Unfortunately we have the same problem with our boy (9) and girl (10). Off leash they play well - 95% of the time. The other 5% can be a disaster especially with small frightened dogs. My guys have gone after such animals and even bitten them - once drawing a small amount of blood. This behaviour seems quite instinctive and regrettably I have not been able to curb it. I do hope your pleasant little fellow doesn’t go this far. But we are talking about a very primitive breed.
How should I get Tesla used to having another dog around?
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This past weekend we adopted a male italian greyhound mix (Sparky) and brought him home. Tesla had met him before and played just fine with him so we figured it wouldn't be too incredibly bad. I understand that she is looking at our apartment as her domain and so Sparky being here is him invading on her space, but we're trying to get her accustomed to him. The only time we really have an issue is when Tesla gets in a play mood where she gets a little jealous of Sparky and sometimes goes for him instead of the toys because he is the one that is moving. My worry is that when she does go after him she always goes to bite his throat - which is also the first thing she does to any new toy that she gets - and she'll hurt him because lets face it, he's kind of a smaller more compact dog. Because of this, we don't leave the two of them home unattended when we leave, one always gets kenneled. She is fine with him around eating, getting treats, on walks, at the park, and sleeping in the same bed, it's really only when she gets excited that we have to pull them apart, and it is 99% of the time instigated by her. I realize that its going to take time and patience, but I was wondering if you had any tips or pointers on how to go about breaking this habit.
Thanks!
