Introducing new pom puppy to fearful chihuahua

Discussion of Victoria's TV show, It's Me or the Dog.

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PomChiLover
Posts: 6
Joined: Mon Jul 27, 2009 8:00 pm
Location: Kennesaw, GA

Introducing new pom puppy to fearful chihuahua

Post by PomChiLover »

My mother and I have two, 9 year old Chihuahuas who have never been socialized with other dogs; although we have owned others in the past, they never had much contact, and certainly never got along when they did. Abel, the larger and calmer one of the two, has never had much trouble when other dogs visited, but his little, teacup brother, Cain, is very skiddish and wary of them. He hides in his room or on the recliner, and curls up into a ball and watches to be sure that he won't surprise-attacked. When the dog in question gets too close, Cain will growl excessively, and sometimes even snaps at him/her. Cain also has minimal problems with humans that aren't my mother, but he's never vicious, and when he's scared, we back off to give him confidence and relief.
My biggest concern, at the moment, is that I plan to adopt a pomeranian puppy, and if Cain is scared of her, there might be a fearful attack, and I don't want either of them to get hurt.
I think I should also note that while on the porch, when Cain sees other dogs in the distance, he's more lively and his barks are much more friendly (probably because they're not invading his territory). I want him to accept the new dog into his pack, and not treat her as though she is a rival or enemy. He is not at all interested in treats, so that approach will not work, and my opinion is that another kind of positive reinforcement is the only thing he'll respond to (I just need to know what works best, which is where you come in)! Is there anyway to socialize a small, 9-year old dog who never goes outside except onto the porch or to the vet? What tips can you give me to avoid a confrontation between the new pomeranian and him?
Thank you so much to whomever responds, be it Victoria or a fellow fan! :D
PomChiLover
Posts: 6
Joined: Mon Jul 27, 2009 8:00 pm
Location: Kennesaw, GA

sorry!

Post by PomChiLover »

I accidentally posted in the wrong section...I'm not sure how to delete this post, but I will repost in the proper section! I am so sorry!
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