Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi there,
i have already posted this on the general list,( I think I should have come here first though).
We have a 5 yr old female Chihuahua, Abigale, who does not like other dogs.
We have probably lost our minds, but we are getting an 8 week old female English Springer Spaniel on Friday.
What is the best way to introduce our Chi to the puppy, ( we want to make this as stress free as possable for both animals).
As you all know Chihuahua's can be quite dominating. We dont want to make her unhappy as this will make all our lives miserable. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

I don't have a chihuahua, but I did recently get a new dog (mine isn't especially dog aggressive but the new one was). I introduced them in a neutral area (a neighbor's fenced yard) off lead and let them work things out. My dog put the new dog in her place a couple times (snarking), but there wasn't any true violence. I also walk them both together a lot--five or six miles a day. (We go out on a combination of short and long walks.) This has helped a lot since they're worn out, and they're used to being with each other but have some other stimuli. I feed them seperately, at night they sleep in separate rooms, and I let my first dog go in and out of doors first. It's a lot of work--and puppies are even more work, so it's going to be a LONG month for you. I'd suggest giving your first dog some special alone time with you. You'll be tempted to give more attention to the puppy (puppies need a ton of attention anyway), but your chi needs all the normal love/attention--and more.

Hi
Thanks for replying. I will definatly be feeding and sleeping them in different areas. And as soon as the puppy has had all her shots we will be taking lots of walks together ( I like the idea of wearing them out, so they don't have the energy to fuss at each other).
I have another question though.Is it better to use a harness or a halti when I start leash training the puppy.?
Thanks again.
Susan

>>Hi
>>Thanks for replying. I will definatly be feeding and sleeping them in different areas. And as soon as the puppy has had all her shots we will be taking lots of walks together ( I like the idea of wearing them out, so they don't have the energy to fuss at each other).
>>I have another question though.Is it better to use a harness or a halti when I start leash training the puppy.?
>>Thanks again.
>>Susan

>>>>>>>>>>

A flat collar with a buckle or quick-release snap is appropriate for puppies. A chest harness is okey, if it is the kind that does not put pressure on tender points to keep the puppy from pulling (you do that--puppies are not ready for training collars). A Halti would not be safe on a young puppy.
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Kathy Diamond Davis, author, "Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others," 2nd edition, and the free Canine Behavior Series articles at http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=SRC&S=1&SourceID=47

I used a harness with my dog when she was a puppy (she still actually uses it for walks), but a lot of people do use plain collars.