Aine's temper

[Kassie]

I am a little concerned about her temper a few times recently and wonder how other multi dog households fare. Maeve is really a gentle soul. They play very well together and we're always with them still, but sometimes when something happens like Aine's head clunking on the wood floor she gets Really mad:REALLYMAD: and goes after Maeve. It has happened a few times when they are eating too, if one of us gets distracted and they switch bowls, then Aine gets mad. We don't have any trouble with her when we take her food. We have caught it right away each time and separated them. We have hand fed both of them, fed them in seperate rooms. But, I'm sure you know how it is with busy lives and jobs and such...

I really want to nip any temper problem in the bud. The last thing I want is a dog in need of anger management! +BLOWUP+

[Jespah]

By anger what exactly do you mean? What behavior does she exhibit? When they are playing and she "gets mad" - does she just sort of ramp up the energy and aggression from play to something that is more serious? With the food is it barking - biting??

[Kassie]

When she gets mad she will growl and bare her teath and lunge at Maeve. We have separated them immediately, but Maeve beats a hasty retreat. She hasn't hurt her. It is very different from her play roughousing. Kind of like a little rage. Not cute!

[taflar]

I am a little concerned about her temper a few times recently and wonder how other multi dog households fare. Maeve is really a gentle soul. They play very well together and we're always with them still, but sometimes when something happens like Aine's head clunking on the wood floor she gets Really mad:REALLYMAD: and goes after Maeve. It has happened a few times when they are eating too, if one of us gets distracted and they switch bowls, then Aine gets mad. We don't have any trouble with her when we take her food. We have caught it right away each time and separated them. We have hand fed both of them, fed them in seperate rooms. But, I'm sure you know how it is with busy lives and jobs and such...

I really want to nip any temper problem in the bud. The last thing I want is a dog in need of anger management!

Sounds like a temper tantrum.

First don't feed them together, or give them the opportunity to switch bowls. Feed them in crates or at least Aine. Don't let her out till Maeve is done with her dinner too.

And yes, correct her when she blows up. Put her in a time out (not more than 10 min.) if necessary. And yes, I'd use the crate for the time out too. And no she won't come to hate her crate if it's used as I'm suggesting.

Peggy

[Jespah]

Peggy - would you suggest feeding Maeve first so that Aine sees her as being "ahead" of her in the family pack?

[mtoy]

When she gets mad she will growl and bare her teath and lunge at Maeve. We have separated them immediately, but Maeve beats a hasty retreat. She hasn't hurt her. It is very different from her play roughousing. Kind of like a little rage. Not cute!

This happened here too when Link was very young. He would finish his food then run over and try to eat Millie's. Millie went after him good - she looked and sounded very fierce but didn't bite him. After that happened (maybe twice?) he finished his food and then sat patiently while she finished hers, then they licked each others bowls clean.

[sutulu]

I am very interested in this thread and looking forward to everyone's response.

My two are very good at respecting each other's food dishes. I can give them things like pig ears or bully sticks and leave them alone w/o problems. But I can not leave them with bones unsupervised.

People swear by separating their dogs at meal time. I do undertand your busy lifestyle and am grateful my two can eat unseparated. When Lulu was a pup, she ate in her crate for a number of months. Maybe this got her off to a good start????

One of the real challenges for me is knowing when a snarl, growl, etc - is serious. My two play very rough, they make some really ungodly sounds when they play, and Lulu has taken to the drama queen role - she yelps like she's being killed and Tucker isn't touching her.

AND.... to further complicate things... Tucker is very manipulative. Example: When he is snuggling with me on the sofa and Lulu jumps up and gets in his space, he curls the lip, growls, and snarls. I've never seen anything behind it but I grab him by the snout (gently...) and firmly say "NO!".

I truly think that he sees this as me giving him attention. So sometimes I think he doesit just to get me to pay attention to him. AND IT'S NOT LIKE THESE TWO ARE AT A LOSS FOR ATTENTION!

Devils......+LUB+

[CorgiMum]

I agree as well that it would most likely be best to feed them separately, for now.

With Danny, at first, I would let him watch as Monty got her bowl first & start eating, then Dylan and then he last. Each of them must sit and wait when I put their bowl down, not long, just a few seconds, but enough time so that I can give the ok command to each separately.

Then last week I started putting Danny into his kennel until the two seniors were finished eating. The first couple of days he put up a fuss, which I ignored, and now he has learned to have patience until it is his turn. (Mealtimes/potty can be tricky for us because of Monty's disability)

Monty and Dylan, after being together for many years this way, can sit and share the same spoon of food or cob of corn etc. I believe that it's really worth the extra it takes to do this when they are young. Also, I never feed my dogs in a corner or up against the wall, they eat in a big open space. And I still feed Monty at 13, & Dylan at 10, the occasional meal by hand.

And I agree with Peggy, a few minutes time out done in a cool matter a fact way can work wonders for a dog's attitude.

I also make sure that Danny is the last on the totem pole regarding getting any eye contact or attention form me in anyways in front of the older two.

Food
Freedom
Attention
They say those controls are what make us the Alphas.:WINK:

I think it's great that we have pups the same age and can compare notes!

PS: I understand that Danny & Anie's Puppy License runs out at about six months as far as the older dogs are concerned.....+PUP+......+PUP+

[taflar]

Peggy - would you suggest feeding Maeve first so that Aine sees her as being "ahead" of her in the family pack?

I personally don't think that matters. With my dogs those that have been true alphas just were, we didn't do anything special to reinforce their status. I think what happens in the dog pack happens.

At this point you don't know that Maeve is the alpha or will remain the alpha. It's not your decison. Just because she's older or there first doesn't automatically make her the alpha. It's just something that *is*. Read my article on a true alpha in the archives.

Peggy

[disraeli ears]

I personally don't think that matters. With my dogs those that have been true alphas just were, we didn't do anything special to reinforce their status. I think what happens in the dog pack happens.

At this point you don't know that Maeve is the alpha or will remain the alpha. It's not your decison. Just because she's older or there first doesn't automatically make her the alpha. It's just something that *is*. Read my article on a true alpha in the archives.

Peggy

HA! :LAUGH: I completely agree, thanks to my experience when I was living at home still. When 6 week old Bandit the border collie came into the life of 6 month old Tess the Lab and 4 year old Kate the border collie, that little pup made it known that SHE would be the alpha from then on - And she was. :LAUGH:** She was the most unique dog I ever knew.

ETA - Bandit didn't do this by getting into fights and such (over 10 years, those three rarely ever got into fights - Bandit only had to let out a soft "grrrr" to make the others step back); it just - like Peggy said - *was*.

[taflar]

ETA - Bandit didn't do this by getting into fights and such (over 10 years, those three rarely ever got into fights - Bandit only had to let out a soft "grrrr" to make the others step back); it just - like Peggy said - *was*.

True alphas don't start fights, true alphas are the peace makers. They just *are*, they don't have to do anything to gain the status, they just *have* it. It's not something humans can create or take away or decide. It just is.

Peggy

[Kassie]

Thank you everyone. I am reading and soaking in! We have been trying to prioritize Maeve a bit right now, but I have a feeling Aine may grow up to be the alpha. She is more outgoing and Maeve is more reserved. I told her the other day she'd better stand up to Aine now, while she's little!:WINK:

I am going back to separating them to eat, and will also try time out. I'm not to worried about making the crate seem negative. She's never had a problem with the crate from day 1. (BTW, I had to remove the divider last night, she has gotten so big!)

It is hard to tell when they're just roughousing and when it goes over the edge, but we don't want this to get out of hand. They really are quite devoted to each other. Maeve gets off the bed and lays by Aine's crate at night if she whines. It is sooo good that there are so many here with ssimilar ages and multi dog houses. It is very helpful. Our 16 year olds that died earlier this year were littermates and had only been seperated 2 weeks of their life and were even crated together. Very different this time around!+THANKS+

[CorgiMum]

but I have a feeling Aine may grow up to be the alpha. She is more outgoing and Maeve is more reserved. I told her the other day she'd better stand up to Aine now, while she's little!

I understand that one of Danny's little sisters maybe an alpha to her big brother Wylm.+YES+

[taflar]

Thank you everyone. I am reading and soaking in! We have been trying to prioritize Maeve a bit right now, but I have a feeling Aine may grow up to be the alpha. She is more outgoing and Maeve is more reserved. I told her the other day she'd better stand up to Aine now, while she's little!


Being reserved or outgoing is not a good determination of an alpha dog. I've had one of each. You'll just have to wait and see how things go. ;)

Peggy

[Kassie]

Guess we'll wait and see...don't know what else we'd do!:WINK:

Your sticky on alpha dogs perfectly described our last dogs. She was definitely the alpha, never contested till their last year or so. Then Costello tried to dominate in ways Megan never had.

[Kassie]

Update...Things are going a little better. We have been consistently either hand feeding and/or feeding in separate rooms. That seems to help not to get the bickering started. We've only had to use time out 1 time.

At the vet the other day she was doing fine till one little dog came in and barked and lunged at her. She went a little balistic and I picked her up to stop it. Every time she saw him after that she barked at him, like she didn't want to give it up. She is quite a little corker. We are going to start her in a puppy class at Petsmart to get her some puppy socialization. There is a class that starts in about a week. We looked up lots of places around and the only certified trainer around doesn't have any group classes starting till after the first of the year.

She can go to Doggie day Care at 4 months, but I certainly don't want her to get kicked out as soon as she starts!
"NO:":"NO:":

[CorgiMum]

Thanks for the update, I'm been wondering how your two were doing. That's great the the food situation is handled now. I'm sure that puppy classes will be a very good thing. Sorry that you couldn't get her into your first choice of classes, some people thought I was silly signing Danny up for his classes when he only only 4 weeks old and not even ours yet, but we too would have had to wait until Jan. Now in Jan he will be in his next set of classes. If you are thinking about that for Aine, I'd try and sign her up now for those too. Danny's second Puppy K class it tomorrow night.

Our homework for the week was leash walking....hope I can get him to listen while he will be I am sure straining to play with his new puppy friends.+WINK+

Looking forward to hearing about your wee girl's classes!

[sutulu]

Kassie:

I have heard mixed comments about classes at PetSmart but have to say, I had a great experience with them. Lulu did her Puppy Socialization Class at Petsmart and our instructor was outsanding. He did an excellent job.

Good luck, I know you will have fun. Lulu was the Teacher's pet!

[Kassie]

So, we're going to start the Petsmart class on Saturday. We met the trainer last week. I also talked to the certified trainer and she is having a baby in a week or so and that is why she is not scheduling anything till after the first of the year. She is putting us on her list. I figure the most important thing right now is to be around some other pups in a structured setting to learn some manners.

[CorgiMum]

Good luck to you and Kassie!!+CHEER+

And I agree the puppy classes are Very important, especially with strong minded pups, of which I think you and I both have.

Our third class is tonight, and I kid you not, I see (however subtle) a difference in Danny every Tue am in his playing with Dylan. He has learned to lay down, and stay down while Dly 'examines' him.

Mind you, this morning Danny jumped on Dylan's back again and tried to ride him like a pony. Dylan was not impressed!:MAD: Good thing he's going to a class in a few hours.

So, we'll see what tomorrow brings, and again, good luck, and don't forget...Have Fun!!

Looking forward to hearing all about your adventures!!

[Kassie]

Geesh, Aine does that too! Maeve is as patient as she can be, but even she has her limits! Maeve has also put her foot down with her a few times finally.At the Halloween party at The dog house she decided to bark ferociously at a huge chocolate lab. No fear, this one...needs to learn some sense!

[Fluffypants]

It sounds like Aine & Danny have been talking to Mojo . . . that has to be where they learned that corgi-riding trick! Good luck at class and let us know how it goes Kassie! +TUP+

[CorgiMum]

It sounds like Aine & Danny have been talking to Mojo . . . that has to be where they learned that corgi-riding trick! Good luck at class and let us know how it goes Kassie! +TUP+

Talking, heck, I think they've been Skype-ing!:LAUGH: