Puppy Problems

Dear Bailey,

I'm having a problem. You see, I have a nine-month-old beagle, let's call her Fay. I just got a two-month-old beagle, Chelsea who continuously snaps at Fay. Chelsea's teeth are like murder when she gets to Fay. Fay isn't quite as aggressive and just sniffs. What do I do?

-Puppy Problems

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Bailey's Reply:

Dear Puppy Problems,

It seems like your pups are getting to know each other. You just got Chelsea, and she's probably unsure of where she is in her new pack. Her way of dealing with it is by snapping at Fay.

But Fay appears to be fluent in "dog" by not snapping back. She's calm, cool, collected. When Chelsea snaps, Fay simply sniffs the ground. This is known as a "calming signal". This is good! Fay is signaling to Chelsea, "Hey, chill out. You've got nothing to worry about with me." Common calming signals are sniffing the ground, yawning, licking around the mouth, and sniffing the ground as you described Fay doing.

Most dogs will tolerate the antics (and inappropriate behaviors) of very young puppies that they would not with a mature adult dog. This could be why Fay is allowing Chelsea to behave like she is.

As these two mature, this type of behavior should diminish. However, keep a close eye on their interactions to ensure that they aren't getting out of hand. If you're unsure if they can be left alone together, make sure that they are both safely confined in separate areas until you can supervise them.

Good luck to you and your newest family members!

<wags!>

Bailey

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