Shelby is a Malinois mix and will be 5 April 1st. We sent her to stay with family for a few months until Mercy recently passed away and we had room to take Shelby back. We visited that family over Thanksgiving and Shelby met River there.

Shelby had bonded with my MIL and enjoyed living at her 'new home' after a week or two of adjustment from leaving us in August. She saw the house as HERS, as an 'only dog' and was understandably anxious with River around. We picked up all toys and items that could cause fights and allowed them to interact with supervision. Everything went well despite Shelby snarking and being protective of her personal space (as in her body and the immediate area around it) because River is a very in-your-face puppy and while she's been around adult dogs they had similar play styles.

So now Shelby is home with us and we're keeping the two dogs separated for at least a week. They will both take turns spending time in the living room with us, and the rest of the time they will either be kenneled or gated off in the hallway with access to my bedroom/their kennel. I'm hoping that this 'detox' will cool her heels and help her settle in

The two dogs interact well outside. Is it okay to let them play outside and keep them separated inside? Should I enforce 100% separation for at least a week?

I wouldn't have any set time in mind. I'd play it by ear & see how things progress. If outside is not an issue, let them interact out there for short periods of time with supervision for a few weeks.

In the house I'd keep them seperated but in close proxinmity so they can see each other & you can see how they react & they can learn that this is where they both live now.

I will say that often dogs will have a harder time getting along together in the house. Inside there is much less space where they can keep their distance & have their own bubble area. They will often have to get close to one another just to walk in & out of a room etc & pass into each others personal space area & this can cause a problem.

So don't rush anything. Just give them a few weeks to settle into a routine & where each of them fits into the pack & that this is now home to BOTH of them. Eveytime you add or subtract a dog the dynamics change. Even moreso when you bring in young bouncy excitable puppies into the mix. Some dogs just don't tollerate pups very well & some only in short doses.

As Ed says, they have all their lives for this.

Have you ever seen his "intro" articles for a dog coming to a house with other dogs?

I've seen them, yes.

Crate and rotate (or keeping them physically separated) for long term isn't a big deal for the house. My brother in law is completely clueless and I mostly keep my dog (River) away from him. I've told him how to treat her or else 'you can leave her alone all together' many times but he still insists that it's okay to let her lick his plate clean (no it's not) or that it's okay for her to chew on his hands and arms to the point of drawing blood or to jump up on him constantly while snapping at him or grabbing his clothes and yanking on them. He's that 'fun guy' that she loves to bully around, but she's slowly learning that I won't tolerate it and if she can't lay beside me when he's around the house then she will go in her crate.
I'm prepared to lay down the law about Shelby if Clark doesn't protect his own dog from his brother.

Put the dogs in crates with a lock on it in your locked bedroom..so he doesn't have access to the dogs.

 Quote: Anne Jones

Put the dogs in crates with a lock on it in your locked bedroom..so he doesn't have access to the dogs.

I was going to say that the guy would never be in my house again. No one who overrode my dog rules to that extent would.



Anne's solution is probably more politic.

I don't have a choice, he's on the lease. I am NEVER living with him again. Had I known about his behavior toward pets before, I wouldn't have agreed to this.

We installed keyed locks on the bedroom doors for everyone's privacy as soon as we moved in but I'm paranoid that if the building catches fire and no one's home with a key, my dogs will burn to death because the door and frame is metal so I'm not sure you could even bust it down.

Chance of fire vs brother's unwanted treatment of your dogs make me feel that I would opt for the locks on the crates & bedroom door.

Even if there is a fire....what guarantee do you have that he will make any attempts to save the dogs anyway.

Sorry, but he sounds more like the self-centered self-serving type that would be far more worried about saving his own butt & not anyone elses. Although maybe I'm wrong.

Samantha,

Your brother in law needs a set of brains.

The best you can do for your dog is to keep your dog away from the lout.

Its your dog, so reclaim it at the first sign the dog is near the oaf.

You don't have to say anything to your delta alpha b i l, just immediately reclaim, relocate, place your dog.

Don't allow your dog to have anything to do with the duffus.

You aren't penalizing your dog, you are training it and reenforcing the training. It is a perfect time to use the leave it command.

Your dog is trainable, and, apparently, your thick headed brother in law is not. He is not a fun guy but maybe a fungi. Anyone who disrespects your interaction with your dog is an obnoxious dope.

I do not tolerate anyone contradicting my training or commands when it comes to my mutts. My dogs. My rules. That is it.

But I don't feel strongly about this.

 Quote: Mike Arnold

.... But I don't feel strongly about this.

Same here. I'm really sympathetic, Samantha. I can't even picture sharing a home with that level of arrogant disrespect.




ETA

"The best you can do for your dog is to keep your dog away from the lout.

Its your dog, so reclaim it at the first sign the dog is near the oaf.

You don't have to say anything to your delta alpha b i l, just immediately reclaim, relocate, place your dog."

Ditto.

But this makes me clench my teeth,

Edited by Connie Sutherland (11/30/2012 05:07 PM)
Edit reason: eta