I've just had a 9 1/2 month old puppy I bred returned to me today. He is a medium/large gundog breed. He has absolutley no manners and is obviously very unsettled at the moment.

I have two dogs, the pup's mother and a castrated male. While the male has been friendly/playful, he has jumped on his mother a couple of times trying to mount her, and she has really told him off. While this is to be expected, she is now barring her teeth and being generally huffy if he even goes into her 'space'. She is the more dominant of my two adults. I need some helpful advice to settle the waters so we can move on.

We took them out to meet in a neutral place before coming into the house, we've had the pup on a lead for part of the time, but right now I'm struggling to work out what to do for the best.

I've a friend coming to walk them tomorrow with me. I am hoping that more bonding will take place if they walk together. Should I walk the pup with his mum? I don't plan to let him off at all tomorrow, until the relationship is better between them all.

Please help!

Your bitch is laying the ground rules for her adolescent pup, and in my experience the bitches can seem quite mean until they get the respect they think is their due, then unbend gradually.  so leave her to discipline him.

I don't have experience  but whenever we meet my GSP's mother she gives him a good telling off, regardless of how he behaves, then she will play with him. So I was thinking the same as Lindy Lou...

Oh when I had my Jozi back at 8 months old her mother would do nothing but growl at her for about a week (happily played with her own mother and grandmother), refused to acknowledge her existence until madam bounce came over laid quietly by her, and then was invited for a polite game.

Thanks for the advice. It's not surprising really how their nice world is turned upside down by a delinquent pup...lol! I was getting a little worried we were setting up a bad reaction by letting her sort him out. She is normally so calm and has a lovely nature. I was a little shocked at the severity of her scaldings (although when he first tried to mount her I was waiting for the explosion!!).

Joking aside, we had a relatively calm night with the dogs separated by a dog gate and my husband asleep on the settee in the next room. Anyway, he seems much calmer/more respectful this morning. Mum doesn't seem to be being spiteful for the sake of it (it was beginning to feel a bit like this last night), and I was met this morning with waggy tails, no jumping up, and calm behaviour!

I will take it slowly and only allow them to be together when they can be supervised. Trouble is, when they've been separated, the greetings go on all over again. So when I'm around, as long as it's going well, I'll let them be together (after our walk this morning!). I've got a friend coming to help me and an extra body in case it's needed! I think he'll be on the lead tho until I know he's not going to jump all over everyone/everything. He seems to have a problem with humping!!

On a side note, we found out last night that he was only castrated on the 15th, she told me he had been microchipped while under the anaesthetic, and having him castrated they thought it would calm him down...... I think I might be speaking to the vet today!!!! We also brushed him last night and discovered several matts I don't think he had been brushed for some time.

It's amazing how dogs can become out of control with little or no direction. when he first came in he jumped all over us, the furniture, the dogs, made a complete nuisance of himself. I am determined he will learn the proper way to behave and believe me, I won't need to be cruel, he responds like a dream to correction, is extremely intelligent, and not an ounce of aggression. He will make a lovely, lovely dog, at least I can see the potential in him, so all is not lost...yet!

I have no advice but would like to say how nice it is that a breeder takes responsibility to take back their pups.
I hope all works out well for the pup.

Thanks for your comment Kazz, we've only had the one litter and everyone I know who breeds says it's just something that happens sometimes. As far as I'm concerned, my responsibility is with the dog, and even if he does eventually go to another home it will be of my choosing. I have arranged some pet insurance for him today, so whatever, he'll be staying for a while until he's past his bully boy stage. He just has to leave my elderly cat alone now...!

Things have been much more settled today, he's not given his mum cause to growl once and we just came back from a walk with all 3 to the woods which was an excellent success, no jumping, annoying or anything, came back each time he was called, Im beginning to wonder why they brought him back really, he is just being a typical puppy. If anything we're getting fond of him already, he's got a constant wagging tail and a really sunny disposition.

He met his litter sister this afternoon and had a little walk, so that was really nice (although he tried to mount her...!).

It's all calm now, dogs walked, playtime over (for now) I think he's probably had the best day of his short life... if I'm feeling knackered!! lol!

I have never separated them, but then it is a sociable breed, which I imagine yours is too.  As you say, splitting up just interferes.

I looked after my friends in season puppy bitch.  When she got home again her mother made it quite clear that now she was all grown up puppy license was over.  she was only horrid to her for a day or two until it was clear to young miss what was what.

Well I can see mum isn't going to be totally relaxed for a while yet. I just took them for a short walk in the park, no other dogs present, and he excitedly pounced her way, and she promptly pinned him. I didn't interfere, although the elderly couple who were sitting on the bench and who I'd been chatting to probably got a shock.

Somebody came into the house this morning, and immediately mum's attitude to the pup changed. She started standing over him and being more dominant. I put them in separate rooms while the visitor was at the house and let them all together once they had gone. Maybe I need to keep strangers away for a while? It has only been two days after all.

Should I also allow the pup to wrestle my older male? When they're off lead, they just run off together and the wrestling match begins! The pup hasn't humped once today which is good, but I thought it might be a good idea to stop them wrestling in the house? Obviously both the boys think it's Christmas as they've got a new wrestling buddy, but I could do with some advice on whether it's a good idea or not to let them get on with it.

Thanks

A lot depends on breed as to how much roughing about is safe to allow before two same sex will fall out.

Generally I will send all mine about their business when their wrestling gets too vocal and annoying to me

As I suspect your young fella has not lived in a multi dog household, is heading for puberty, and does not have a lot of canine etiquette, I would be inclined to nip things in the bud before the older male feels he really needs to.

Unfortunately in my experience Golden Retrievers (am I allowed to say the breed?) love to play rough. My male who is 4 1/2 is a big boy who has never exhibited any dominant tendencies with other dogs. He really is a great boy, but he does love to play! Even when everything is nice and calm he'll go up to the pup and bottom bump him, which is his invite to play. I am beginning to think it isn't necessarily the best thing for a big bouncy pup who needs to learn some manners right now. So far, he hasn't even objected when the pup comes and grabs his ear of jumps on him... sometimes I wish he would just object every now and again, but so far he hasn't!!

I can quite easily work out who is let off lead when we're out, maybe let him off with his mum (to learn manners) and only let the pup off lead with the older male at the end of the walk when they're not so full of it. Luckily the pup shouldn't be off lead for the whole walk as he is only 9 months, so not so difficult to work out.

Flamin' heck this is really hard! I wasn't under any illusions that this situation would be difficult, but I feel pretty drained at the end of the day. Hopefully they'll get into a routine where I can just leave them together in a week or so.

Thanks for your advice and input, it's appreciated.

As  know the breed quite well, and you have an easy going older boy then be led by the dogs, but of course step in when it gets too much for you (and the neighbours) LOL.

After all you want him to learn good manners and not that he can hoon around to his hearts content without taking you into account, LOL

I assume you will be re-homing him so you need to set up routines that are likely to be helpful in this regard.

I do this with puppies, by having a reasonably quiet mid morning and early afternoon, some time learnign to be on their own, and keeping main interactions and training etc to evenings, and mornings the times new owners are likely to have set aside for the dogs attention.