My Puppy Is Bullying My Older Dog: 9 Causes & Solutions
Reasons why your puppy is bullying your older dog include a lack of exercise or socialization, rough play, resource guarding, aggression, or medical issues.
Puppy aggression as a reason why your pup is attacking your older dog might sound harsh but rest assured that it’s rarely the cause.
You might want to triple-check aggression or resource-guarding issues if the pup was a rescue.
A puppy from a reputable breeder rarely displays these issues right from the get-go.
The number one reason for puppies bullying older dogs is a lack of exercise and socialization.
There are simple ways to tell which reason it could be and I’ll explain each issue so you’ll finally reap the benefits of caring for your beloved canines.
That includes protecting your older dog while training your pup how to behave.
Medical issues could be the reason why your puppy seems to bully your older dog.
Puppies can suffer from joint issues or even just the side effects of growing.
Joint issues are often expressed by limping in young dogs.
Also, your little furry friend will go through a puppy-biting phase.
Have your pup examined by a vet if you’re unsure and monitor your pup’s growth or any signs of illness.
Your puppy may be bullying the older dog due to puppy aggression.
While that’s rarely the cause, aggression should always be kept in mind.
If you’ve gotten your pup from a shelter, inquire about their past.
Owners who got their pup from a proper breeder will have to worry less about aggression.
I’ve seen it happen, though the chances increase tenfold with poor breeders or puppy mills.
Photo by Andrii Spy_k on Shutterstock
These puppies show signs of aggression but the underlying fear issues often develop due to a lack of socialization or issues within the litter (i.e. resource guarding or rough play).
Resource guarding where puppies protect toys or food from an older dog and bully them to the point where they have trouble accessing these resources is not common but can definitely happen.
Furry companions who had to fight with littermates for resources due to a lack of a proper structure and access to food might develop this issue.
Similarly, your pup may just mirror your older dog’s behavior.
Resource guarding or food aggression should be avoided right away and is a bit more difficult to get rid of once it happened.
All these steps can help with resource issues.
However, your older dog might just appear to be bullied because they can’t properly communicate anymore.
This ties in closely with medical issues, I’ll go into details below.
Some puppies just play rough and that extends to older dogs who might not appreciate the bursts of energy and feel bullied, especially if the puppy is biting the neck.
It’s quite common for puppies to go for the face, neck, or legs (more on that below) and older dogs can just disdain that behavior.
Provide your puppy with an outlet for their excess energy and socialize them properly so they learn how to play with their peers.
Sometimes, older dogs use measured corrections and that’s an important aspect of development for puppies too.
However, interacting with other puppies is still crucial and rough play can be corrected verbally. However, it’s usually best to let the other dog provide feedback.
If your pup is poorly socialized, he may interact with your older dog in an unhealthy way and that may include constant nagging and biting the face.
Make sure to check out my socialization guide.
A common cause of puppies bullying older dogs is a lack of exercise. Naturally, puppies have exercise needs and if not met, they annoy the other dog in the house.
Do not correct (and never “punish”) your pup when he seems to be bullying your older dog if, in reality, your pup just lacks mental and physical stimulation.
Besides providing your dog with an outlet for their energy and training them to behave well, make your older dog feel comfortable.
Provide them a safe space, interact with them 1-on-1 to avoid jealousy, and go on bonding trips with your pup and older dog.
If you don’t teach both dogs how to behave, you may end up in another difficult situation.
That’s when you might find your older dog attacking your pup.
During play sessions, it’s perfectly normal for your canine crew to bite each other, chase each other’s tails and even growl a little while wrestling. You just haven’t seen these quirks in a while because your other dogs grew out of that phase long ago. Now that baby Fido is in the picture, he just wants to play with his new doggy family members. They may just have no desire to play with him in return.
Biting isn’t always a bad thing. A little nipping generally is normal dog behavior, especially from hyperactive teething puppies. You’ll just need to work on getting his energy out beforehand. However, if your puppy is causing wounds or drawing blood from your older pooches, he might be playing too rough or acting aggressively, warranting a visit with a trainer.
Most puppy biting is normal and completely harmless. It is possible, however, that your puppy is fearful of your other dogs, which can make him act aggressively towards them. If you see little Fido holding his tail between his legs or sticking it straight out when he’s biting the other dogs, or showing his teeth or leaning forward, like he’s about to pick a fight, these are some warning signs of aggression. You’ll need to seek help from a dog training professional right away, before Fido gets any bigger or before he starts a brawl that could land one of his pack members in the hospital.
No matter the cause of Fido’s excessive biting, before just throwing him in with the rest of the pack, work on burning up his energy first. Take him on frequent walks throughout the day, put him in a puppy play group, toss the ball around the yard or give him his own special toys to play with while the other dogs are outside going potty. Once you wear him out, he’ll be much mellower when he joins your older dogs, which can prevent any unwanted puppy nipping.
Melodie Anne Coffman specializes in overall wellness, with particular interests in womens health and personal defense. She holds a masters degree in food science and human nutrition and is a certified instructor through the NRA. Coffman is pursuing her personal trainer certification in 2015.
Why does my puppy bite my older dog?
Biting isn’t always a bad thing. A little nipping generally is normal dog behavior, especially from hyperactive teething puppies. … However, if your puppy is causing wounds or drawing blood from your older pooches, he might be playing too rough or acting aggressively, warranting a visit with a trainer.
My Puppy bites my older Dogs?
Biting isn’t always a bad thing. A little nipping generally is normal dog behavior, especially from hyperactive teething puppies. … However, if your puppy is causing wounds or drawing blood from your older pooches, he might be playing too rough or acting aggressively, warranting a visit with a trainer.