New PetWe brought home an 8 week old male puppy with a 10 yr old female dog. We tried to pick a non dominating pup bc our 10yr old is VERY passive. The pup has overtaken the 10yr and lays in her bed and takes away all toys. The 10yr doesn’t seem to care but
Hi there! Wrigley sure sounds smug! I think you're on the right track with him having his own area to retire to in the playpen. You can also try a kennel or crate. Put the pen or crate in a separate room so he can calm down and nap alone and just relax away from all of you a couple of times a day.
Your older dog may just not care about the toys or bed, but you can always get an extra bed for the elderly dog. Correcting Wrigley over and over, although redundant and somewhat annoying, is the best way to get him to keep to his own things. If he has his own toys and steals the older dog's toys, tell him "no" take the toy (as long as he isn't trying to bite you of course - if so call a trainer right away) and then give him his toy, and praise him. Also, you can try playing with his toys with him, and rewarding him with pieces of kibble or a treat he really likes.
If you still feel like you're having trouble, I'd advise calling in a trainer. They can help you set some ground rules in the hom
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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