Is it possible my dog will never accept our new Westie puppy?

It’s pretty hard to dislike a Westie, let alone a puppy, for very long. I bet it’s just fear of replacement by something so cute, or something like that. It’s only been three days. My prediction is your first dog will come around pretty soon. Keep pampering her and go on walks with her etc without the puppy around, keep the food separate, etc.

Give them more time and distance. The old dog will come around sooner or later. And the young dog will learn from the old dog. The law of the pack!

Thank you, I hope it gets better. She is a gentle dog with people but hates any dog coming anywhere near her.

Whenever I have gotten a puppy, the older dog has been appalled. The longest adjustment took about two weeks. Puppies are incredibly cute but really rude little creatures. The older dog needs to do some growling and nipping to teach manners. All supervised, of course, but it’s very normal.
And, omigod, WESTIE!!! One of my favorite dogs ever was a Westie I had for 13 years.

I’ve read that it’s always advisable to introduce a younger dog of the opposite sex because of the way dogs related to status in a group. They often feel their status is being threatened by a younger dog that is the same sex. Not that different sex always works but it’s just less upsetting in doggy world. When my daughter got a younger male pup for her older female dog, she was okay for a while and loved to play with him. But he has unlimited energy and after a few weeks she came close to knocking his head off. She couldn’t take the constant pestering to play. And the many times he rudely woke her up during a nap. She is very good with some dogs but this one still really annoys her at times. Hopefully the puppy learns to behave.
I do have one question. Do you rule your dog or does it rule you? I ask because it’s important as to who is the alpha in the home. She needs to know who is boss at home. If she is the boss then she could harm the puppy if she feels it’s a real threat to her status.

They may or may not adjust or grow to be friends but a few days is not even close to knowing if they will eventually become compatible pals. Do not leave them alone, unsupervised, at all and limit the interactions so your older, resident dog does not feel overwhelmed. Give your older dog reward treats for behaving well around the puppy, keep the positive rewards for good behavior consistent. I’d think after a few weeks or a month at most you will see improvement, if not, well, sometimes certain dogs and cats are meant to be only pets and your older pet always takes precedence over a newcomer.

You can also seek the advice of a dog trainer too if the adjustment is touch and go and puppy classes are a really good idea for the new kid as well. Good luck!

@Pandora the truth is she has been allowed to have her way and spoiled rotten !

Then she is the alpha of your human pack. She not going to easily take to a puppy who doesn’t know his place. You may think its nice to keep things the way they are but she needs to learn that the human is the alpha in the pack. It will be useful for the pup as well. Think of it as a kindness. Not being mean. Dogs feel more secure in their home when they are sure about who rules. And they are less likely to be aggressive to other dogs. Think of it this way. It’s like telling a toddler they can be boss all the time.You will have a wild child in no time who is stressed out because they don’t feel like someone is there to protect them. Pets are like children. They need security or they will do thing you won’t like.

@Pandora, I totally agree but it will be a challenge turning that around! Meanwhile the poor pup always backs off and is scared, it’s just that the first dog constantly suspects the pup!

Yes. Some dogs never learn to get along. However, there is a lot you can do to make things better:

1) Treat your older pooch like a queen. This is not the time to revoke privileges in an attempt to take back your “alpha role”. The alpha myth has been debunked for a long time now.

2) Use classical conditioning to help your older girl to feel good around the pup. One simple thing you can do is to give the pup a treat, and then immediately hand one to the older dog. Over time, the little one being fed will be an indicator of good things to come for dog number one, so that will help her curb any feelings of jealousy. Make sure to pay special attention to your older girl while the pup is around. Going for separate walks is fun, but it reinforces the idea that attention is only to be had when the pup is out of the way. You don’t want to do too much of that.

3) Don’t allow the puppy to pester your older dog, ever. Keep them separated unless you’re close by and able to remove the little monster immediately. Watch out for signs of discomfort. When your older dog is tongue-flicking, raising her hackles, shaking off, scrunching up her muzzle, maybe even growling or air-snapping, it’s high time to remove the little one. Your older dog doesn’t want to be forced into the role of constant disciplinarian – and if she is, there’s a good chance they won’t grow up to be close friends. Here are some pictures of what to watch out for.

4) Make sure your puppy has a lot of positive contact with older, stable, patient dogs as well as puppies. She needs peaceful interaction to offset the threats she’s getting from your older girl. Her threats are understandable, but they may hurt the pup’s developing social skills – hence 3).

Here’s a book you may want to read.

It takes time. Puppies are two fresh and tend to ignore personal boundaries. Please be patient. Keep showing your older dog love.

Since you’re not a dog, it’s not going to be possible for you to know how the dog feels. You presume that “she can’t be jealous, because…” [various human reasons – at least in our culture – that should allay or dispel that common human emotion] but you don’t know the rationalizations, instinct and pack mentality that a dog feels.

It’s most likely that eventually that a more or less peaceful accommodation will be reached. For now, the pup is still very immature at its current young age – even though a four-year difference ain’ no thang for humans, it’s a bigger deal in that species – so when the pup is less rambunctious, sure-footed (not clumsy and barging into the older dog from time to time as they may), properly respectful “and has learned to accept its place in the pack order”, then they may get along “better”, although the older dog will want to be boss as long as that is possible.

Ahh, sorry, too fresh!

Thank you all for your valuable answers.I am trying to get into both dogs’ positions but as @CWOTUS says, I am looking at this from a human perspective. The dog is trying to keep calm but it is clear her life has been disrupted.