Hi all
This is going to be long I'm afraid...
Our neighbours had a Jack Russell pup, Enzo. When he was 6 mths we got ourselves one (Webster) as we had recently lost our lovely old boy. Enzo and Webster were the best of friends, played together constantly, and we took Enzo for walks with us when the owner was at work etc. This went on for around 18 months. Then the neighbours moved house a year ago. Poor Webster missed Enzo terribly, and it was heart braking to see him looking under the gate for his little friend. We went to visit Enzo occasionally and took him for walks, and it was like they'd never been apart!
Last December we decided to get another little Jack Russell/ Patterdale, Ruddles, a bitch. She was 9 weeks when we got her, and Webster has been great with her, they get along beautifully and are lovely laid back dogs.
On Monday I was texted my my ex neighbour basically asking if we could give a home to his little best friend Enzo as he was moving to London and getting a job which involves travelling about. The dog would have been on his own for hours and hours and he wanted to find the best home for him.
My first thought was, oh my God, no we've already got 2 and they are perfect together. But then I thought about it and couldn't see him go anywhere else really as this was his second home!!
He came last night, ran straight in and after trawling around all the food bowls he ran outside and it was like he'd never been away!! Ruddles liked him and they all seemed happy.
However.....as the night progressed Ruddles got more and more upset by Enzo's presence. She follows him everywhere to stop him sniffing, sleeping, sitting or doing anything! She's snapping at him and generally being nasty and shadowing his every move.
Webster bless him has accepted him no problem.
Has anyone got any advice to help Ruddles accept Enzo? I don't like seeing her upset and it's such a shame to disturb the happy home. Enzo is also very bad with my cats - chasing them away every time they come home - he always did that, so it was quite nice to send him home! Can't do that anymore so we've got to sort him out. Both boys are entire by the way, but thankfully Ruddles is spayed.
Sorry this is long. Hope someone can offer some advice!!

I'm not sure if I can offer any advice, but I did not want to read and run.
Perhaps you could try walking Ruddles and Enzo together seperatley and letting them bond together on neutrel grounds. Perhaps you could (if you haven't already) give Ruddles her own little quiet space, like a crate (we put a blanket on top of ours with lots of blankets and a cosy bed in) so she can have some peace away from him too.

Not much advice I'm afraid but I'm sure another member will be able to offer more


xxx

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Thanks for that advice. She had taken herself off to sleep in the bathroom, lol. Enzo and Webster were on the sofa!! Yes I'd like to walk them separately I think.
Your two are lovely! I love Jacks. Lovely cat too.

Enzo is such a lively character compared to our two, they are quite happy to sleep all day after their walk in the morning, but the little chap is full of it!
Think he might have to lose part of his 'manhood' lol.

I have 4 boys, started with one

With boys in the same house hold and with them BOTH being entire, you are bound to have a scrap or two, as they need to establish who is top dog.

Charlie and Pheonix when we moved house they had a few scraps and have now established who is top dog, and are settled. All apart from the new terrier is neutured. If they do scrap you need to try and leave them too it - obviously if it gets too much then stand in and stop them.

Luckioly I have Charlie at top, then Phoenix, now Hunter and George is very happy to stay at the bottom. So before we got Hunter there was already a pack established if you see what i mean.

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Things have got a little better as they day has gone on. Ruddles and Enzo even had a little play earlier, then went to sleep on the same bed, though she did grumble at him a bit!!
Thanks for the replies.
x

You've got to give it time for their dynamic to change and for them to bond. It can take 3 to 12 months for them to settle in together. Just keep trying and it will get better.

Well done for taking him in when he needed you

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Just thought I'd do a quick update....
Ruddles bless her is a bit upset about Enzo's presence- she keeps going outside and sleeping on her bed in the garden to get away from him. It's a real shame, I really don't want her to feel pushed out.
She's stopped shadowing him, and seems okay with him, no signs of aggression, but she's obviously feeling a bit confused.
Webster is totally unchanged, he's so laid back, lol. Enzo is happy enough, though he does go to the gate now and then to be let 'home.'
His owner was wondering whether to come and visit or not, I think he decided in the end it would be best not to, in case Enzo got excited thinking he was coming to fetch him.
I'll try to put some pics up soon.x

so Webster is 18-MO, Enzo is 2-YO, & Ruddles is 10-MO.
Ruddles should get over it, but i'd give the new boy a crate to sleep in for awhile - at least 2-weeks,
possibly a month, so that when they're unsupervised nobody gets up to anything unusual.

the CATS need setback & a safe space of their own - a room that Enzo cannot get into.
their food, water & litter should be there, separated as widely as possible [toilet on one wall, kitchen on the other.]

i'd also desex both dogs, ASAP - Enzo first, if U cannot do both at once.

JRTs are highly reactive, have short fuses, & often scrap over imaginary insults.
neutering both males greatly increases the odds they will live together without crossing swords.

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tmp, sept-2007