sobesmom Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 My neice has an 8-week old puppy - and needs to go away next weekend. I offered to puppy-sit. Yes, just shoot me now~ I'm NOT a "puppy person"..... and I have a greyhound. Our grey, Diana - is high-prey. But she's mellowed a LOT in the last couple years. So - I told my neice to bring the pupppy for a visit one night this week - and we'd see how it goes - then decide for SURE if we could keep the puppy next weekend. I certainly don't want the puppy to be in any danger from Diana. This is a BIG puppy - it's a mix of Bull Mastiff, St. Bernard, (mom's side) and German Shepard and Golden (dad's side). A lovely mutt they got for free from a total "oops". The biggest pup in the litter. It's a BIG puppy that I don't think Diana could ever confuse with a rabbit or cat. It's just too big and....slow. So - I think I'm right on the "trial run" visit - but how do I handle it? Muzzle on Diana for sure. Meet them in the front yard for an outside sniff? Or let the pup come in? Then very careful watching in the house? Last weekend I saw this puppy meet an adult dog at another house, and it worked out ok. The puppy got a little rowdy - the older dog corrected calmly (they'd just met) and the puppy backed off. So - I "think" the pup understands "dog language". Any tips? Ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocsDoctor Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 I had a similar if not identical situation with Doc so hopefully our experience while not quite the same will help! He had come to me straight from the greyhound kennels and I found that we did have the problem that small squirmy puppies seen while out and about=potential snack... We were going to some mixed-breed dog obedience classes anyway for general socialisation, so I mentioned this to the (very nice) trainer. Her solution was to invite me to the puppy class she held before the class we were attending anyway, and get us to sit quietly on the sidelines for a while so that Doc could observe the puppies being walked around by their owners. It didn't take him long to work out that they were all dogs, and calm down. Then she took the smallest, whitest and fluffiest puppy from its owner, sat down beside us, and held it up with its bottom towards Doc for him to sniff. No muzzles or anything - she was adamant that he would not hurt her once he realised she was another dog, and she was right. That said we are still wary around puppies, because they can be so full-on and rude - their owners can be a bit clueless too. If need be I just explain Doc is a grumpy old man who doesn't want to be bothered with puppies! I think bitches are usually more tolerant of puppies and puppy play but yes once the two have been introduced (outside sounds a good idea) I would carefully monitor interreactions indoors and give Diana a place she can escape to if the puppy is being annoying. Like kids they can get very hyper if they are tired! I would also be very careful about unleashed activity outside - in fact I wouldn't do it - because puppy running about, squealing etc could set the whole problem off again as I am sure you are aware! HTH Quote Clare with Tiger (Snapper Gar, b. 18/05/2015), and remembering Ken (Boomtown Ken, 01/05/2011-21/02/2020) and Doc (Barefoot Doctor, 20/08/2001-15/04/2015)."It is also to be noted of every species, that the handsomest of each move best ... and beasts of the most elegant form, always excel in speed; of this, the horse and greyhound are beautiful examples."----Wiliam Hogarth, The Analysis of Beauty, 1753. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maggiespet Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 We got Sam the mutt pup when he was quite young and only 12#. (hard to believe he was ever that small!) Maggie is a high prey drive kinda girl so I knew from the beginning we were going to have to be very careful. Sam was crated when we weren't home. He was in an x-pen when we were home and not actively playing with him and when we were playing with him, Maggie was muzzled. And i just didn't let them outside together till Sam was 20# or so and even then, Maggie was muzzled and extremely supervised. And we kept these rules till Sam was 30#. That seems to be the magic number for Maggie. I'll bet you can get through this with muzzle, crate, separate turnout and lots of supervision. Good luck. Quote http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g240/mtbucket/siggies/Everyday-2.jpgJane - forever servant to the whims and wishes of Maggie (L's Magnolia of JCKC) and Sam the mutt pup.[/b] She's classy, sassy and a bit smart assy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Lakota Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 let them meet at a local park, then walk home together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kudzu Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 Crates, xpens & baby gates are your friends!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mowreyAZ Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 Separate turn- outs, always supervise, and when you leave the house, crate/ baby gate one. And lots of walking and walking together and apart cause puppy bladders are smaller. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BlueCrab Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 I'll bet you can get through this with muzzle, crate, separate turnout and lots of supervision. Good luck. ...and you forgot to mention "a stiff drink". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DoofBert Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 Crates, xpens & baby gates are your friends!! YEPPER -- speaking from experience here......Tania OOPS puppy spent quiet time in EXPEN while older greys had their respit. Older greys had freedom of house, while puppy Tania was babygated in separate room. when we could not supervise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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