Hi everyone. I stumbled upon the Leerburg web site while browsing for some possible answers to an issue I am having with my 9 month old English Springer Spaniel.

From reading Ed's website I now realize I did everything wrong in introducing this new pup to my other dogs (11 yr old springer female, 7 yr old beagle, and 6 yr old cocker) and now I am looking to re-homing the pup due to dominance issues among the pack.

I lost a wonderful male springer in June and when I found a pup with alot of the same lineage I was estatic. My male had been possibly the most awesome dog I've ever owned both in temperament, trainability and over all manners. I went, spent 2 hrs watching 4 pups play, trying to find the right one to bring into my home with my other dogs.
I brought Sniper home and all was well in the first week, he was 8 weeks old. Everyone was getting along well, including my female springer who has been known in her old age to be a bit nippy with the others. They played, everyone slept side by side, I was thrilled.
About 10 days into the pup being here my female went after him. Didn't hurt him, but had to be pulled off him to stop her. While she has always listened to me when a firm "leave it!" was given before, this time she totally ignored me. I immediately put her in a down stay and checked the pup who was fine but a bit scared to say the least. I began noticing other changes in my females over all temperament and took her to the vet to be checked out. After talking with the vet about everything going on in our lives over the past year, which included some huge changes for Sienna the female springer (daughter went off to college and this dog adores her and is highly bonded to her, and then my male springer passing away who Sienna again was very very bonded with) the vet recommended that Sienna be placed on an anti-anxiety med to see if it helped her overcome her anxiousness. While it did some, she was still very unstable around the pup. I resorted to muzzling her when they were together to protect the pup from her and monitoring his actions around her. She is still muzzled around him as her attitude has not changed regarding him in the house.
As Sniper was getting older I started to notice that he is a very dominant dog (noticed this by the time he was here for 3 weeks). Assertive, active, high prey drive, and requires a lot of structured obedience. I began obedience training the second week he was here and he did very well, and still does do well. He loves other dogs, and has never met a person he didn't like.
My problem with him is that he has now decided that my 6 yr old epileptic cocker is his victim to attack.
The cocker can be sitting there fine and Sniper will shoot him a look and the fight is on. Mean fights, bad fights, not just showing off fights. We have to literally grab the pup and pull him off the cocker by his back legs. Once off I immediately make him sit or down and stay until he relaxes. He does this and can get back up and then be perfectly fine with the cocker, other times I can tell he's simply geared for a fight and I have to either leash him and keep him close, or put him in his kennel.
I am now at a point that I do not trust him at all around the cocker. He is absolutely fine with my other dogs! Never challenges them, if they correct him he backs off immediately and doesn't try it again, but if the cocker corrects him it's a fight. Why do they find one dog to do this to?
It's now became a "black dog" thing, or is getting that way. I had Sniper at dog training the other night and a black standard poodle walked by, Sniper immediately went on the defensive and was waiting for the fight. He does this with no other dog, ever before he started fighting with my cocker.
I do competition obedience (CD< CDX< and the like) but I'm not a behavioralist.
I realize now that this pup is simply not a good "fit" for my family. Yes, I know I messed up and trust me I am kicking myself to heck and back for not doing things differently. I have two potential homes lined up for Sniper, one is with a hunter and I know Sniper would be an amazing hunter as his drive and instincts are very formed. The other is with a family with no other dogs and a 13 yr old girl who would do wonderful with Sniper as he adores children.
I've never given up a dog before and it's killing me to do this, but I have to think about my other dogs and I have to face the reality that I have a dog, an assertive dog, who is not the dog for me and my home as it is.
He's showing food aggression with the other dogs (but not with humans) and I fear he would viciously attack the other dogs if they got too close to his food, so he's fed in his crate to avoid a problem.
Am I doing the right thing by re-homing him? I really believe in a home with no other dogs for him to have to worry about he'd settle in and be an absolutely wonderful companion for someone who has prior obedience knowledge and is strong enough to keep him in his place manners wise.
Reading this web site has opened my eyes needless to say. The other dogs (beagle and cocker) that I have brought into the house were already adults when they came so my female springer hasn't had to deal with the whole puppy thing before, and neither have the others. I will not be getting another pup for a long time. Not until Sienna is gone at least, and she's still got a good 4 yrs on her I hope.
I just want my sanity back and the stress levels back down to a normal level in my house. I love Sniper to pieces, but he's not the dog for me

It seems like you already see that he isnt a good fit, it doesnt seem to me like your dumping him. of course the behavior could be remedied but it would be a hard road. you already have some good homes lined up for him so I dont think that it is a bad idea, it its moral support you need then dont worry-you arent a horrible owner

There's no point beating a dead horse...you now know you made MANY mistakes introducing this pup into your home. And the result sounds like behavior that will take a lot of time to work on and will necessitate some major changes in how the dogs live in your home.

Can it be done? Yes, it can. But it sounds like you've made the decision to rehome him and that may ultimately be the best thing for all concerned.

The only thing I want to say is you made the comment that bringing a puppy into the house seemed more problematic than an introducing an older dog.

4 dogs is a pack and bringing a new dog in, of any age, is going to upset the order of things...which is why groundwork and proper pack leadership by you is SO important. You may face this same problem down the road whenever you decide to add another dog to your family. JMO

This post makes me sad and I'm truly very sorry for all of you

 Quote: sarah morris

The only thing I want to say is you made the comment that bringing a puppy into the house seemed more problematic than an introducing an older dog.

4 dogs is a pack and bringing a new dog in, of any age, is going to upset the order of things...which is why groundwork and proper pack leadership by you is SO important. You may face this same problem down the road whenever you decide to add another dog to your family. JMO

This post makes me sad and I'm truly very sorry for all of you

I agree 100%. You initiated every problem you describe, from "everyone slept side by side" to the present day. It's good that you happened across this site and started to realize it. I applaud that!

While it appears that you have made the right decision, the puppy isn't the problem. You have been lucky (as many people are) in acquiring the laid-back dogs you acquired before this one.

I am with Sarah in saying that you have created a pack. If you want to be a good pack leader, you have some work to do.

I am saddened by this post, too. I hope you keep reading here, from "Introducing a New Dog" to "Groundwork to Becoming Your Puppy's Pack Leader," and everything else.

If you would like some links, please let us know. Fortunately, you are recognizing that you have been making some bad mistakes. Leerburg is the place to learn better.

Thank you for your responses. Trust me, before another dog comes in this house I will be purchasing and watching many of the DVD's available here.

I do not want to make this mistake again with another dog.

If I were to work with this where would you recommend I start? I'm willing to do what it takes from here until I find that home for him but I'd like to make his time here as reasonable as I can too.

The family with the 13 yr old decided they didnt' want to deal with puppyhood stuff. So if the other guy isn't interested then Sniper will be here for a bit longer yet.

I definitely see I have failed on being the pack leader I thought I was, so I'm willing to do what it takes to fix that and you all seem like you are the right ones to learn from!!!

http://leerburg.com/introducingdogs.htm

http://www.leerburg.com/302.htm

http://www.leerburg.com/308.htm

http://leerburg.com/articles.htm

http://leerburg.com/groundwork.htm

I'd start with these. Note that many articles are available as free eBooks and free podcasts, to get you started while you wait for videos or DVDs. I'd start with "Groundwork" and "Introducing," I think, because you will find immediate changes to make today. Podcasts are good, too, for immediate changes .....

The female also spends alot of her time in my daughters room sleeping. I let her chose (wrong I know)if she wants out with the muzzle on , or left to be in the room sleeping.

You've pegged what rips at my heart though, the fact that I've resorted to muzzling an old dog who never asked to be in this situation to begin with. Sienna was at one time crate trained and I am willing to crate her again. The beagle is aggressive in his crate, always has been, even with treats offered first. I now see that he has issues too with dominance with us. The cocker is a fear aggressor. If he feels cornered he will snap, but has never bitten us, or another dog until now. He was a rescue dog who was beat with newspapers and who knows what else he was subjected to before he came here and I admit I've tiptoed around him because I felt sorry for him *sigh*. Boy have I ever failed as a leader!

I will go get new crates this weekend and they will all begin to learn how to adjust to not being left to roam the house freely unless I allow it and I will use the crates rather than the muzzle/isolation from the pack/and my need(?) to humanize them rather than treat them as the dogs they are.

Thank you soooo much for helping me. It's amazing how much you think you know, only to find out you actually know very very little about pack dynamics and structure and how to take control of your own life!

I want to write a list of the things I have implemented since I found this site just so you know what I have been doing and perhaps that will help you to understand what's happening now better?

 Quote: Melissa Burkhard

I've resorted to muzzling an old dog who never asked to be in this situation to begin with. Sienna was at one time crate trained and I am willing to crate her again. The beagle is aggressive in his crate, always has been, even with treats offered first.

Exactly. As for the Beagle, have you read the crate-training article and some of the threads here about dogs who don't like their crate?

The Cocker -- he needs to know that he has a pack leader, not that he's alone to fend for himself (and bite first before he is bitten).

what I've implemented so far:

Sniper is now on leash before going outside, down the stairs, or when he gets unruly in the house. I will change this to Sniper is on leash at all times from here out.

He is now told to sit and wait while we open the door and is not allowed to move until told he can. It took 3 days, but he's getting the idea and now sits on his own and waits with very little reminding to do it. He is also getting better at listening when I say sit when he gets to zooming through the house terrorizing the others. His recall has always been good, but definitely can get better.

Sniper is only fed in his crate and the others are fed in different rooms. Apart from each other. He is not let back out of his crate until he is settled and acting calm. Before he would bust out of his crate like a madman. Now he must sit to the back of his crate and wait until the door is opened and I say he can come out, when he comes out he is immediately told to sit again until he's under control of himself and only then is he released.

The cocker was just neutered on Thursday. Yes I know it should have been done much much sooner but his epilepsy was an issue that we just got under control and the vet felt it was safe to do it now. I never worried about it because he was not the obnoxious male prior to this. I realize it may or may not have an impact on his behavior at this late of an age.

Sniper was to be shown in conformation, he is not neutered yet. Is has been decided that due to his temperament he will not be shown and is being neutered as soon as I pay Louie's vet bill off at the vet which should be very shortly. My question is: will neutering him at 9 months have any desired effect on his dominance issue? I know they say it will, but now heck I feel like I don't know a thing about dogs anymore!!!

I must state here, the fights between he and the cocker just started. The first one was 2 weeks ago, up to that point there had never been so much as a peep between them and they in fact played together at times.

Now, I am thinking the remote training would be a wise move with Sniper, and with the beagle, Jeep, and also with Sienna,,,,but my concern is of course for her age although she is perfectly healthy now she did have a heart defect that required surgery at 12 weeks old but I don't think it should cause any problems. But with the epileptic is it wise to use a remote trainer? Something says no due to the electrical impuse. But I am not sure?

I know that they all need work now on going down steps, through doors etc. Sienna however knows she has to wait and respects that thanks to her obedience training. The cocker and the beagle have had very little obed training. They know to sit, and down but stay, wait, come aren't their strong points. I'll be working on that with them.

I have so many questions zooming through my head I am lost as to where to start! I feel like I've finally found the right methods, the right place and the right people to ask them of, but there are so many of them I can't get them out right HA!

Sniper is in obedience classes at the training club I belong to, should I continue to take him there? I read on here that those types of classes aren't good, but he seems to enjoy it and so do I.

I'm ordering the video's as soon as possible so I have them to watch and refer to, and have already read through a couple of the e-books too ! Trust me, I want to be as informed, armed and equipped as I can be to help save what I can of these wonderful dogs I have here. I feel like an utter idiot though, I have learned such a valuable lesson.