Yesterday I picked up the Dobe female (aprox 4 yrs old) from animal rescue. My original plan was to have her come and live with my wife, our 14 yr old Staffordshire BT and me. Well as fate would have it we wound up with Buster the puppy and he has been a hoot. Having a new pup along with a new adult dog was never the plan but it just worked out that way. After 24 hours I am sure of a couple of things. The Dobe has been affected deeply by the treatment of her previous owner, she was emaciated and in generally horible condition. After 2+ months in animal control she is up to 47 lbs but is still at least 10 lbs too light by my estimation. Extreamly and I mean extreamly food agressive. I feed twice a day and if she were getting the entire portion at once I would be fearful of bloat. She inhales the bowl which is somewhat understandable and might over time calm down once she figures that the food will keep coming and it's not her last meal.

I love Dobes, always have which is why I went to animal control 3 or more times per week over the last two months to walk her and show her some attention while she recovered. She also had heart worm and had to be treated for that which is another reason they would not release her until now.

Yesterday I fed all the dogs together and I managed to keep them in their respective bowls without incident. The feriosity the dobe went at her food bowl freaked out the puppie and made the SBT keep watch out of the corner of her eye. I don't allow dogs to steal each others food and have no difficulty enforceing that rule but the staff was definately alert to see if the dobie was going to break the rule.

Sorry for the long winded background but here is the question. This am I decided that I would feed them separate just to avoid the stress, do you think that is a better policy? Or, is it a meaningful advantage to have control of the situation when they eat at the same time? As I said I have no problem dealing with it but frankly its easier to feed them separate right now.

Should I let the puppie and Dobe play in the yard? Exercise wise I see a positive for the Pup (he also gets two walks a day) but could this present other problems? The dobe is mature and is a typical Velcro Dobie who would much rather be getting my attention by sitting for treats so bonding with her is not the issue. Honestly we were havng so much fun with the pup that I am having some second thoughts about the dobe. I couldn't turn her away after all she has been through but I was really liking it with the pup.

Anyway, suggestions about the feeding or oppinions would be appreciated. Also I've never had two new dogs at the same time before so oppinions about them sharing time together in the yard would be appreciated. My staff is borderline comatose and does not play with the pup so she is not an issue.

thanks

keep them separated. the dobe is a wild card, and if your pup is attacked and traumatized it will ruin your pup. they should never be left alone together, and even under your supervision, stuff happens.

I adopted Harley from the pound in 2004. He was extremely food aggressive. He still has that tendency, but not quite as extreme. He seems to finally be getting the idea that there will always be food. Anyhow, about feeding your dogs seperately:
I see no problem with that. Harley and CeeCee (CeeCee we had from a pup, and she is not food aggressive at all) are fed at the same time, both in the same room, but with Harley in his crate with the door closed. This works well, Harley loves his crate and it keeps problems from happening. I see no training issues with this. Pound puppies often come with issues. Some you have to train out of them, and some aren't that big of a deal. Food aggression is not that big of a deal (to me, anyway), and it's something you can't always fix, but it is something that you can control as the boss dog in the house.

Glenn, I agree with Alice, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure", and ca-ca can occur faster than you can stop it -- Read the article linked below, or listen to the podcast:

http://www.leerburg.com/introducingdogs.htm

Your puppy's safety come first!

What Alice and Candi said. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> In addition, if you don't have crates for your dogs, you should get some. And do use the link that Candi gave you and read Ed's article on introducing new dogs into your home and to your existing dog(s).

Dogs are crated when not under direct supervision, I agree it is the only way to train and introduce a dog or puppy to your home.

Based on what everyone is saying I think for the near future I will have outdoor "PLAY" sessions separate until I get a better comfort zone with them towards each other.

I am the pack leader when it comes to the dogs, period. I can't seem to get my wife to stop challenging me but the dogs know who is boss. This is good but I understand that it also makes me believe a little too much that I can handle the situations. That is why I seek advise and follow what makes sense to me.

Because the dobe hasen't fully finished her treatments I have her as a foster care dog right now. I think I will just take the next several weeks to see how this whole thing settles in and make a desision from there. I won't have a situation in my home where I have to keep dogs separate all the time. When we are awake and home the dogs are with us, they are a part of our family, dogs but happy dogs. I had two Staffordshire Bull Terriers and an Airedale at the same time and all got along pretty well. Only one mildly serious incident in 17 years and that was with a dog sitter.

Thanks

After the first month or so after bringing Harley home, CeeCee and Harley are only seperated when they eat. Saves wear and tear on my nerves and lets both dogs relax when they eat. Harley feels safe in his crate (he goes in it a lot during the day on his own just to snooze) and CeeCee knows Harley can't get her food, either. This is what works for me.