Dottie

[Dottie]

We just brought home a 3 mo old F bichon to join our 3.5 year old M bichon. The first thing we did was wrong but it's too late for that now. We brought the puppy into the house instead of introducing them on neutral ground somewhere. With that out of the way, our older one is not too happy with this younger puppy. He is protective of her but is jealous--big time. We have been giving him just as much attention but he growls at her.

She, on the other hand, is a real instigator and gets in his face all the time. We know she wants to play but he doesn't see it that way.

Help--any suggestions on how to best handle this situation. would appreciate comments.

[Sarah]

A 3 month old is very annoying to a 3.5 year old, so he will growl. You have to realize that growling is a way they communicate with each other. Continue giving them equal amounts of attention, and things should be fine. If the puppy has had all her shots, then I would suggest you take them both for a walk, which is a good way of them bonding together.