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Originally posted by Replaced_Texan
I thought I had an alpha dog until the puppy showed up.

The DD had spent a lot of time with another puppy before I got our puppy, so he was used to the idea and I had a chance to see how well he'd handle the situation before it became permanent. He LOVES the puppy now, and the adjustment period was about a day and a half. The only real suffering of her puppyhood (she's a year and a half now) was his dreads. She liked to pull on them a lot when she was teething, and he had this mullet look going for awhile. They look a lot better now.

Puppies will always be beaten up by the older dogs. It's part of socialization. So when the baby gets too close to the older dog when he's eating, he'll snap at her. That said, you don't want to terrify the little one, especially if they're different breeds. My pulik can't stand my sister's lab. They're never going to get along and breed personality has a lot to do with it. They don't get his retriever personality, and he doesn't understand their complicated rules to chase.

If you have a terrier, at the very least get another terrier. If you have a working dog, get another working dog. At least they'll speak the same language, if not with slightly different dialects. Dogs are social animals, and they like the whole pack thing, so the older dog is generally going to be ok with the baby, especially if you're reassuring him/her that the baby is part of the family. There may be some acting out, and definitely don't leave the baby alone with the older dog until she/he's a bit bigger and able to hold his/her own in the inevitable fight. My puppy is only 21 pounds, and the Displaced Dog is 34. As far as they're concerned, there's no difference. She attacks him all the time, and vice versa. He has issues over bones, she has issues over toys.

Of course, my dogs are freaks, so YMMV.

What if the alpha dog is a self loather (ie, hates his breed) and is a bit of a napolean and the new dog is the same group (non sporting which is meaningless), and is a bigger breed? If the alpha gets depressed and hides under the covers, will this abate or will he be permanently devastated?