Puppy Safety Issue
My question is very serious…we have just adopted a yellow lab puppy, and our dog Matilda a Rottweiler seems jealous, and aggressive. I am concerned about the puppy’s safety. What would you suggest as a solution to this situation?
Our Response
I’m sorry to hear that you are having concerns about your new puppy and your Rottweiler being jealous territorial. You are right to be very cautious as this could lead to a serious encounter.
I would start by placing the puppy in a small crate and gradually introducing them over time. It’s important that you treat Matilda as the ‘Pack Leader’ as this will help to alleviate any jealousy (feed her first instead of the puppy). I would never leave them alone together and when you do introduce them try placing a muzzle on Matilda as this will lower the risk. Gage exactly how big the problem is and decide whether it is safe to walk them together at some point when your puppy is old enough.
Don’t be over tempted to give the new puppy lots and lots of attention as this will only increase the jealous behavior in Matilda. Treat Matilda as the ‘alpha’ female. Use obedience training to remind both dogs that overall you are the boss and it is you that they should respect.
Hope this helps a little.
