Yes. Unsupervised high-value toys and bones are not a good idea with dogs that you do not know how they will behave 100%.

Set them up for success. If you know that toys are a trigger, don't push them to "share" toys until they are ready to.

When you can supervise, give everyone a toy or bone, and have the puppy on his leash. Then it's easy to correct when he looks at the other dog's bone. And PRAISE them for playing nicely when they do.

"They both move to their respective corners, but the puppy will not quit and its like she has ADD."



I wanted to mention something that Michael Wise has mentioned before about puppies acting as if they have ADD .... they do! It's part of puppy-ness!

I have given up on bones completely. Having bones anywhere around just puts jethro in a weird state of mind. He doesn't chew the bone and enjoy it. He hoards it and gets sketchy if skipper gets anywhere near. I have tried giving them bones in separate crates, rooms, and yards. Lately I just end up throwing away unchewed bones and I have two tense, stressed dogs. Their worst fights have been about bones. There isn't any pleasure in chewing bones at our house.

All seems to be going quite well, I even let them all 3 have bones together this morning and was sitting in the middle of them watching.

I have discovered that if you hold or pull Catalinas collar she gets angsty, so when she looked at another dog and took a step toward them (while chewing) I just pushed her head to turn it away instead of using her collar. That seemed to avoid the "go get them" attitude and stop her dead in her tracks. Shes smart, she already knows the drill but I am sure as soon as I am not looking she will do what she wants. So I will only allow them toys and bones when I am right on top of them. Practice makes perfect or so they say.

I have to admit I look a little silly walking around like Al Bundy with a rolled up newspaper under my arm on dog patrol. But it beats having to look like a ninja later to separate them.

Thank you all again for the advice/comments. I am not a dog expert and in fact just started using "marker" words with Catalina. She is a extremely high maintenance dog (EXTREMELY) and that is what brought me to this forum in the first place. I have never had one like her and I knew enough to realize the problem would lie with me in the long run if I did not get her under control.

The only problem I see so far with markers is that I should have thought the "YES" through because with football on, while yelling at the tv, she gets a bit confused. I try not to yell "yes" during interceptions anymore.

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All seems to be going quite well, I even let them all 3 have bones together this morning and was sitting in the middle of them watching.

Thats pushing it a little Stephanie. They're still able to see each other and pass on things that you're going to miss. When they have bones, I'd set them up where they can't look at each other.

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I have discovered that if you hold or pull Catalinas collar she gets angsty, so when she looked at another dog and took a step toward them (while chewing) I just pushed her head to turn it away instead of using her collar

Thats where the drag line comes in handy. For whatever reason it doesnt create that angst like your hands grabbing at them.

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The only problem I see so far with markers is that I should have thought the "YES" through because with football on, while yelling at the tv, she gets a bit confused. I try not to yell "yes" during interceptions anymore.

Start watching the Raiders. The yes's are few and far between. The words you'll be yelling, no dog will mistake for anything positive.

 Quote: Stephanie Lowrey

I have to admit I look a little silly walking around like Al Bundy with a rolled up newspaper under my arm on dog patrol. But it beats having to look like a ninja later to separate them.

Totally agree with everything Steve (and everyone else) said and wanted to add, that if you have to physically hit the dogs with a newspaper to seperate them, you do not have control.

Use the dragline - prevent the fights from happening in the first place, not deal with them after they happen. This is always the best practice.

I just want to emphasize that the vast majority of fights are over toys or food. I have dogs that I can have eat side by side and dogs that are fed in a crate or separate room because of their resource guarding.

I have dogs that I can have chase one ball at the same time as happy as can be but another combination and I could have a very serious fight for the ball.

If you have a trigger, eliminate it.

 Quote: steve strom

When they have bones, I'd set them up where they can't look at each other. ....

 Quote: niomi smith

... if you have to physically hit the dogs with a newspaper to seperate them, you do not have control. ... Use the dragline - prevent the fights from happening in the first place, not deal with them after they happen. This is always the best practice.

 Quote: betty waldron

..... If you have a trigger, eliminate it.

Management is "Job 1" ..... JMO!

I had to laugh at the football "yes."

The verbal marker, all kidding aside, needs to be a word not commonly used around or to the dogs. I would consider starting over and loading another one, a new one.

Are you familiar with the loading (charging) of the marker?

Ok, I dont know how you all quote things and make them look pretty (someone will have to fill me in ).

The only dog I have to swat with a paper is the puppy, she is seriously oblivious to anything but what she wants most times. Although the last couple days, I must say when I yell "hey" she stops in her tracks. But I have been seriously up her butt and on top of her watching everything she does. Its exhausting but it seems to be paying off.

Also, interestingly enough her and Auto are getting along better. They actually were interacting and playing yesterday. Usually he avoids her like the plague unless they are snuggled and sleeping. I watched them like a hawk in case she got aggressive, but it went well.

The problem I have with the bone situation is that I feel like I am punishing my older dogs if I don't allow them to eat them. So if I can let them do the things they have been doing for years and just monitor I would rather do it that way, if that makes sense. I sat with Catalina between my legs yesterday while the others were eating their bones and she had hers, when she looked up I said no and turned her head. I wont obviously give them all bones when I cant dedicate that time however.

The verbal marker is all new to me, I have no idea what loading is and wow it sounds so easy to train with markers, but its so hard. I actually made the movement mistake, where she recognizes my hand gesture and not the verbal command already. So I am a beginner in really trying to train the right way honestly, because what I did worked fine with all my other dogs. Which either means I was very lucky with my other dogs or that the puppy is a handful.

AND I am laughing about the Raiders comment. But then I would be yelling "NO NO NO" and she would get equally confused and think she was in trouble. lol..

The drag line is your friend. I would never put my hands near dogs that may fight when all I have to do is grab the line and pull out the offender. Fostering a driven wire fox terrier taught me this. She was getting to close to my pit bull and starting battles in my living room.
Maybe a peanut butter filled kong would make a good treat for them instead of a bone. And make them sit for it first. I taught my dog when she was a puppy to lay down for her dinner.