Why are puppies so annoying to adult dogs?
Pack behavior and why only time will make puppies calm down
I laughed as my mother stared on in horror while her own dog Jackie (a Shih Tzu mix) tried to climb the back of my dog Junee (a Hound mix). When Jackie stopped trying to take on a cowgirl role, she was trying to bite Junee’s butt and tail, eating out of Junee’s food dish, or trying to squeeze her way into Junee’s crate any time Junee went inside.
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Sometimes Junee would leap onto my childhood bed to get away from Jackie, who wasn’t quite tall enough to reach it. A couple of times, Junee would let out a low growl or bark, and then run away. But my favorite moment was when Junee squared her shoulders, leaned forward and whacked her hip against Jackie’s body. The white dog went flying in the air and landed again, surprised and wondering how she could suddenly fly. I had to peel myself off the carpet from laughing. For a solid five minutes, Jackie finally left Junee alone—until she was at it again.
Recommended Read: “When your dog gets a new roommate ~ Socializing your adult dog with a new puppy”
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My father shrugged it off as “pack behavior.” I was unphased. A few years ago, I saw the same scenario play out during a Rover dog sitting job with a 7-month-old, 50-pound Labrador Retriever and his 3-year-old, 60-pound Labrador Retriever roommate. Same antics. The “puppy” tried to eat out of her dish. He was constantly trying to play or nip at her. He just could not leave this 3-year-old dog girl alone. Every blue moon, I’d leash the puppy to a couch to give the older dog a moment to breathe. I applied the same rules with Jackie and Junee by putting Jackie in a crate. But then I’d see Junee peering over at Jackie in the crate like she was waiting for her to come out.
In many ways, it reminded me of what a nuisance I was to my own older brother. Because my father has two younger siblings, he recognized the same sibling rivalry. My mother is an only child. She worried they would “never” get along all Thanksgiving weekend. By day two, they were chilling. She was relieved. My father and I exchanged glances and laughed. We knew the puppy would be back at it again.
So what is it about puppies that make them act this way around adult dogs?