Adult and puppy dog introduction

I have a 2 year old male Staffordshire Bull Terrier who is a softie. He gets on great with almost all other dogs apart from French Bulldogs. When he sees Frenchies, the hair on his back bristles and he becomes tense. He had a couple of bad interactions with Frenchies whilst he was a pup and he’s never seemed to forget them.

My girlfriend recently bought a female Beagle puppy. Yesterday, she brought her to my house to be introduced to Buster. She was quite intimidated by Buster’s excitement; he was jumping around the room and crying to be allowed close to the pup.

After ten minutes or so, we brought them closer. I held buster in my arms and my girlfriend had hold of the pup. He sniffed and licked her lots. We sat in the same room for a while and then put the two dogs on the floor. Buster was sniffing her again and then he pinned her.

I immediately grabbed Buster and picked him up. My girlfriend grabbed the pup and left the room. We separated them again and afterwards allowed them back in the same room again with Buster on the lead. He was allowed close to the pup but not within touching distance. He showed no signs of aggression, his tail was wagging and he continued to try and sniff her.

Whilst he pinned her, he didn’t show his teeth or growl or bark. He has done this in the past in retaliation to dogs who have became aggressive but he usually just ignores such behaviour. He was chased over a nearby field recently by a snarling Cockapoo of all dogs, which goes some way to give an indication of his character and temperament.

Should we be worried about him pinning her and what do we do next?

Hello @B23 - love staffies and my boy Dennis loves them also.

You obviously know your dog and his different ways so would you say he was just playing with her? Staffies are such little boulders maybe he doesn’t realise his own weight?

How did the beagle react? And did you both panic about the situation?

You could always try meeting on neutral ground rather than in his home?

Thanks for your reply.

We did a meet down the road first before bringing both dogs to mine.

I was holding the dog’s lead. Unfortunately, I’d hooked it onto the wrong ring and instead of it being on the thick, chunky bit which is attached to his collar, it was on the ring attached to that one; which was like the ones you get a key ring on. It snapped and he was stood over the pup before I could respond.

My girlfriend screamed, which I think was out of shock at the ring snapping and him hurtling forwards as much as anything. But because I was stood behind the dog, I didn’t get a good look at what actually happened. My girlfriend thinks he pinned her, but my cousin (who was present at the time) has told me since my original post that he isn’t as sure and says that his teeth weren’t out and he didnt look aggressive.

I’m not sure if he did actually pin her now or if the puppy, being very intimidated by meeting the first dog outside of her litter/mum, went straight in to submission mode as soon as the ring snapped and rolled on her back and he was just stood over her sniffing. He didn’t bite or growl so maybe he was just making acquaintance with the pup. He was pleasant enough with her otherwise.

I’m going to assume the worst though just to be safe. Advice on what to do next in terms of introduction/ socialising would be appreciated.

Whenever we have had a new puppy to introduce, we always make sure that our original and older dog/s are always made to feel that they are still the best and the most important, and always make as much, if not, more fuss of them before the new upstart / puppy gets theirs.
It is always tempting to fuss and cuddle a new puppy (because their lovely) but our original and older dogs don't always see things the same way as we do!
An older dog will sometimes put a new puppy "in it's place", which is allowed (within reason) in our house.
A puppy does have to learn it's place in the pecking order although sometimes to us, it seems a bit harsh.

Your 2 yo is still only a puppy himself and will not realise his size and strength, by what you say, he is not being aggressive, although maybe just a little boisterous.