getting a third dog

[sweatalot]

In another thread (getting a second dog) I found some dog experts commenting. That encourages me to this post.

we 've got two dogs living in our 8 rai land. They are both bitches, 14 months old. One is a Thai ridgeback, weighing about 15 kg, the other is a Husky, about 30 kg.

Unfortunately the small ridgeback is dominating the double size husky. The husky really fears her fellow dog. She avoids to go to an area if the ridgeback is there and growling.

Now we are happy to get a male German Shephard puppy next week, which is intended to be the top watchdog.

We are afraid that while he is still a small puppy the ridgeback will dominate him as well and that he will still fear her even when he is full grown.

Any suggestions how to avoid that?

I just learned that we should introduce the puppy on neutral ground which we will do.

Your help is very much appreciated.

[umbanda]

I just extended my reply to a second dog post..talking about Alpha dogs...

I do not know how you relate with your dogs...what I know is that you NEED to be the BIG alpha in their minds...About the relationship between your ridgeback and the husky...try this.

When they are together, hold and press the ridgeback belly up on the floor and do not let him to get away. He will resist until calm down totally. At that point you can release the pressure slowly and let it go....slowly. Encourage the husky to be close or share space with the ridgeback in your presence.....and do the same "treatment" every time the ridgeback is upset. Show that you are the BIG alpha in the trio....

[PMK]

Gives proof the old expression, "It's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog!"

I never used one, but have read a lot of experiences other people have had with them - training/shock collar. Several people report great success from only using it a couple of times over the entire life of the dog, particularly if the dog learns to associate the controller with the shock, so all you have to do is reach for the controller. Might be a way to control the aggressiveness of the ridgeback towards the husky and your new buddy, if need be.

It kind of appeals to me because if you approach the ridgeback when she is aggressive towards the husky, even just showing anger with body language, the other one, already in state of fear, will figure she is the target of it, and probably really freak out. The collar is "stand off". You can instantly teach the dog that behavior is unacceptable without upsetting the husky even more.

[sweatalot]

I just extended my reply to a second dog post..talking about Alpha dogs...

I do not know how you relate with your dogs...what I know is that you NEED to be the BIG alpha in their minds...About the relationship between your ridgeback and the husky...try this.

When they are together, hold and press the ridgeback belly up on the floor and do not let him to get away. He will resist until calm down totally. At that point you can release the pressure slowly and let it go....slowly. Encourage the husky to be close or share space with the ridgeback in your presence.....and do the same "treatment" every time the ridgeback is upset. Show that you are the BIG alpha in the trio....

Thank you very much. Read about that before, but also that turning the dog on the back will damage its character, even break it. That's why until now I did not use it.

After your recommandation I changed my mind and also used it 2 or 3 times. Easy to do. Seems the husky did not dare to come nearer after the first time. Now it seems that this is changing. Will watch how it goes on.

[bina]

we are now a four dog household in a small apartment. the two additons are male and female from our bitch and and poodle male. our own male is neutered but problematicf in behavior.... when feeding, i have four bowls, and i guard the food , as the 'alpha' and this takes some of the 'spunk' out of our dominant male. he also guards his food, and doesnt permit the others to eat until he has eaten from all bowls but i dont allow him to guard after he has finished eating. i have the food out for half an hour in morning and in evening so that they wont fight over good when i am at work.

i turn all four out for quick 'peepee' breaks. all other times, one of the adults is leashed, and i also rotate between the two pups to be leashed (most dogs here are free running so no good to be leashed all the time, they must socialize with the neigbhorhood dogs as well).

each dog gets some one on time every day. they all get a 40 minute brisk walk as a group.

they all get groomed one after the other.

i have five rawhide bones, five smaller toys, four beds and two water bowls.... i have zero toelerance for dog fights. the dominant male is allowed to 'speak' or 'reprinmand' the pups but not allowed more then a short physical 'bowling over' of a particularly spunky pup action. if it escalates, i interfere (verbally. nver need to physically but these are small dogs).

the pups are now four months old going on five, and all four dogs are still sorting themselves out but the initial squabbling and pup screaming has reduced/

both my husband and i are very dominant among our dogs.

i also used leashing in the house with the older male, so i could control him , it seemed to have put him down a notch in terms of dominance in the house. outside we have no problems (more room for manouevering).

waiting to see when the pups hit 8 months (teenage behavior/pushing limits )...

the pups also nursed for a very long time and the bitch was very active in disciplining and educating her pups...