Help please ... any advice welcome

[Zozo84]

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A couple of months ago we had to move out of our home and back into my parents house. The trouble is I have 3 dogs and my parents also have 3 dogs. On the whole they all get on pretty well. We exercise them well so they end up just spending the days sleeping it off.

We have one problem though. My little springer spaniel and my mum's collie X Labrador have a very strange relationship. It didn't used to be as bad, but lately they have been getting quite aggressive towards each other. My springer will just sit and stare at my mums dog who just tries and looks away, but my dog will just keep staring and staring and start to growl. My mums dog will still try and look away until he has enough and starts growling back. My dog will then try and bolt towards him for a confrontation and then all hell breaks loose. The other dogs will not join in although the just bark and dance around the edge.

It's really scary and we are petrified they are going to seriously hurt each other and hurt us eventually. We just don't know what to do. We've tried to work out triggers for it or patterns in behaviour but we are at a loss.

Any help and advice on how to deal with this and how to stop it would be very much appreciated. Please help !!!

 

[gypsysmum]

What sex are the two dogs? Bitches often find it difficult to share space with some other bitches. If this is the case it is a serious problem and you will need professional help.

If they are male or a mix of two sexes then it is not quite so serious but should not be allowed to continue. Practising a behaviour makes it more entrenched and much harder to treat.

Can you find a way to keep the two of them apart? Not in a nasty way but, perhaps, using a crate as a nice cosy den for one of them to rest and relax in while the other is loose? Then swap them over but bearing in mind that they might not like the same space to be resting in. Give the confined one a stuffed kong or tasty chew to keep them happy.

You may need professional help to get to the bottom of the behaviour. The dogs may all be finding sharing all the space quite stressful so lots of little anxieties creeping in and building up.

You are doing the right thing in giving lots of exercise. Other relaxation techniques are chewing but you would have to be careful about any of the dogs that likes to guard a chew or valuable resource from any of the others.

 

[Shewbert]

Springers are usually very dog friendly animals, but they are frisky dogs, the collie cross is a more laid back.

I personally think this is the Springer attempting to ahieve a higher pecking order within the new group (not dominance)

The classic staring, growling from the springer and the "I don't want to know" looking away from the collie.

Up to a couple of months ago the springer was happily living within it's own family group, as was the collie within it's own group.

The springer more than likely was top of the doggies pecking order within it's family,

hence when this new group suddenly moved in the springer feels that it's status is being threatened, so shows the classic staring and growling.

This will get worse before it gets better, the next stage for the springer is snapping, then biting.

This needs nipping in the bud now and is not easy to achieve (some dogs just never get on, they take a dislike and stick to it)

Ask a behaviorist to call, they have to assess all 6 of the dogs together, they have to be trained as a whole,

cure the spaniel, more than likely one of the other dogs will take it's place.

Difficult one to cure, there are no magic wands here. patience, vigilance and training.

Let us know how you get on.

Shewy