Is my baby unsociable?

[mommydanford]

Yesturday I took Molly to the dog park for the second time. There is a large fenced in area for all dogs to run and play with each other. Some of our friends also came with their 2 english bulldogs (male & female). She greeted all the dogs that came up to her but stayed by my side the entire time. If another dog came close to me she ran after them growling under her breath but never tried to bite them. Our friends said "she is being protective of you, she doesn't want any dogs around you". But she did the same thing around other people if she was visiting them and they were petting her. She has always been around other dogs without any problems so I don't understand why she is acting this way now. I will be going to pick her little brother probably Thursday and he is 12 weeks old. I am afraid that she will be this way with him and maybe hurt him. My husband is telling me "she is the baby even though she is 2 and she must be able to tell that a new baby bulldog will be here sooon so she is jealous". Do you think this is the problem? Any suggestions please.

 

[ChanelnBrutus]

Hey! I know this can be very frustrating! When we brought our EBD Brutus home we already had a 5 year old pitbull who is wonderful with people/animals except cats hates them! sorry cats lol But we had them meet outside first on the sidewalk...they say to have them meet on nuetural grounds before introducing them into the home! Definalty make sure Molly udnerstands her position in your pack! Chanel is very easy going and nothing really bothers her! I would recommend reading some of Ceaser Milans information....This may help! Sorry I dont have much advice to give!! others will definaltye be by shortley to help

 

[Cooper11]

You know Molly better than anyone so you will know how to read her. Our bullies do that growling thing to bat have never been aggressive with it. Our bullies growl like that when they have a bone and the other comes near. But have NEVER attacked I think it is just a thing bully does! I think with you getting puppy will be a good thing. You are right she she has been the baby and it may take her a little bit to get use to the fact that there is another bully in the house that she has to share attention with but I think after awhile she will love having another bully in the house. Nothing like 2 bullies playing together! You never know she may love the new baby or it may take her a few days to adjust. I know when I brought Cooper home I thought my other dog would love him and he was afraid of him for a few days and didn't want anything to do with him and now they are best buds. Same thing at my moms house with Gracie.....their other dog took longer to adjust to a bully coming in the house and still arn't best friends but they do play together...Gracie is kinda a bully and she is one that hates sharing and will take toys away from other dogs, steal their stuff, and she wants all the attention. I think with time Molly will be fine and learn to love you new little bro. Who knows she could shock all of us and love him right away!

 

[mommydanford]

I really hope she loves him. She is around 3 cats and has no problems with them except for when she is eating and this also just started about 4 months ago. Before then she would share her food, water, treats and toys with them.

 

[Cooper11]

I really hope she loves him. She is around 3 cats and has no problems with them except for when she is eating and this also just started about 4 months ago. Before then she would share her food, water, treats and toys with them.

I am no expert by any means. And I am sure that all female EB and all male Eb re not the same. In my case our female is def the alpha and our male not so much. Gracie runs the roost and Cooper will follow or bow down. So if Molly is the alpha don't be surprised if she tries to bully the pup. And by bully I don't mean fight or anything but she will definatly try to run him and let him know who is boss and when she wants to play she will play and if he wants to play and she doesn't ...well then they won't play lol. I think she will be fine. She is not going to like sharing her mommy and daddy. When I pet my other dog who I have had for over 3 years Cooper will come and try to steal the spot light. He wants to be mommies boy! Just make sure you give Molly as much attention and maybe a little more because we know how much attention baby bullies get because they are just too darn cute! May take a couple days or weeks but you will be fine. I know [MENTION=1621]bfletch13[/MENTION] just got a male (not a puppy he is 1) but he has had Jozi for a little while and I know they weren't playing at first but I think Jozi is warming up to her new little bro! Maybe he can give you some tips! You better take lots of pics on Thursday I want to see this handsome little feller!

 

[ChanelnBrutus]

Well thats a good sign that she accepted the cats! When the new puppy does come home I would feed them both in the crate to avoid any issues! Let Molly understand you are the pack leader ! Give her lots of praise when the new puppy arrives when she does good and when she is bad let her know its not tolerated! I know easier said that done but it should all work out for you!

 

[gunnyboy]

I saw this on the dog whisper, he says it being possessive and he thinks your his.

 

[2BullyMama]

Is Molly dominate? It seems that you need to establish alpha and she must understand that you are the lead, not her. As long as the puppy is not as dominate as her she will accept him -- let he teach him what is acceptable and establish the pack order between them. BUT -- you must make sure she knows you and your husband are the pack leaders

 

[mommydanford]

Thank you everyone for the advice. I will be going to pick my new baby this afternoon. Here is a picture of him, he is just so adorable. I really love his colors.

 

[Vicaroo1000]

He's a cutie [MENTION=4362]mommydanford[/MENTION] and Molly is gorgeous too.

For any dog that's new to the dog park setting, it's important that the human pack leader control the activities. Just going in and turning your dog loose and "watching to see what will happen" isn't active leadership yet you see folks doing this all the time. And then they panic and exclaim, "She's never done this before!" But they don't correct the behavior either. It's not OK for her to "protect you" at the dog park. Correct the misbehavior. I said correct - not punish. That's discipline. Big difference between the two. :D

Here's something I've posted before and will continue to every time this topic comes up. It's good info!

From Cesar's Way . com

While Cesar encourages everyone to exercise their dog on a regular basis, he also reminds you to keep in mind that a good pack leader maintains leadership even at the dog park. Here are 5 tips Cesar has for dog owners who want to demonstrate good pack leadership.

1. Make sure your dog is spayed or neutered, has all her shots, and is in good health. Under no circumstances should you bring a sick dog to a dog park!

2. Do not use the dog park as a substitute for the walk! If you drive to the park, leave your car a block away and take your dog on a vigorous walk of at least thirty-five minutes to drain some of her energy. Never take an over-excited dog to the park.

3. While at the park, don't "punch out" on your calm-assertive leadership. Be aware of your dog at all times, and take responsibility for her behavior.

4. A calm-submissive dog will not attract another dog's aggression--but an excited dog, a weak, timid dog, or an aggressive dog can become a fight-magnet.

5. Know your dog! If your dog has poor social skills, is overly fearful or is dog aggressive, or if you have not yet established your calm-assertive leadership with your dog, find a more controlled way to introduce her to the company of other dogs, such as "play dates" with one or two other dog owners.