thanks, Michelle..

Hi ya Michelle, welcome to the forum from Flo and me

It sounds like the good news is that no harm was done whilst you were out and all was fine. I wonder if Shelby was simply mothering Dolly ?

I would keep a close eye on them for a while yet and make sure Dolly is out of harms way if you have to pop out just to be on the safe side

Hi.. thank you..
I think that may be the case, they have had a play together this evening but still very excited! It's worse than having a baby haha.. think I will put them in separate rooms tomorrow if I have to go out, just to be on the safe side.. thank you for your help..

I would do that just to be safe but it sounds like Shelby is taking care

Some pics would be great if you get time

Yes hopefully.. I will add some..

I'd be more concerned as to why you have a 7 week old puppy that shouldn't be away from her siblings or mother, especially not her siblings no matter the reason, would def need to keep her safe and thats not around an strange adult dog but then she shouldn't she locked in a crate by her self at 7 weeks either, poor thing.

I know what you're saying, amelie, but that's harshly put.

Dogs interact with mouths on necks a lot. My guys spend their lives with slobber round their necks! A 7 week old pup is, of course, much more vulnerable. On the plus side, it's great that Dolly has a canine companion, very young pups do much better with other dogs.

I personally think it's unlikely that Shelby would hurt her. Dogs - even males - know instinctively about puppies and are generally able to pitch their interactions appropriately. It also sounds to me that Shelby's maternal instinct is coming out and that she's looking after Dolly.

I don't like crates much but in this case I can see the benefit of having one of the dogs crated for very short periods if you need to go out. Maybe instead of a crate you could look at creating a space for Dolly with a pen or stair gate or something? I would then keep them together whenever possible so that Shelby's excitement fades and they settle down together.

create a space for the dog if its for a short spell one with one dog in the garden dependant on the plan of your house its just until your older dog is used to the pup bedt of luck

That was a little harsh Amelie, I am new to all this and was asking for advice! The puppies mother had had enough of the pups and was very subdued, it was suggested by a vet that had fully checked them to allow them to be homed.. her crate is with Shelby so they are together, I've never been a lover of them but if I need to pop out its a good idea for safety, Shelby is very loving to Dolly and has calmed down lots since yesterday, I have had them out together a lot and also in the crate together under our supervision, thank you for your helpful comments.. Dolly is around a loving and caring family so hopefully she will settle in fine..

Hi Michelle, crates are a great peace of mind for you to keep pup safe, it is the responsible thing to do.

My pup is 5 months old now and I have a 10 year old staffy bitch and I only needed it for a couple of weeks until I was completely sure they were fine together. The pup then went straight into bed with her as he wanted to be with her.

It's also good to give the older dog a break from the pup if they get too much for them. You are doing the right thing. Stick with it. I love baby gates too, as they can still be together but have their own space. Good luck with them both x