Not friends yet!

[wendall]

Pip's been here just over a week, but Honeys not impressed! She just whines or gives out a low growl when Pip is near her. There have been a few incidents when Honey has been really nasty and gone for her. I'm trying my best to make as much a fuss as normal and keep Pip away from her when she needs her own space. Can anyone suggest what else I can do?

[MIN]

I know what is like. after 2 years of harmony Gemma took a dislike to staffie poppy. now they have to be kept apart. It is a constant headache. poppy is old, deaf and "simple" and doesn't understand  that she should keep out of the way of the ginger snapper. separate sofas, sleeping rooms, separate times in the garden etc
It is harder when its a new puppy,  I am grouchy around children also 

[elaine.e]

Honey will probably come round eventually, but you're best to give her all the time and space that she needs. Does she have places where she can keep out of Pip's way?

William was deeply offended when Louis turned up! 6 years later he tolerates him but he doesn't really like him and I think is still secretly hoping that Louis is just visiting and will leave one day . But they've managed to come to terms with each other and they're not often tense around each other. I would have loved them to be best friends but it's actually OK that they are just companions

William's policy was to ignore Louis and he only growled at him if Louis was really in his face, desperate to play. He bit Louis once and made his lip bleed but that was the worst incident, all over so quickly that I don't even know what triggered it. I made sure that William could escape upstairs or into a different  room for some peace and quiet. I also made sure he had a good walk on his own every day, leaving Louis in his pen with a kong, and did things like making a fuss of him and grooming him while Louis was asleep.

I also fed them separately, with a babygate and some space between them. As it happens I prefer to feed my dogs at least several feet apart, not really close, to avoid any possible anxieties and conflict. So I just started them off like that but with the babygate as an extra precaution. But I also got both of them to sit in front of me and fed them treats by turn to encourage them to realise that being close(ish) is a nice experience.

All the nice quiet interactions and closeness were rewarded. So if William was sat next to me on the sofa and Louis jumped up on the other side of me and settled I quietly praised both of them. If I then found Louis giving William the evil eye (happened a few times during the teenage stage) I'd just stand up and walk away.

I'd suggest just persevering with a mix of giving Honey space, keeping Pip safe if Honey starts to get grumpy, praising and rewarding all the good interactions and letting them get on with getting to know each other when you feel it's safe and appropriate.