Tiny new puppy! (pics) - Questions

[s3rous]

I have a 1.5 year old male rott named Titan. My wife wanted a small dog so we got a male toy fox terrier named Turbo. He is a brave little fellow and his dad was too at only 4 pounds. Titan is usually very gentle with small dogs but I still worry a bit and watch them very closely. With Titan at 105 pounds and Turbo at 1/2 pound, do you think I should even let them on the floor together? Also, I want to allow the small dog on the floor with out letting the big dog. Is this OK? Do you think there will be problems since they are both males? Thanks for the help and sorry for all of the questions.

[spidey]

I want to allow the small dog on the floor with out letting the big dog.

??? I don't understand this.

You may run into problems because they are both males - are they both neutered? Either way, make sure you keep up with obedience training for BOTH of them (all dogs need obedience training, no matter what size they are), and do not ever leave them together unsupervised, regardless of age.

[Rott-Wiley]

They may get along fine -- small dogs don't realize they are small and large ones don't think they are big. If that makes sence. The fact that they are both males is not a plus, quite the opposite. The bad part is the larger dog may hurt the smaller one simply because they'll get playing too ruff, not intentionally. I wouldn't leave them unsupervised also (as Amanda said). You're going to have to play this one by ear. See how they do with each other.

[damp]

Originally Posted by s3rous

With Titan at 105 pounds and Turbo at 1/2 pound, do you think I should even let them on the floor together? Also, I want to allow the small dog on the floor with out letting the big dog. Is this OK? Do you think there will be problems since they are both males? Thanks for the help and sorry for all of the questions.

I am more worried about what I see on the last pic. Even it’s very cute, don’t expect a grown male to accept an other (grown?) male on his neck.

Two males in the same house often cause big troubles and your little boy will be in BIG troubles if he is not thought manners. He could very soon be the titbit your Rottweiler thinks he deserves for teaching him manners.

[s3rous]

Originally Posted by spidey

??? I don't understand this.

You may run into problems because they are both males - are they both neutered? Either way, make sure you keep up with obedience training for BOTH of them (all dogs need obedience training, no matter what size they are), and do not ever leave them together unsupervised, regardless of age.

I meant to say that I want to allow the small dog on the couch but not the big dog. Could I do this without too much jealousy? I guess it just depends on the dogs. The puppy is only 8 weeks old so he is not neutered yet.

[spidey]

Ah...you said "floor", not couch, which is why I was confused. :)

Yes, you can let one dog on the furniture but not the other - jealousy is a human emotion, not a dog emotion. Here's a discussion about this exact topic.

[Rott-Wiley]

Originally Posted by s3rous

I meant to say that I want to allow the small dog on the couch but not the big dog. Could I do this without too much jealousy? I guess it just depends on the dogs. The puppy is only 8 weeks old so he is not neutered yet.

I was confused about that also. I just assumed you ment couch or sofa. It isn't a really good idea to pose them like you did in that third picture. In effect you told the little dog it was fine for him to get on top of the big dog. Now he may try doing it later thinking it is OK.

[Blair]

I have a 2 lb Chi [full grown] and 2 other larger dogs, a german Shorthaired Pointer and my Rottweiler Zeus, who is still a puppy. My chi does have his own little room in my house but he also is let out with the other dogs, while I am ALWAYS there in the same room. Diesel, my chi, doesnt get any special treatment just because his size, all my dogs are treated the same. They all get along fine and my Chi lets the big dogs know when he had enough and when he wants to be alone. He maybe be tiny but he can defend his self. And my chi also has training, just like the "big" dogs.

[s3rous]

Originally Posted by Blair

I have a 2 lb Chi [full grown] and 2 other larger dogs, a german Shorthaired Pointer and my Rottweiler Zeus, who is still a puppy. My chi does have his own little room in my house but he also is let out with the other dogs, while I am ALWAYS there in the same room. Diesel, my chi, doesnt get any special treatment just because his size, all my dogs are treated the same. They all get along fine and my Chi lets the big dogs know when he had enough and when he wants to be alone. He maybe be tiny but he can defend his self. And my chi also has training, just like the "big" dogs.

Thats great! Thanks for the incite. I will also treat them the same, but my wife wants the small dog to be able to lay in her lap.

[Karlan]

With all due respect, I have to dissagree with the statement that "jealousy is a human emotion not a dog emotion" .
Dogs absolutely experience jealousy. Just as they feel sadness, happiness, shyness and anger.

[spidey]

Dogs absolutely experience jealousy

I disagree, they do experience something we CALL jealousy, because it presents similarly to what we call jealousy in humans, but in dogs, what we call "jealousy" is either competition for resources (I want that bone) or pack dynamics (I want the alpha to prefer me), it's not true jealousy in the sense that we use the term with people. I say this mainly because there's a very real danger to dogs to start ascribing human emotions and motivations to them - it wouldn't be a big deal, except once you stop looking at what the actual emotion and its effects are in a dog's mind, and instead focusing on what that emotion and effects would be in a human's mind, you've stopped looking at the problem in a useful fashion with regard to the dog, and have added a layer of confusion which does not need to be there. Dogs are absolutely emotional creatures, no argument here, but I think it's very important to accept, recognize and utilize their emotions as dog emotions, and not as human emotions. "Jealousy" has all kinds of connotations with humans which are simply not applicable to dogs, and the term is misused and misinterpreted when it comes to dogs far too frequently for my comfort - it's not fair to the dog, nor is it useful in terms of changing behaviour.

[damp]

Originally Posted by Karlan

Dogs absolutely experience jealousy

Dogs thrive VERY well (BEST) in packs, where the individual dog knows its place in the rank.
When a dog knows its rights, it totally accepts higher ranking dogs have priorities. That’s what keeps harmony and peace in a pack.

If a dog living in a “human pack” shows, what so wrongly is called “jealousy”, it has nothing to do with jealousy, but it has much to do with lack of leadership (or lack of obedience) and to much permissiveness and feeling pity for those sad brown eyes!
The dog has never been taught, what was not its privilege and its right.

IMO, that’s not fair to the dog.

[Karlan]

Sorry, I have to dissagree with that. I have a 9 month old Rottie living with a 7 yr old Siberian and two cats and there is jealousy (with in the confines of the canine mind) displayed by both dogs.
If too much attention is being displayed to one dog or too much verbal "fuss" is being given to one dog and not the other jealousy is cleary displayed by the other dog. It isn't aggeressive nor is it a misunderstanding, it is clearly the canine equivelant of jealousy.
We have established that we (the humans) are the alpha and dogs are further down the pack. So there is no confusion as far as that goes.
I can give many many examples of jealous behavior shown be either dog but especially by the Husky. It is as clear as happiness or sadness.

[samanthac]

Karlan, we understand what you are saying, but you do not seem to understand what other's are saying to you. YOU are calling it jealousy, but to the dogs it is simply vying for the attention of the alpha, rank etc. Jealousy is a HUMAN emotion. As Amanda said dogs have a very complex set of emotions and are indeed emotional creatures. But when you start attributing human emotions to them instead of trying to understand the behavior you are seeing in their terms, then you are doing them a great disservice as dogs and living beings. :)

There are many, many studies about this and Amanda and others are just trying to help you understand your dogs better so you can be a better owner and give them what they need to be good dogs and productive citizens. This is what we are all striving for! :)

[spidey]

Attributing human emotions to animals is not only a disservice to them (as Samantha said), but it's also simply not useful in terms of evaluating and modifying their behaviour, it adds needless complication, they are a different species, with different motivations and reactions, it doesn't make them less wonderful, but it does make them different. The point I'm trying to make is that by attributing human emotions to dogs, you implicitly attribute human motivations for those emotions (whether you're aware of it or not), and that is likely to be unhelpful or actively harmful to your relationship with your dog. Observe the behaviour as objectively as you can, what starts it, what affects it, etc. without ascribing human names or motivations to it. Please do not make the erroneous and large assumption that because it resembles a human emotion or behaviour that it IS that emotion or behaviour. There's no good (for your dog) reason to do so, and many powerful and compelling reasons not to. It is much more respectful and effective to regard your dog as a dog, with all the wonderful things and emotions that entails, than it is to view it as some kind of warped person. A dog is not a person, it does not have human motivations or human emotions - dogs definitely have emotions, many of which are superficially comparable to similar human emotions, but the similarity stops there, and in my opinion, you are not doing your dog any favours by thinking otherwise. Dogs don't need or want to be understood as people, they need and want to be understood as dogs. We can achieve amazing levels of communication with our dogs, but the best communication comes when we try to understand them as dogs, not when we're consciously or subconsciously thinking of them as quasi-humans. :)