Second Mini

The Miniature Schnauzer is a smallest dog in the Schnauzer breed and originated in the mid-to-late 19th Century from Germany. The Miniature Schnauzer is a cross between the Standard Schnauzer and other smaller breeds such as the Poodle. A miniature Schnauzer is a spunky, but aloof dog who does things their own way. They tend to be good guard dogs without the tendency to bite.
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Khess
Posts: 3
Joined: 22 Mar 2021, 01:02
First Name: Kyle

Second Mini

Post by Khess »

Hello Everyone !

My Wife and I recently brought home our second Mini. Denver, our "first born" is roughly 15 months old. Boisterous, energetic and full of personality. With both our schedules we decided it was best to get a second Mini now while we can.

Saturday we brought home Stanley, a 9 week old mini who already has a lot of personality in his puppy state.

When we got home with Stan, I walked Denver and my wife brought the pup inside to sniff around and get use to everything before introducing him to Denver. When I brought Denver inside I let him sniff the blanket and bed we brought the new pup home in, then let him into the room where he was.

I know it could take a few weeks for the dogs to get along as it'll take time for Stanley to grow. My only slight concern is "aggressiveness" from Denver. He will paw at Stanley, put his mouth around his neck (not squeeze), and walk directly on top of him. I know a lot of it is dominance related but just wanted to share here and see what everyone's thoughts were. We do remove the pup when things get to aggressive and put him in a pen we have set up in another room, it allows a barrier between the dogs but they can still sniff and see one another.

I know I could be over thinking but I just don't want the new pup to get injured or anything because Denver is being overly playful.
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zeta1454
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First Name: Leigh
Dog #1: Magic
is a: P/S Mini Bitch
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is a: P/S Mini Bitch
Born: 15 Mar 2012
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Born: 21 Feb 2014
is a: P/S Mini Bitch
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Re: Second Mini

Post by zeta1454 »

Hi Kyle - introducing a second dog into the family is always a big step as it is never going to be entirely predictable how they will get on with each other but in almost all cases an adult dog will accept a puppy just fine although it may take some time. I have read that it is best to think in terms of up to 6 months for the dogs to become best pals but it could be much less than that or, in some cases, a bit longer.

It is often a good idea initially to let a resident dog meet their new ‘brother’ or ‘sister’ in a neutral setting outside the home so the older dog does not feel their territory has been invaded but, as you have already introduced Stanley, you will need to continue doing as you have been in terms of keeping him apart from Denver (when you are not there to supervise them) in a playpen or crate or a room with a puppy gate so both can see and interact with each other but with a safety barrier between them which also allows each the choice of whether or not to be close.

It may be that Denver wants Stanley to understand that he is the senior dog in the family and that he will not put up with any attempt to take over his bed, toys, your attention etc. He is still fairly young himself and he may also be trying to get Stanley to play when he paws at him or even mouths him. It is difficult without actually seeing the behaviours to know whether there is any kind of threat in this as these could all be quite innocent actions. Does Stanley act as though he is afraid of Denver when he does these things or is he unperturbed by the mouthing and pawing? Many years ago we got a toy breed puppy who was very small and he was very taken with our male mini schnauzer who was 7 years old. The mini boy would often allow the puppy to put his head into his mouth and it scared me that he might be badly hurt accidentally but our mini boy was very gentle and careful and there were no accidents and the two boys became really close buddies.

It is hard when an adult dog wants to play with a puppy and just the size difference can be frightening if the play gets boisterous and it is important to intervene as you say and make sure Stanley is not getting over-tired, over-excited or in danger of being knocked over. I think probably that pups are often more resilient and older dogs more aware of their strength than we give them credit for but I know that personally I would rather intervene too often than risk a puppy getting hurt unnecessarily. The important thing is to always supervise the two of them together and make sure they are not ever left alone with each other until Stanley is grown up and you are confident that both boys get on well together. Do make sure that Denver’s routine is not changed too much now that you have Stanley taking up your time too. Make sure that Denver still has plenty of interaction and good times with you and your wife and that his special bed/toys or whatever is important to him is protected from Stanley.

I would also walk the two dogs separately to start with as you want to be able to train Stanley to walk calmly on lead and to be able to concentrate on this without the distraction of another dog for you or Stanley. It will also allow Denver to have his usual walks / exercise initially without his baby ‘brother’ there.
Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole. ~Roger Caras

Magic - Silversocks Sharade at Darksprite
Trilby - Darksprite Rosa Bud


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Khess
Posts: 3
Joined: 22 Mar 2021, 01:02
First Name: Kyle

Re: Second Mini

Post by Khess »

Thanks for the response ! Stanley is fearless when it comes to Denver. He yips every now and again which Denver in turn backs off. They go at it playfully but when it gets too rough for us we separate and let them do their own thing separately.
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