Golden Retriever's Annoyed Face Over Sharing Couch with Bernese Mountain Puppy Is the Best

Puppies are the best, but they're also the worst. They're the most fun you'll ever have, but they're also the reason why some people start going grey prematurely. It's this very fact that makes them desirable, somehow.

It's not just your nerves a puppy will walk all over, though. You'd better be prepared, because your older dog will get annoyed with your puppy really fast over the simplest things. On Tuesday, September 17th, one Golden Retriever's annoyance at her puppy brother finally making it up onto the couch was abundantly clear:

Bunsen, Beaker, and Bernoulli get along well... most of the time. Bernoulli is new to the world, okay?! He'll figure it out eventually!

Related: Bernese Mountain Dog Turns on the Charm and Makes a New Bestie at Puppy Playtime

Beaker, the Golden Retriever, is the odd one out here: both her older brother, Bunsen, and her younger brother, Bernoulli, are Bernese Mountain Dogs. They also have a cat sister named Ginger, who gets as annoyed with Bernoulli as Beaker does. He won't quit trying to stick her whole head in his mouth!

Bernoulli will grow up to be a big dog, but so far he's been little, which meant the couch was a safe-space to get away from his teething jaws and never-ending supply of energy. Beaker knew that, so to see him jump right up must've been just a little heartbreaking!

How To Teach Dogs To Share Communal Spaces

At the end of the day, it's not Beaker's couch. It's not Bernoulli's couch, either: it is simply the couch. Anyone is welcome, which they should be grateful for. Sitting on the furniture is a privilege, not a right!

It's important that you spend time training both dogs when a new puppy comes home, not just the puppy. The resident dog's routine is thrown off, and they're going to have to make compromises they may have never made before. You should:

1. Discourage the older dog from growling, snapping, or lunging at the puppy when they're on the furniture.
2. When you first start introducing the puppy into communal areas, keep a safe distance between them and let the resident dog get used to them there.
3. At the same time, assert boundaries with the puppy: don't allow them into the older dog's crate, bed, or near their food bowl.
4. Do calm things at first, like sitting to watch TV or knitting. Gradually work your way up to playing.
5. Give your resident dog another safe space to go, like a bed in your office or bedroom for them to go to during the day.

Over time, your dogs will get used to each other, but don't be fooled: they'll get annoyed with each other no matter what. They're still siblings, it's basically the law that they have to annoy each other!