[WinnyEm]

Hi everyone! So I have a 14 y.o. deaf and blind shih tzu. Not aggressive, pretty submissive in play, doesn't care too much about the dogs around him aside from an introductory sniff. He's never been big on toys and isn't possessive about them or food aggressive. He does get a little irritated at puppies or dogs that are too high energy around him and gives them a "get away from me" bark, but hasn't ever tried to fight or bite.

A family member is moving in with us and he's bringing his two lady pits. They are apparently very sweet and nice (towards people), but I havent found out how they are towards other animals. I know that I should probably introduce them to my old man on neutral grounds, and I was advised to hold him in my arms as they sniff him and get to know him, but I'd like to get any more tips on making sure the process goes smoothly, and if his blindness/deafness would mean I'd have to make some alterations to the plan. I also would like to know what you guys would think would be best when I have to go to work and am not supervising the little old man. I'm not distrusting of my uncle's dogs, I just want to make sure they all get along and behave with one another. There are other people in the house too who can keep an eye, but I just want to make sure we are all on the same page with things. Pictures attached of the doggies! Thanks in advance!

 

[LMMB]

Hi everyone! So I have a 14 y.o. deaf and blind shih tzu. Not aggressive, pretty submissive in play, doesn't care too much about the dogs around him aside from an introductory sniff. He's never been big on toys and isn't possessive about them or food aggressive. He does get a little irritated at puppies or dogs that are too high energy around him and gives them a "get away from me" bark, but hasn't ever tried to fight or bite.

A family member is moving in with us and he's bringing his two lady pits. They are apparently very sweet and nice (towards people), but I havent found out how they are towards other animals. I know that I should probably introduce them to my old man on neutral grounds, and I was advised to hold him in my arms as they sniff him and get to know him, but I'd like to get any more tips on making sure the process goes smoothly, and if his blindness/deafness would mean I'd have to make some alterations to the plan. I also would like to know what you guys would think would be best when I have to go to work and am not supervising the little old man. I'm not distrusting of my uncle's dogs, I just want to make sure they all get along and behave with one another. There are other people in the house too who can keep an eye, but I just want to make sure we are all on the same page with things. Pictures attached of the doggies! Thanks in advance!

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Personally, if it can be avoided, I wouldn't risk it at all. The poor old man is deaf and blind. He deserves to live out the rest of his life in peace.

How the pits are with people is irrelevant - what are they like around other dogs?

 

[WinnyEm]

Personally, if it can be avoided, I wouldn't risk it at all. The poor old man is deaf and blind. He deserves to live out the rest of his life in peace.

How the pits are with people is irrelevant - what are they like around other dogs?

I don't have a choice in whether or not this person is coming and bringing their dogs- it's happening. I live with my dad and it's his cousin who is coming. I am aware that my dog is old and tired, but seeing as though these two dogs are coming to live with us regardless, I would like some pointers on making sure things go smoothly. I also am not sure about their temperaments around new dogs.

 

[JoanneF]

The best thing then is to just keep them apart from your old man. Use an airlock system (two closed doors) at all times. Especially as their tolerance for other dogs isn't known, but even if you did know them to be friendly it will still be stressful for your shih tzu.

 

[WinnyEm]

The best thing then is to just keep them apart from your old man. Use an airlock system (two closed doors) at all times. Especially as their tolerance for other dogs isn't known, but even if you did know them to be friendly it will still be stressful for your shih tzu.

Thank you. I'm sure this would be a pretty fail safe idea, I'm just not sure how things would be when I'm not home. My dad is pretty insistent on doing things his way, and he may try to take charge on wanting my dog to try and socialize with our new housemates. I'm not sure how long the old boy has left here with us, but I do know he hates being anywhere other than the living room so it would be difficult to try and work out, seeing that the two big ladies would probably like to get to know their new space as well.

 

[JoanneF]

Can you not persuade your father that being blind and deaf, the smell of strange dogs alone will be stressful for your dog - but not feeling he can stay safe and undisturbed will make it far, far more so?

Can he imaging being blind, deaf and frail and suddenly, without his consent, two massive, clumsy, boisterous youngsters come to his home, uninvited - how would he feel?

Please step up for your dog.

 

[WinnyEm]

Can you not persuade your father that being blind and deaf, the smell of strange dogs alone will be stressful for your dog - but not feeling he can stay safe and undisturbed will make it far, far more so?

Can he imaging being blind, deaf and frail and suddenly, without his consent, two massive, clumsy, boisterous youngsters come to his home, uninvited - how would he feel?

Please step up for your dog.

Not necessarily. This family member is close with him and is living with us to help get back on his feet because of struggles during 2020. He is definitely being given priority, and he doesn't want to be separated from his own dogs.

There is no option to stop this family member from coming to stay with us, and my shih tzu's condition wouldn't be enough to convince my dad to make any decisions to change that.

 

[WinnyEm]

Can you not persuade your father that being blind and deaf, the smell of strange dogs alone will be stressful for your dog - but not feeling he can stay safe and undisturbed will make it far, far more so?

Can he imaging being blind, deaf and frail and suddenly, without his consent, two massive, clumsy, boisterous youngsters come to his home, uninvited - how would he feel?

Please step up for your dog.

I'll definitely ask him to keep my dog separated, as I really would like him to be comfortable here just like the new two dogs should be too. But that would mean that my dog stays in the living room where he is happiest, and I know the family member coming to stay would prefer a better option than keeping his two dogs not being allowed in the main space.

I also forgot to mention the way my house is laid out, the living room is the center and there's just doors around it leading to bedrooms. So there's no hallways that we could fence off, the option for the two lady dogs would be staying locked in their room all day besides walks, or kept in the backyard, until the family member moves out or until my old man passes.

 

[LMMB]

I understand this isn't your call, but something's waaay off when a lodger can come in and dictate how things are going to go down (and it sounds like that's what's going on). Not their house, not their rules.

Your dog deserves better than this.

 

[WinnyEm]

I understand this isn't your call, but something's waaay off when a lodger can come in and dictate how things are going to go down (and it sounds like that's what's going on). Not their house, not their rules.

Your dog deserves better than this.

It is pretty nerve-wracking! Thank you for understanding. I am simply just trying to make sure that both parties (being the dogs) will adjust and be comfortable. I don't discriminate breeds, I just am trying to my best as the only one in the house who is trying to figure out this situation. I am excited about having the two girls here, because I love big dogs and pits have a special place in my heart, and I also love my old man who, even before he lost his sight and smell, has lived a life of ease and comfort, and not being too concerned about new dogs around him (Even at the dog park, he didn't care too much to interact with new friends). I want him to be safe, and I want to understand the behavior of the new guests coming in.

I'm in no position to take authority, since my dad has extended his help to this family member who has been struggling and he is bringing his dogs along because he loves them as I love mine. It would be unfair of me to ask he isolate them until my dog dies, and knowing how worked up and upset my little one gets when he's not in the living room (the center of the house, the guest bedroom is just a door from it), this situation is definitely a difficult one. I just wanted to try and see if anyone had any suggestions on how to go about this in a way that, with some adjusting, all the dogs feel tended to. I'm sorry if I've come off uncaring or uninformed in this thread.

 

[JoanneF]

Not at all, it's your dad's house so we get it that there are limits on what you can do.

For the record, there's no breed discrimination here either - our concerns are based mainly on the difference in size, weight, age, energy levels and the fact that a lot of big dogs have very limited understanding of the amount of space they take up.

Can you at least create a barrier around your dog, using a pen or furniture so he can spend his days without being disturbed by the other two?

 

[LMMB]

It is pretty nerve-wracking! Thank you for understanding. I am simply just trying to make sure that both parties (being the dogs) will adjust and be comfortable. I don't discriminate breeds, I just am trying to my best as the only one in the house who is trying to figure out this situation. I am excited about having the two girls here, because I love big dogs and pits have a special place in my heart, and I also love my old man who, even before he lost his sight and smell, has lived a life of ease and comfort, and not being too concerned about new dogs around him (Even at the dog park, he didn't care too much to interact with new friends). I want him to be safe, and I want to understand the behavior of the new guests coming in.

I'm in no position to take authority, since my dad has extended his help to this family member who has been struggling and he is bringing his dogs along because he loves them as I love mine. It would be unfair of me to ask he isolate them until my dog dies, and knowing how worked up and upset my little one gets when he's not in the living room (the center of the house, the guest bedroom is just a door from it), this situation is definitely a difficult one. I just wanted to try and see if anyone had any suggestions on how to go about this in a way that, with some adjusting, all the dogs feel tended to. I'm sorry if I've come off uncaring or uninformed in this thread.

No, no, no! You don't come across as uncaring at all, and I understand you're trying to make the best of a bad situation. You wouldn't be here if you didn't care.. But, let's be realistic:

• Your dog is elderly, deaf and blind, therefore inherently vulnerable.
• You have two young pit bull bitches moving in soon. Your dog is a lot smaller than they are.
• Pit bulls are not known for dog tolerenace - they've been bred to be quite the opposite. That's not breed discrimination, any more than it would be discrimination to say a border collie is a herding dog, or a husky is bred to pull sleds across the Arctic Tundra, or a greyhound is bred to run. You can't ignore genetics.
• You don't know what these girls are like around other dogs.
• Bitches are much worse than males. There's a phrase that goes along the lines of "Males fight for breeding rights, females fight for breathing rights.

It might be fine, I might simply be overreacting, but this sounds like a bad situation in the making. It doesn't take a genius to figure out who would come off worse if things went south between the three dogs. Your Shih Tzu wouldn't be able to defend himself.

If possible, I like @JoanneF 's idea that you block off some space to protect your old man dog.

 

[BigBlackDog]

What you absolutely don't want to do is to be apprehensive about the situation. Your dog, and the others will pick up on that and act accordingly.

It is amazing how much we feed tension back down to our dogs that way. I suggest imagining a perfect harmony for your dog and the new guests.

I'm not suggesting you be careless, but one or more of these newcomers could be your old dog's best friends as well. Give that a chance!

Where's the trust? Are all dogs just crazy animals, or are they individuals that have potential to be more? I like to think the latter!!! Give them a chance!

 

[JoanneF]

Where's the trust?

I don't think it is just about that though - these are two big, young, heavy girls and the OPs dog is small, frail, deaf and blind. Just normal play between the 2 pits could injure him, he doesn't even necessarily need to be involved - he might just be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

 

[BigBlackDog]

Yeah, and the sky "could" fall. But if you anticipate that outcome, especially with dogs, it's much more likely! The newcomers are not blind and deaf, they'll see the older dog's frailty. You can't, or at least shouldn't, make the worst case scenario the most likely. Dogs are pretty intelligent. I like to err on the trust side, while of course maintaining vigilance. Your caution may keep your old dog from making a new best friend!

 

[JoanneF]

Yes, you are right that it is down to risk assessment (not necessarily anything to do with trust, accidents happen).

So to break it down like you would any other risk assessment - what is the likelihood of two large, bonded, boisterous dogs causing damage to an elderly, frail, blind, deaf, small dog and if they did do damage, how severe is that damage likely to be.

This would be where you and I differ. We might agree that the chance of the big dogs harming the small one (unintentionally if you like) are one in - whatever number. But you might say that is an acceptable risk, whereas I would say no level of risk is too small to want to protect my dog from it. It doesn't make one of us right and the other wrong, it's purely about how risk averse we each are.

So it's really down to the OP how she handles it but anything that reduces the risk surely has to be seen as just sensible.

 

[Madra Anamchara]

This is a hard position for you to be in and you have my sympathies. I just want to say it seems as though you are trying hard to handle this the very best way you can. I agree with those who say that protecting your old dog needs to be your first priority. Since that is different from your father's priority, you need to do it in a way that your dad won't challenge. Can you keep your dog in your own room while you are not home, maybe even lock the door so there's no chance that your dad or someone else lets him out or the larger dogs in? Or in a nice comfortable large crate you can lock? I think that is what I would do. there's no way I would risk it if it were my dog.

And have a good talk with your Dad, explaining that your little old dog has to be protected. His cousin can move in, of course, can bring his dogs, his dogs can have the house, AND your fragile little old blind and deaf dog has to be protected so there is not a terrible tragedy. Surely your Dad will be able to see the reason in this.

As Joanne says, reducing the risk of a horrible and tragic incident is surely a reasonable thing to request.
Even if the two pits are completely friendly to your little guy, there's still too large of a risk just by virtue of your dog being old, fragile, blind and deaf, and the pits being ten times his size and two of them as well. Just knocking into your little guy could injure him. Maybe if you put it to your Dad like that, not implying that the pits are going to be necessarily aggressive, it will help him to understand how important it is to protect the old guy.