Trouble in Paradise
Penny is about 2 1/2 years old, and, obviously, as a JRT, just as hyper and active as a puppy. When she's with me, she's lovable, cuddles with me, and, for the most part, is very well-behaved. She doesn't chew on shoes, no longer chews on my couch, and never does her business in the apartment! (knock on wood)
My boyfriend has a black pug named Watson who's about 7 years old. He's an incredibly sweet, cuddly, and, like most pugs, very lazy. In other words, he's fat and happy and not very active.
When Penny gets around Watson, she turns into this little terror I can barely recognize. She tries to bite him, mount him, and dominate him. When I tell her no, she stops for a second, but then starts again. Watson, sweet pug that he is, doesn't defend himself until Penny really makes him mad. Then they fight and we have to separate them. I wonder if it's because Penny gets jealous really easily and feels like another dog means competition. I socialized her plenty as a puppy, going to the dog park weekly. She usually plays with other dogs this way too, but other dogs usually play back so she'll back off a bit (probably because she sees she can't bully them).
My boyfriend and I plan to move in together later this year, so what can I do to make sure the dogs get along? Is this normal behavior for a JRT and another dog? Do they just need to be exposed to each other more? Will they eventually work it out?
My boyfriend has a black pug named Watson who's about 7 years old. He's an incredibly sweet, cuddly, and, like most pugs, very lazy. In other words, he's fat and happy and not very active.
When Penny gets around Watson, she turns into this little terror I can barely recognize. She tries to bite him, mount him, and dominate him. When I tell her no, she stops for a second, but then starts again. Watson, sweet pug that he is, doesn't defend himself until Penny really makes him mad. Then they fight and we have to separate them. I wonder if it's because Penny gets jealous really easily and feels like another dog means competition. I socialized her plenty as a puppy, going to the dog park weekly. She usually plays with other dogs this way too, but other dogs usually play back so she'll back off a bit (probably because she sees she can't bully them).
My boyfriend and I plan to move in together later this year, so what can I do to make sure the dogs get along? Is this normal behavior for a JRT and another dog? Do they just need to be exposed to each other more? Will they eventually work it out?