having a issue with my 11 wek old pup rough playing with the poodle. its been a month and i cant seem to get her to stop.she will nip at him, yes i know its normal but also get right on top of him constantly. It wouldnt be a big deal except the poodle is 15 and not interested in play. he has a few ailments and vets think this may be his last year so i just dont want the poor guy terrorized daily.

looking for advice on how to curtail this, i hate punishing her for just wanting to play but i cant have her jumping all over the poodle. I thought about sectioning her off in the kitchen when he is in the living room, good idea or no?

What does the vet think about the pup playing with the poodle? Also - my guess is once the poodle gets fed up, he will snap at the pup and thus, set his limits.

Otherwise, separation is a reasonable option. Any chance you have a friend/family member with a younger dog that likes to play? The socialization would be good (once he's up to date on shots.)

Puppy should not be punished for playing. Many members here recommend tethering the puppy to yourself, which I can see working here, it's not so much a punishment as it is a redirection. Puppy starts to get to rough for your poodle, just pull him away and redirect his play with yourself or a toy or something. Seperating them is also an idea, I did this with my two when Kohdi was a year old and Mishka was a very tiny puppy, their together time, which was a lot, was closely supervised. I seperated them by a child gate between rooms when they couldn't be watched and at night when I was sleeping. But a permanent separator of the two of your pups I don't think is a good idea, should only be when you can't physically supervise/redirect the puppy.

amymeme wrote:

What does the vet think about the pup playing with the poodle?  Also - my guess is once the poodle gets fed up, he will snap at the pup and thus, set his limits.

Otherwise, separation is a reasonable option.  Any chance you have a friend/family member with a younger dog that likes to play?  The socialization would be good (once he's up to date on shots.)

the poodle wont do much. Its actually my mothers and i dont know if this is why but it was attacked when it was younger and mauled. almost died during a walk with my mother.  since then very non aggressive. it may bark a little but just stands there. im not really sure the wait it out idea is sound due to the fact the poodle is 15 years old and breathes heavy just laying there, much less being roughed up by a pup, play or not

the vet said it wont last, it has.. I guess just looking for a good way because the poodle is dying and i dont want his last days be of him having to fend off a puppy whos already bigger.

Artic_Wind wrote:

Puppy should not be punished for playing. Many members here recommend tethering the puppy to yourself, which I can see working here, it's not so much a punishment as it is a redirection. Puppy starts to get to rough for your poodle, just pull him away and redirect his play with yourself or a toy or something. Seperating them is also an idea, I did this with my two when Kohdi was a year old and Mishka was a very tiny puppy, their together time, which was a lot, was closely supervised. I seperated them by a child gate between rooms when they couldn't be watched and at night when I was sleeping. But a permanent separator of the two of your pups I don't think is a good idea, should only be when you can't physically supervise/redirect the puppy.

ive tried the redirection thing, the pup listens for 10 seconds, then back at it. usually if she keeps it up i just take her in my bedroom/office with me

Pup needs some time with dogs that will teach it a lesson. They have puppy play sessions at petsmart and petco once a week usually if you have one near that you could go to that would let the pup get some time in with dogs and pups of different ages that will put it in its place. Since the poodle won't put it in its place then you will have to at home either by making sure to tire it out very well before the poodle arrives for the day if that is the setup you have or when redirecting do so by doing a training session. Make it go through commands or start teaching it commands if you haven't already. This will help wear it out faster. Offering up puzzle toys can help redirect for longer as well.