Quote: Milanka Ratkovich

Is moving the other dog from the mat bulling?

They are feed togheter and never had any problems, should i still get them to eat separately? If so, can i do it on their kennels, even though they are close?

Sookie is NOT into toys, should i play with havanna alone or can i still play with sookie around?

Sookie kinds of walk stiff and slow (in a dominant way) around havanna but she never growls,she never bites, and never stareas at havanna. What actually confuses me is that She gives in her mat if havanna comes, same with toys if she actually goes for them. She is really soft and really summisive thats why when she goes all stiff and dominat confuse me.
Ill try and video the actual problems and put them on the vid section.

Please remember that I am NOT a Professional Trainer, so I hope someone who is will help answer your questions, but I will just give my Amateur Opinion for now:

Yes, one dog Intimidating another other dog away from the second dog's own bed / kennel / mat is Bullying -- I do not allow that, so I enforce a "your place is for you, the other dog's place is for the other dog" rule ... When a passive/submissive dog Postures around a Bully dog, the "underdog" is Bluffing due to Stress (the dog who Gets Intimidated is anxious / nervous / uncomfortable because it's worried that the "top dog" WILL BULLY it, so it puts up a Big Front) IMHO.

If I had your situation at my house, yes, I would feed separately in their own kennels -- And I would never let the Bully take anything at all away from the other one ... Toys & Treats and any other high-value object (like its bed) are Typical Triggers for "bad blood" that eventually lead either to FIGHTS or to a Reign of Terror by the BULLY.

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 Quote: Milanka Ratkovich

Is moving the other dog from the mat bulling?

They are feed togheter and never had any problems, should i still get them to eat separately? If so, can i do it on their kennels, even though they are close?

Sookie is NOT into toys, should i play with havanna alone or can i still play with sookie around?

Sookie kinds of walk stiff and slow (in a dominant way) around havanna but she never growls,she never bites, and never stareas at havanna. What actually confuses me is that She gives in her mat if havanna comes, same with toys if she actually goes for them. She is really soft and really summisive thats why when she goes all stiff and dominat confuse me.
Ill try and video the actual problems and put them on the vid section.

One dog making the other dog move or relinquish anything is way too pushy for me to ever tolerate. So is that stiff slow walking.

I have a hard-and-fast rule: I'm the pack leader, and I'm the only one. This is how it has to be for me to have more than one dog in my house-pack.

Another side to the rank stuff you're seeing is that the dogs don't see you as taking charge. As posted above, you must stop all posturing as well as overtly taking a mat or bed or toy.

I feed my dogs pretty far from each other in the kitchen. They have been wit me now for years, but I still stand there, every single mealtime, every single day. Food is such a common trigger that I never assume nothing will happen simply because nothing has happened.

So even a dog approaching another dog's bowl is not OK. And when the food-vacuum dog finishes inhaling, he must leave the kitchen. And then I stand there for the slower eater, to ensure that his food is never threatened.

Again, this is a pack with no issues, together for years. But I strongly believe that what I do to keep it that way is very important. (Me just being the food monitor enhances the perception of the one boss, too.)

If I had to, yes, I would feed them in their kennels, and I would devise a barrier if they were actually touching.

All of this is done calmly, as a matter of course. I don't amp up a situation where I see one submitting and one dominating .... I don't become emotional ... I simply stop it. Every single time.


I pretty much think that whatever I want to to, I can do (play with one dog with toys). But why don't you describe what Sookie does when you play with toys with Havanna so we can answer in a more tailored fashion? Does Sookie take a nap, or does she watch closely and/or try to get between you? What exactly happens?

 Quote: Mara Jessup

Kenzi is a bully. Or she would be if I let her. When I got her she quickly sized up the other 2 dogs I had at the time. She wouldn't push my older female. at. all. But my male was fair game (he is a bottom of the totem pole type of dog) she could take bones and toys away from him with ease and would try to resource guard from him. So I'd step in and prempttively stop her. I'd watch her body language and stop her before she could start to bully. And chew toys/bones were only given out when I was there to supervise. Kenzi is not a dominant dog, just opportunistic and pushy, and the behavior pretty much went away when she found that it wouldn't work. TThe key IMO is staying 2 steps ahead and correcting it when it's in the body language (lots of posturing is done with body language) stage before they act on it. For Kenzi, correcting meant calling her away or just stepping in between her and Kipp and telling her to go lay down.

Yes to all this, too.

One of mine too is opportunistic and pushy (has even tried taking over another one's bed), and I don't allow him to get away with anything.

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Edited by Connie Sutherland (09/13/2013 09:26 AM)
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