I'm Frazzled

Help Somebody! I brought home a 5 year old girl from the rescue yesterday and her and Sophie do not agree! I have broken up 3 fights already between them, and it's not even 24 hours. I know she's new to this house and probably scared, altho she's a real good girl but Sophie & Sophia do not get along! I'm trying not to be on pins & needles when they're in the same room but, I don't need these fights. Is this gonna calm down eventually? I know sometimes, it just doesn't, but I'm hoping it will??? I'm absolutely frazzled right now worrying about it


Sadie, at home with Sophie & Susy & we're trying out Sophia to fill the hole left by Nala

Sadie wrote:Help Somebody! I brought home a 5 year old girl from the rescue yesterday and her and Sophie do not agree! I have broken up 3 fights already between them, and it's not even 24 hours. I know she's new to this house and probably scared, altho she's a real good girl but Sophie & Sophia do not get along! I'm trying not to be on pins & needles when they're in the same room but, I don't need these fights. Is this gonna calm down eventually? I know sometimes, it just doesn't, but I'm hoping it will??? I'm absolutely frazzled right now worrying about it


Sadie, at home with Sophie & Susy & we're trying out Sophia to fill the hole left by Nala

I do hope it gets better in your house. I'd imagine both of the girls are on edge due to the change in circumstances for both of them. Have you tried keeping them separated and giving them each their own space and time?

I will tell you - after 2 years, Kayla still hates Grace. They don't fight nearly as much as when we first brought Grace home, but given the chance, Kayla bullies her and pushes her around as much as she can. I cannot leave the house and leave Grace uncrated for fear that Kayla will attack and injure/kill her. However, Makayla is very dominant, Grace is submissive (at least to Kayla!), so that helps us a lot. If Grace was as dominant as Makayla, we'd really be in trouble. My point in saying that is if both of your girls are rather dominant, you may never find peace between them unless they settle the alpha thing soon.

I think it's hard to say after 24 hours. Sometimes alpha girls won't get along, and sometimes they'll establish a pack order they can live with.

Can you keep them leashed and separated for a while? Or are you able to identify why they are yelling at each other (a treat, attention, etc.) and remove it from the equation?

I wish you lots of luck!!

Girls seem to be a lot pickier on who they decide to like. I am sorry you are having such a rough time! Are they fighting over specific stuff (food, toys, lap time?) or just kind of generally going at each other?

sometimes you can have the sweetest girls and they will just not get along. my violet HATES my mom's pug, daisy. they are both alpha, so they have had a lot of fights. we have learned how to deal with them now a bit better, but it's always a worry when daisy is visiting. they definitely could not live within the same family. girl pugs are much much harder than boy pugs, in my opinion. i hope it works out for you, otherwise a male and female may be the way to go. i know i could not have another girl with my violet.

Hi Sadie, I am glad you are posting here. (we've been talking on the phone since last night).

To fill everyone in: Sadie lost her rescue, Nala, a couple weeks ago. Nala was at least 13 I believe. Her pug Sophie, is at least that old and blind as a bat.

I knew of the new rescue, Sophia, and suggested to Sadie that she try to adopt her. Sophia is a five-year-old spayed female who came from a home with two other pugs, and has only been in rescue a week. The other two pugs came in also, because their owner is moving to assisted living in the lower 48 states. We found a home for the black female, and the fawn boy is being looked at. None of the pugs were bonded.

I am sure Sophie is grumpy smelling a stranger in the house. The new pug, who I will call Fia to lessen the confusion, has been there less than 24 hours, and in one week has had her whole world turned upside-down.

Both pugs slept on the bed last night just fine.

I told Sadie on the phone it would take time. Sadie is off work this week to work with them. She has a baby gate to separate them and let everyone get used to everyone else. Sophie will get used to Fia's scent, and time will tell how things will go.

Any advice now that you know about Sophie's blindness, is greatly appreciated.

It is hard to say after only a day or two. Whenever we add a dog, we keep the new dog separated in an x-pen when we are not there for as long as we feel it takes. When we are there they are out with us but only if we feel it is safe and/or we have a hand on one of them. Otherwise, someone is in the x-pen.

It can take a while to settle in. When we added Leo, I'd say it took a good 3 months for Chester and Bruno to get comfortable with him, and they never even fought. They just didn't like the idea of a third brother and Leo was used to be an only pug and was very spoiled.

Even to this day, Leo and Bruno, if they get into a fight over food, will literally try to kill each other. I think it's still an alpha thing. Leo has been with us nearly 5 years and we still watch him and Bruno like a hawk around food. Chester and Bruno never had an issue.

I think only time will tell and then it will depend on the girls' individual personalities.

Well, I'm working on getting Fia used to sitting behind bars, which is actually part of the house she can roam in, not a crate. MySophie just gets so determined to seek out that girl she knows is here but can't always locate. The biggest problem I see is excitement, like meal time could be one or someone coming to the door. When my hubby comes home at night, there is always lots of excitement so I'll have to figure that trick out. They slept at different ends of the bed last night, and were both probably so tired they didn't care or didn't know. It's really draining on me but once I get a routine worked out, well, we'll see. Thanks again for any advice

Sadie, at home, watching out for trouble with Sophie, Susy & the new Fia, at opposite ends

Haha! You do learn little tricks to help keep the peace. I've never had a blind dog so I can't offer any advice there.

On the multiple dog situation, I will add that we strictly adhere to the pecking order in our family. That has always been, and will always be, Chester first, Bruno second, and Leo third, in all things -- food, treats, hugs, putting on leash, etc., etc. It gives all the dogs a sense of security because strict adherance to pack order is how they naturally exist in the wild - it's in their genes. Leo is pushy, but he observes the pack order 95% of the time and that has been a huge saving grace for us. If we didn't establish that order from day 1, I do believe that Leo would have turned into a complete nightmare and there would have been a lot of fights as he and the older dogs struggled for dominance.

I don't know how this works with an older, blind pug. Hopefully, Sophie is already the natural alpha dog, with Susy second and Fia third. But I think it will help to try to figure out the natural pack order and then consistently honor it.

If Sophie and Nala were OK together, would it be possible to find something that still has Nala's scent on it and rub it on Fia? Of course, if Sophie and Nala did not get along, this wouldn't help a bit.

Otherwise, what about getting them in the same room and giving them each delicious treats when they are not being aggressive towards each other? Might that establish a pattern of tolerating each other to get the treats? (If they snarl, they get separated, and neither gets a treat). Just a thought.

I only have one pushy girl and one chill boy, but it took quite a while for these two to work things out. Here we are 8 weeks later and the two of them seem to have become pals. It takes time for both relationships to build and for the picking order to be worked out. I'm sure being old and blind doesn't help Sophie's security levels one bit. Take it slow and be patient. The first week is always the most difficult.

Sadie wrote:Well, I'm working on getting Fia used to sitting behind bars, which is actually part of the house she can roam in, not a crate. MySophie just gets so determined to seek out that girl she knows is here but can't always locate. The biggest problem I see is excitement, like meal time could be one or someone coming to the door. When my hubby comes home at night, there is always lots of excitement so I'll have to figure that trick out. They slept at different ends of the bed last night, and were both probably so tired they didn't care or didn't know. It's really draining on me but once I get a routine worked out, well, we'll see. Thanks again for any advice

Sadie, at home, watching out for trouble with Sophie, Susy & the new Fia, at opposite ends

Ohh..that is tough. We have that excitement issue here too. Sophie and Indy just body slam into each other. Luckily, no aggression, but it could easily be that way if one of them took offense. Mealtimes we have tried freezing until they stop carrying on, and then continue-they learn they don't get anything until they are quiet and calm. I'm not sure how this would work on a blind puggy though.

I also have the same excitement issue on the doorbell, we have not figured anything out on that yet.

Day 2: I'm trying.....It's been touch & go all day. Fia doesn't like to be left alone and will cry. I left for about 2 hours today and could hear her cry, but when I came back, it looked ok, so tomorrow, maybe 3 hours. I have to go back to work Monday. I plan on taking a lunch for a day or two, and check on things. Saturday, we are going to Anc for a play, so I've enlisted Auntie Maryjo to pug sit for a few hours. I'm not ready to leave Fia at home while I drive 120 miles one way, so she's going with us. Fia definitely aviods the spray bottle and the threat has been good. They spent a couple hours hangin out in the same room with me in the middle on guard. We did ok--no fights. I just can't spend my entire day gaurding the pack so back in the gate she goes for a rest. Baby steps. Sometimes, I just don't think I have this hassle in me and then, I rally and 'Yes I can'!! She's so cute and quite feisty. I just know this will turn into a good thing and Sophie will have her friend she needs.
Thanks all for the advice. I'm listening and am working some of it into the days. Ill get a photo for you soon.



Sadie, on guard, for the issues with Susy, being good (no problem there) Sophie, being fairly good & Fia, actually trying to avoid the spray bottle and being good.

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v120/taxiflor/sophia9432.jpg" alt="" />[/img]I'll try a photo of Fia. This is the one Maryjo sent me as an introduction:


I'll figure it out later............

It sounds like you are making really good progress and taking all the right steps to integrate the girls. And you have the right rally cry, "Yes you can!" You're definitely not alone. After we took in Leo, I had some real doubts and kind of kicked myself for thinking everything would be just as easy with "just one more." It wasn't easy and Leo is still a challenge in some ways. But no one has lost an eye or part of their ear, they haven't killed each other yet, and they even really dig each other now. It was definitely worth all the work and worry. Sophie and Fia will get there eventually.

Here are a picture of Sophia (a.k.a. Fia). She is adorable, and I want to thank Sadie for trying so hard to make it work. Sadie's never been thru pug wars before, but I think she's doing a fabulous job!

Fia is ADORABLE! Yes what MJ said, it's not easy, keep up the great work.

Ohhh she is adorable! And I love her nickname Fia, so cute!

Yes, I agree-when you first experience pug wars, it is draining and you feel awful for your pug for bringing in new issues. I did! There was a big adjustment when we added Indy and also when we added our Sophie. It's always a work in progress but you are doing great.

What a cutie she is! I'm glad you're keeping with the baby steps. The pugs will work it out.

Thanks Maryjo, Yes, it's slowly feeling a bit better. They were in the same room for a couple hours last night, with me on pins & needles with the bottle. But no fights. And last night, Fia slept on her pillows and Sophie at my feet. We slept good. Now, I still feed Fia behind bars so there's no excitement but as long as I don't have to do too much, she can join us in the living room. This is tough! If I can only survive. I'm working towards taking them out together but can't quite get it together by myself. We're still hangin in there



Sadie at home with Sophie & Susy & Fia, trying to stay C A L M

Fia is a very pretty girl. I know it is hard, and you are doing excellently (if that isn't a word, it should be).