Playing with the older dacshund
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My 9 week old basenji likes to play rough with my roommates 2 yo dachshund. She loves to nip at him every where…tail, legs, throat, ears, neck, face, you name it.
When my roommate isn't home she loves to nip at him and he seems very docile and just is trying to get away/avoid her. He goes in his crate, but she follows right in with him and eventually forces him to leave his own crate!
When she gets like this, getting her to sit (although she does know what "sit" means now and is beginning to stay) by command is impossible. I try to block her way to him but she just tries to get around, she eventually will go to her bully stick, but once I leave, she is back at it again.
When my roommate is home, she still tries to play the same with her, but the dachshund isn't docile anymore. Last night, my roommate and I were watching TV on the couch and both dogs were on the couch, they were playing and then all the sudden the puppy yelps extremely loudly and continues for about 10sec or so. I comforted her when she was as I guess it was just instinct as I didn't know if she was hurt (which she wasn't), but then it made me think, should I have just let her go? Was the dacshund just showing her what was out of bounds?
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also, I bought her a bully stick today as the rope toy wasn't much interesting to her…she loves to bully stick when she can't see the dachshund. Shes been in my home office today essentially all day and has been chewing on the bully stick non-stop. She was chewing on other stuff (table legs, chair legs, etc...) but I also got a bottle of apple bitter which works amazing! Although I find myself having to spray it over sometimes (I think it looses its effectiveness over time).
As soon as she see the dachshund though, the bully stick is like it never existed, she goes right for him then...
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Remember that playing/biting is natural for puppies… that is how they interact with other canines... and/or littermates... do not interfere with them... puppies need to learn bounderies... with other adult dogs... they will work it out... I can never say enough that you can't tell people the noises you will here... from the pups or the adults... leave them alone and let them work it out.. Puppies are not stupid, but they will test and test.... but they will figure it out. As far as chewing things that are not for them.. you have to be on guard and stop the behavior and give them something that is acceptable... and it takes many, many, many times, they do not remember from one minute to the next... it is your responibility to be on top of the situation... it takes time and months at least until they pass the teething stage... Personally I have never used bitter apple.. but just watch the pup and redirect the behavior when I see it along with setting up the house to limit those items. And the older Doxie will teach the pup way more that you can... do NOT comfort the pup.. let them learn what is and is not acceptable
