My puppy is too rough with my dog. Should I punish the growling?

I can understand being alarmed by this, but I actually do not recommend punishing Jenny at all for this - any kind of punishment or "discipline" is likely to make the problem worse, and may also make her more apt to bite without warning in the future. When Jenny growls and barks at your son, she isn't being "bad" - she is communicating that she's anxious or uncomfortable and want him to leave her alone. Instead of punishing her, we want to determine why she's uncomfortable and get her out of the situation so that she doesn't feel the need to defend herself. I would recommend making an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist who can evaluate Jenny in person and help you identify what kinds of situations are making her anxious around your son - he/she can then help you put together a detailed plan to make sure that everyone stays safe. In the meantime, it would be best to use baby gates or other barriers to keep Jenny separated from your son if you have any concerns about how they are interacting. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here: www.dacvb.org

Firstly I don't think Gia is trying to be naughty in her reaction to this puppy, it sounds much more like it is annoying her or making her anxious, so I would be careful with punishing her. Growling is her warning the pup that she doesn't like what it is doing and to back off. You need to consider that this strange puppy that Gia doesn't know is coming into her habitat. In a sense this pup who probably has very little idea how to behave around other dogs is literally invading her territory. You have to imagine from Gia's point of view that this is a very confusing situation. First and foremost Gia should feel comfortable in her own home. I would suggest that it would be better to let these two get to know each other on neutral ground. Let them socialise outside together and get to know one another. This will remove any issues if Gia feeling threatened or defensive in her territory. When you have done this you can try bringing the pup in again, but I would be careful not to let it have free reign over the house and therefore threaten Gia's space. Keep the pup to one area and let Gia cone and go from it as she wishes. As I said be very careful with punishing her as you could confuse her greatly and cause her to have negative associations with the pup.

Yes, this sounds normal. Some dogs do not like to be bothered when they are sleeping and just need time away from other pets (or even other people!). I would recommend that you allow your older dog to have a space away from the puppy for sleeping - you may also try crate training both of them to keep them safe when you are away. Growling is a way for dogs to communicate, and hopefully the puppy will start to understand soon!

It's very common for older dogs to not like a new puppy much at first - puppies can be rude, pushy, and overly playful for an adult dog :). You will need to give your older dog plenty of time to adjust to the pup at her own pace. Make sure she has someplace she can go to relax if she doesn't want to be bothered, and supervise them closely to make sure that the puppy isn't allowed to harass her when she doesn't want to play. It's also very normal for adult dogs to growl or snap at puppies who are being pushy and rude - this is how puppies learn manners, and your older dog should not be corrected for this. Things should improve over the next 2-3 weeks as they get used to each other. If there is no improvement in this time, or if you have concerns that your older dog may injure the puppy, then I would recommend making an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist for some hands-on guidance.

It is very normal for young pets to want to play a bit rough. If it is getting to be too intense, taking some "time outs" and having everyone settle down can help to reduce the behavior and give everyone a chance to relax. This can be done by removing them to different rooms, distracting them with a shared toy, or giving each a treat and letting them chew on it in different parts of the same room. Once calm, play can then resume. Playing with toys, combined training sessions, fetch items, or puzzle toys can also help encourage the two to work together and enjoy company without getting too rough.

Hello, rough play is ok as long as they are not showing teeth or biting each other. It is also ok, as long as both of them want to play and not one picking on the other. If you think they are showing some aggression or if it is getting too rough, you can separate them for some time. Also ensure they have enough toys, especially chew toys so that they can redirect their rough play to those chew toys in particular. Hope this helps.

Hi there. Resource guarding is a very common (and normal, to some extent!) behavior in dogs. Do not try to take high-value treats away from her while she is chewing them, as this will only teach her to be anxious and on guard whenever you approach. Instead, leave her alone to chew them in peace. You can also practice walking up to her while she is chewing on something, dropping a tasty treat like a piece of cheese or a hot dog slice, and walking away without bothering her. This way, she learns that having you approach her when she has a "treasure" is a good thing, and not a threat! If this behavior escalates over time instead of getting better, then I would recommend getting in touch with a veterinary behaviorist or a good reward-based trainer who can evaluate her in person and help you put together a training plan to address it. Play growling during tug of war is normal, and it not typically a cause for concern.