Teach Those Dogs To Get Along

Miriam Fields'
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Teach Those Dogs To Get Along

Most dogs prefer the companionship of other dogs. Dogs are pack animals and, although they have adopted you as their pack, they do enjoy the interaction that only another canine can offer. Will you get down on your hands and knees and bite at your furry friends legs? How many times have you greeted your dog by jumping all over him and then sniffing his rear? These are only some of the many ways that dogs interact.

Sometimes, bringing a new dog into the house can lead to difficult behavior problems. This is often the case when bringing new adult dogs into a home that already has adult dogs. It can also occur when a puppy is growing up and "feeling out" his place in the pack hierarchy. There will be minor scuffles, snarling and rough play.

This can evolve into a major problem when dog owners become alarmed by the rough behavior and intervene, not allowing the dogs to settle matters on their own. More often than not, the aggressive interaction is unknowingly caused by the dog's people. This can happen in a number of ways.
1. A new puppy or dog comes into the home and it receives more attention than the existing dog.
2. The new dog receives food and petting before and in preference of the existing dog.
3. The existing dog growls at the new dog for jumping on him and the person intervenes before the lesson has been learned by the new dog.
4. The older dog is ill and the new dog does not leave him alone.

Here are a few suggestions to make sure the new dog and existing dog turn into upstanding pack citizens.
1. Always feed, pet, play and interact with the older dog first. When they both come to you for attention, give your first dog the attention before you do so with the other dog. Your second dog will not have his feelings hurt. He will understand the situation.
2. When training your new dog, don't forget to work with your older dog first. He may not require the same amount of work, but does enjoy the interaction with you and will feel grumpy if left out.
3. Never intervene when your first dog corrects the second dog. Most times, it may look rough, but that's how it is in the canine world. A quick, rough correction gets the point across and when the other dog shows submission, the aggressing dog immediately stops. You may want to make a point of paying attention to this behavior because it will help you teach that young upstart by using the same behavior.
4. Train your dogs. The dogs must know that you are the pack leader. Without a leader, the other dogs with vie for the job. The dogs must respect you, listen immediately and get regular work outs. Your dogs will gain more knowledge, understanding and will love you more.

The only time you should intervene in a canine scuffle is when one of the participants is geriatric and/or ill and cannot defend itself. To prevent future problems, be sure that your infirm dog is fed separately and sleeps in a different area from the rest of the pack.

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