Hi everyone, I’m looking for some advice because I’m feeling pretty stuck.

I have a 7-year-old dog, and a couple months ago we brought home a puppy who is now almost 6 months old. Unfortunately, they don’t get along very well, and I’m worried things might escalate.

From the beginning, my older dog has been a total pushover. Even as a puppy, he never really growled or set strong boundaries, and he’s always let people (and other dogs) do whatever to him, even if he clearly doesn’t like it. Because of that, I’m not worried about him hurting the puppy — I’m much more worried that the puppy could hurt him.

The puppy constantly tries to play by nipping at my older dog’s tail and jumping on him. My older dog does not want to play like that. He growls and sometimes shows his teeth as a warning, but the puppy completely ignores these cues. We always step in to advocate for my older dog by separating them and intervening as soon as my older dog shows discomfort. Now that the puppy is almost the same size, it’s getting harder to manage.

They do have moments where they get along. The puppy follows my older dog everywhere — he won’t even go into the backyard without him. My older dog is always nosy about what the puppy is doing, and the puppy frequently licks my older dog, and sometimes they lick each other on the lips. Occasionally my older dog will try to interact when the puppy is running around, but they don’t really wrestle or play equally. It still feels very one-sided.

On top of that, the puppy has started showing some concerning behavior in other situations. He growls and tries to bite when we have to do things he doesn’t like, such as putting in ear-cleaning solution after a bath. He also growls over high-value treats (like pig ears). This doesn’t happen with regular food — I can touch his bowl or take it away with no problem — but if he has something high value and you put your hand near his mouth, he growls.

There have also been situations where both dogs go after high-value treats and it turns into a fight that we’ve had to break up. To manage this, we make sure my older dog always gets food first and separate them when treats are involved, but I’m not sure what the right long-term solution is.

For context: my 7-year-old dog is already neutered. The puppy is scheduled to be neutered in about a month, at 6 months old.

So I’m wondering:

• Is this something puppies typically grow out of as they mature?
• Would neutering help with any of this?
• Or does this sound like something we need to address with training, if so what training can we do or do you think we need a professional?

I really want them to get along and be able to live together safely. Any advice, personal experiences, or training recommendations would be really appreciated.