new dane owner in need of quick advice

[tqueen1020]

just brought home our new dane 2 days ago. she is 7wks old and we have a 10 week old chocolate lab. Our lab puppy is fiesty and plays a little rough causing the dane puppy to growl and snap at him but don't get me wrong the dane pup goes after him to play as well. in addition they play tug with there toys and we are concerned that this may make the dane aggressive. or is it good to just let them be pups and play and hash it out themselves. really worried this will make the dane aggressive. appreciate your advice and time.

[Ellen]

Please see reply under your question in general breed.

[Bev_K]

What a handful - a 7 week old Dane and a 10 week old Lab baby!

The Dane came home a little early, as they shouldn't leave momma and littermates until 8 weeks old. That causes some concern as to the caliber of breeder from which you acquired your puppy. Besides returning the puppy, there really isn't a lot you can do now but double up on training and socializing.

Shady breeders always cause me concern about the dog's future health and temperament. Be sure you feed a quality food (look in the diet section of DOL for all sorts of info).

Is the breeder anyone you could call for help or advice? It saddens me that people bring home these baby puppies without breeder support. Shame on those breeders. Heck, often the breeder wouldn't be able to answer the questions anyway.

Anyway, as to your question about playing rough. Most likely (without being there to witness it myself), the pups are simply playing rough and being vocal. All very normal.

Please enroll both puppies separately into puppy kindergarten classes. It's critical to get them socialized to all sorts of dogs, people and places. It will help lead to a better adjusted dog in the future. A good trainer will be able to help give more personal advice after getting to know the pups and you.

After puppy class, take at least one or two basic obedience classes with each dog.

Can't stress enough the importance of training and interacting with each separately. They need to form their own identities and not become too dependent on each other. It's a lot of work on your behalf, no doubt.

Best of luck,
Bev

[tqueen1020]

hey tthere bev thsnks for your time and advice. about the breeder she did give me her phone number and said to call anytime. the pup is 2 days shy of eight weeks the breeder had her up to date on shots and had a vet physical before we took her. she did give us a list of recommmended dog foods we have her on exclusive lamb and rice in addition the breeder couldn't stress enough on socializing. so hopefully i got a good dane we tried to do our homework. we also had the opportunity to visit with the mother of the litter.