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First dog bullying second dog! Help!
I'm actually fostering another dog and this is my first foster dog. (Lily is the foster dog) My dog Strider of almost 2 years is not very excited to share her space with another dog.
They aren't a perfect match if you know what I mean. Some dogs just play better with certain dogs. Lily is 7 months old and couldn't be happier to cuddle up with Strider and me, but Strider is often bullying Lily. Lily is a very affectionate dog, Strider is not, I try to give them equal attention to the best of my ability.
My question is do I let Strider show Lily who is boss? (The higher ranking in the pack) Or do I reprimand Strider when she does this?
I wouldn't mind a little bullying but she'll bark really loud at Lily and when we are outside she kind of runs over Lily and Lily tries to run under cover in a bush with her tail between her legs.
Its getting very stressful!
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Strider
on Mar 4th 2008
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in Other Behavior & Training
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The best thing to do is let them work it out themselves, but just watch them very closely. If it gets to the point where the dog is actually hurting Lily or visa-versa, then you step in.
Or, if you just can't bear to let Strider bully Lily, the next time that Strider bullies Lily, watch them to decide which one of Top Dog. Once you figure that out, grabs the back legs of lower ranking dog and bring it into the submissive position (laying belly-up on the floor). That will passify the Top Dog (at least for that time being).
Gray Dawn Treader
answered on 3/4/08.
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This comes from personal experience I had with my 2 male sharpei's that were fighting. my boyfriend and I started walking them together every day, not letting one get ahead of the other. We let them get closer and closer each time still not letting one get ahead of the other. When they growled at eachother we would gently tap them on the nose and tell them "no." Finally they were walking side by side. We walked them into the house side by side. Now they play and get along fine. It took about two and a half months. WEll worth the effort as we were considering finding a new home for one of them. Good luck. Signed, been there, done that!
Member 499328
answered on 3/5/08.
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If letting Strider show Lily who's boss means letting her be mean to her, then no. If it means gentle pushes with a shoulder, then yes. One dog has be dominant (after you, of course). It sounds like Strider has made that decision & Lily accepts it. If you feed them together, serve Strider first. When you pet them, pet Strider first. If they snuggle with you, Strider chooses which side (then can't change her mind). Do not ask them to share balls or bones. Let Strider out first. (I had to deviate here as I could trust Mia to sit & wait quietly while I hooked up Kylee, a& Ky would have slipped under Mia and gotten loose if I had followed protocol.) Mia was a Siberian/wolf & Kylee, who came 3 years later was a American Eskimo/coyote. They were great together. These aren't children & don't necessarily need to be treated equally, except in kindness.
Even as a pup, Mia was always dominant with other dogs. My girls were 4 & 3. You've got 2 pups there which has to make it different. Good luck
Lily
answered on 3/5/08.
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It's important to let the dogs figure it out on their own.If you keep interfering with them they will never know what they are suppose to do as dogs.You know, who is top dog in the house the pecking order thing...
Just let them play if the pup gets to be to much for the older dog then let her be the one to tell her to leave her alone. More often then not what happens is your dog becomes to worried about saying anything to your otherdog because you have been the one to jump in all the time.So it only makes since that you stop hopping on them right away and start letting what happens between dogs happen between doga.
Haus R.I.P. my boy I miss you
answered on 3/13/08.
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