BOO!

Hi all! My name is Rocco. Somebody found me wondering in a big dark forest about ten days ago. That somebody could't find where I came from and brought me to a vet, where mom & dad decided to adopt me, although they already had Chester & Lola (2 Airedales). 't Was quite a few hectic and chaotic first 2-3 days, but we're getting used to eachother now, and playtime is getting more and more fun! Mom found this forum cause she was checking how high my breed can jump, since I tend to escape the den they made into my time out bedroom. It's quite nice how they set it up, and as long as I can smell, hear or see mom & dad, I am content in my 'room'. But when I can't figure out where they are, I just HAVE to get out and find them. So then I jump the gate that separates my room from the rest of the house. Mom says they should've called me Houdini bol Anyway, mom's gonna roam this forum for a bit, it seems she can learn a thing or two about Staffies here. Catch yall later!

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Hia Rocco from me and Sasha i hope you enjoy the forum!

Hi Rocco, welcome to the forum from Flo and me

Sounds like you had a very scary time in that forest but very clever to have found a new mom and dad

Tell mom that if she has any questions just ask

stella wrote:Hia Rocco from me and Sasha i hope you enjoy the forum!

Thank you Miss Stella & Sasha

-Ian- wrote:Hi Rocco, welcome to the forum from Flo and me

Sounds like you had a very scary time in that forest but very clever to have found a new mom and dad

Tell mom that if she has any questions just ask

Thank you Mr. Ian

Hello Rocco from us.
I’m sure it must have been very worrying to be in that big dark forest alone but you are now lucky to have a new Mom and new friends to play with.

Hello Rocco, from Hank and me

Nifty staffy wrote:Hello Rocco from us.
I’m sure it must have been very worrying to be in that big dark forest alone but you are now lucky to have a new Mom and new friends to play with.

Hi Miss Nifty, thank you for welcoming me. I do feel lucky indeed, and the best part is... mom & dad feel lucky too!

Paris1990 wrote:Hello Rocco, from Hank and me

Hello right back at ya Paris and Hank

Hi Rocco welcome to the forum. Loads of good advice on here so tell your mom and dad to ask away.

And Nifty adds never to forget that if it doesn't work with Mom, try with Dad. If all else fails, put on the staffy smile and they won't be able to resist

Jnestie84 wrote:Hi Rocco welcome to the forum. Loads of good advice on here so tell your mom and dad to ask away.

Hello and thank you

Well since you mention 'asking away', mom already has a question (or issue as you will). I'll let her do the talking this time. (Will post this also in a forum section so others will read it)

The first few days went decent with Rocco and our two Airedales. Decent, not perfect, but that was expected. We're a week in of him living with us. Some moments were wonderful, others not so much. After all, Rocco is still a (fearless) puppy and not used to the two dogs that were already part of our family. So we realize everybody has to chip in, get to know eachother, and get used to eachother. And that won't happen overnight, nor without having to conquer some hurdles. All our house rules are the same for Rocco as well as for Lola & Chester. They know the rules, he has to be taught. And that part actually went better by the day. Rocco has a seperate space set of in the house, and so do Chester and Lola. That way we can give them together time, and also time apart to re-establish a calm environment when need be. But... Rocco is getting less impressed with the size of our two bigger dogs and their demeanor. You can tell he tries to figure out his limits with them and testing his bounderies. They let him know when he goes too far and their patience with him surprises me at times. I am right there when things are about to escalate and interfere right before it gets to the point when a fight is about to start. A yelp, squeal or growl is normal since it's about establishing pack order. But like I said, he's starting to become less impressed and as a result of that, also less fearful. Today he had his mind set on Chester's legs and private parts and he unapologetically went for it all, and was unafraid of any repercussion from Chester. Chester tried to run away and avoid a confrontation as much as he could, but he has his limits too of course. So at some point Chester stood up for himself, had Rocco cornered, laid himself on Rocco, and the aggressive snarling and biting started. How I got them apart I don't even remember. But it scared the heebie-jeebies out of me. I have read that it takes 3-4 weeks for dogs to get used to eachother and for peace and truth among them. But I do not want any of the three to get hurt in the process, nor put any of their lives in danger. I have seen Chester in a snap kill a stray cat who he saw as an intruder in their dog pen (which is one acre large) (sorry cat lovers, there was nothing I could do about it, except rock the dead cat in my arms and apologize over and over). And I certainly do not want the lives of our first two dogs turn into an unhappy life if there is no possibility of ever having the desired peace and truth. While writing this I am already crying because of the thought of having to give Rocco up. He's a sweetie pie when you have him alone. When you hold him in your arms he softly grunts like a little baby. I feel horrible, and a loser, for even having the thought of giving him up crossing my mind. But if he's not a good fit with Chester and Lola, I might not have any other choice?

Any advice on how to deal with this is welcome. Or experiences with a simular situation and how it got solved. Thank you!

Jnestie84 wrote:Hi Rocco welcome to the forum. Loads of good advice on here so tell your mom and dad to ask away.

Hi, I tried to copy-paste what I wrote you to the 'Training and Behaviour' part of the forum. But I'm either doing it wrong, or it's not possible to copy-paste within the forum? If so, could you as a moderator do this for me please? Thank you 

It should copy and paste ok, I do it very often. If it doesn't work don't worry, it'll still be seen here by those that can offer good advice (Liz)

I have limited experience of this as my girl wasn't a pup when she was introduced to her Bloodhound cousins yet there was still some house order that needed to be established first, and every visit actually. Normally it's just a telling off from one or the other and all settles.

In Rocco's case it's a little different in that he is young and will naturally see what he can get away with. My thoughts are to set your own boundaries as you have been and stopping any boisterous play before it becomes a problem.

You might also see that time will see things settle, it's still early days but can fully understand your concerns.

Thank you Ian, that does set my mind at ease a little 

Hi Rocco & Mummy from me & Katy, I have no experience of multi dog household but I think time & patience & space away for each dog is the best way to go

Jenc wrote:Hi Rocco & Mummy from me & Katy, I have no experience of multi dog household but I think time & patience & space away for each dog is the best way to go

Thank you Jen & Katy  We're trying, and the good moments give us hope, the bad moments not so much. I don't want to give up though without having tried our best and hardest