Quote: Connie Sutherland

Tracey said: " I've had good luck socializing a shy dog with visitors by asking the visitors to ignore the dog. " And also, I would add, make sure that they do it. (Folks will sometimes think they are so dog savvy that such silly restrictions apply only to others. )

Excellent point!

I have an acquaintance who formerly raised and showed GSDs. She had met Vigo as a pup and then once when she came over with my MIL. The day she came over was the day a tree fell on our house. Vigo was spooked, accordingly so, and wanted back in the house.

We chatted several times after that and she would always comment about his behavior. She met him several times after that and was always in his face, even though I asked her not to. She was just determined to "make him like her". After suggesting to me that he needed meds, I finally got pissed and told her to try just ignoring him. In a few minutes, they were playing fetch - seriously!

Controlling the food is such a basic (and easy) way to continually reinforce the whole "leadership" thing in a way that doesn't (shouldn't) require anything negative.

Create a routine at mealtimes where the dogs see you prepare their food bowls (one per dog) and ask them to sit and wait for the food. Put the bowls down in front of them and continue to ask for their attention. Then release them to eat. This is such an easy way to reinforce a dogs self-control--because the reward for doing so is so great...they get the food.

Like Connie, I stand there while the dogs eat, to ensure that nobody surfs from another dog's bowl. I wait until they are all done, then I pick up the bowls.

And--you get to do this little "I'm the benevolent provider" routine twice a day. I can't think of much else that shows a dog (or pack of dogs) where the power is.

IMO, the younger shepherd is being a punk (lots of dogs are at this age)--and you're lucky that the older dog is so indulgent. (I have a similar dynamic at my house with our GSD who puts up with a lot from his younger housemates.) But just because he WILL put up with pushy punk behavior doesn't mean that he should have to. From his point of view, that's supposed to be YOUR job--to make sure he doesn't have to live in a household where he's being pestered to death. So stopping anything that looks like dominance/agression between them is not only teaching the youngster how to behave in your household--it's showing the older dog that you are still running the show.

Good luck.

Wow, such excellent advice, I have a lot of work to do.

 Quote: Tracy Collins

Anderson...Arnold. I would have recognized your sensible advice even with the wrong name.

Funny, I thought the same thing.

Hi Mike, I thought that maybe you got re- married & changed your name or something. LOL Glad your still hanging around here. Been a while.

Hi Anne,

To quote Paul Simon... 'Still crazy after all these years.' Just been laying low.

Mike

 Quote: Connie Sutherland

But really most important is that if a serious fight is ever going to happen (and you DON'T want that, ever), it's very likely to be over the food being threatened.

That's exactly how my two ended up in the one and only fight they've ever had. I would always supervise them while eating, but one day I left the room just for a minute... considering the $ spent at the vet, that was an expensive minute! Ultimately no (major) harm done, luckily, and now they are kept separated by an x-pen while eating

One thing I noticed about dogs is they are very (the dogs I have had anyway) tolerant when the dogs are young, then there comes a day when they decide it's time to teach the little whipper snapper some dog manners. And they are no longer tolerant.
I think the advise you have gotten is excellent. I never leave my dogs unattended when they are eating either. It only takes once for someone to attack his nosey pack mate and then- its easier for the fights to begin after that. No aggression is allowed at our house.
My mom used to always say, it is better to be safe than sorry.
Sharon

I can see the younger dog Bacchus getting more and more pushy as he gets older. I know he's testing Brando. I told my husband it's only a matter of time before Brando gives him a thrashing.....I mean, my Brando is being the best older brother ever...but sooner or later he's going to blow up.

We've been stopping the chasing and biting, Bacchus is so energetic and rambuctious. That's why we were so surprised when he wouldn't come out to meet visitors. Almost seems like he has a "Jekyl and Hyde" personality.

How's it going, Carolyn?

We've been keeping a closer eye on Bacchus. Not letting him pick on the bigger one at all. No eating from each other's bowls. We thought it was OK since Brando is so much bigger than him and older, but you're right, why let him deal with it when we can nip it in the bud. Brando sometimes instigates the play and is a little rough with him outside...like constantly rolling him over when he wants to run away. Is that part of his herding instinct?

Anyway we don't have much company after the holidays, so I will have to test the "leash and ignore" theory whenever we have visitors.