New Dog Added...Other Dog is Mad...

Hello again!

First to help with overall behavioural problems, please ensure you and your family members have read and understand the techniques in the bonus book "Secrets to becoming the Alpha Dog". These are great techniques for maintaining or establishing your position at the head of the household. No matter what the problem is all dogs need to know where the stand in the house for both yours and their peace and comfort.

Here are some ways to reinforce your position-

1) If you come across your dogs while they are sleeping or lying on the floor then you can reinforce your position as alpha dog by making him move so that you can pass by.

2) Make sure that you always go through doorways first. A good method to reinforce your position as alpha dog is to walk your dog around the house on the leash, making your dog wait while you walk through doorways first.

3) At mealtimes make sure that your dogs eat after all of the humans have.

4) Do not feed your dogs tidbits or let it pester you at the table. Save the morsels and tidbits for training sessions instead.

5) Do not greet your dogs straightaway when you arrive home. Make it wait until you are ready and then call it to you.

6) Whenever your dogs want attention or anything wait till they are sitting and being well behaved.

7) When you give a command make sure that you are in a position to enforce the action that you require from your dog, especially in the initial stages of Alpha Dog training. Also, use the Alarm-No-Command technique as described in the Alpha Dog bonus book to reprimand your dog if it does not obey your command.

This is the first major step. It is very important that everyone at home is also the alpha over your girl as this will reduce her need to be dominant and protective of what she considers her rights.

Now the second step is to make sure she is very obedient. Work with her and with him separately for 10 minutes twice a day in a quiet secluded area where you can have each dogs separate and full attention. Start with the basic commands of sit, stay and come.

Reprimands are the next step for an aggressive dog, whenever she is misbhehaving, you need to take it seriously.

The next time time she growls, snarls, barks or does anything aggressive she needs to be reprimanded loudly and firmly. Use a loud GRRRRRRRR or AHHHHHHHHH at her. This will give her a fright and let her know what she is doing is not okay. At the same time I would also give her a yank on the lead if she is on one and/or a squirt with a water pistol.

If her behaviour is predictable at all, it may be well worth having her on a leash. A good time to do this is during feeding. When allowing them both out of the crate - do it at the same time, but have them both on leash. As soon as she shows any sign of aggression, correct her by jerking sideways on the leash (in a way that will slightly pull her off balance) and giving a verbal reprimand. Ask her to sit and praise her when she does. Then try to continue. Do not reward any aggressive behaviour by allowing her to eat her meal. It is probably good if you don't allow the other dog to eat until the training session is over. In fact, with his timidness, if he's acting timid, stop moving forward and ask that he sit. Just like with the female, only proceed when he is calm and relaxed.

You can apply leash training to any other situations that are predictable, leashes are vital for helping you control your dogs behaviour when otherwise your dog can just keep out of distance.

If your female is alpha, you don't need to take that away from her, you just need to assert your position as lead alpha, and always let her know when her behaviour is inappropriate and will not be tolerated in your pack. Trying to give your male dog alpha over her will only frustrate and disrupt your progress further. Strong reprimands for bad behaviour and rewards for good behaviour are the best solution - it will provide structure to the pack that both dogs will understand.

Should a full fledged fight occur, throw a heavy blanket, a bucket of water, or hose the dogs down and verbally reprimand the aggressor (if you can see who is the aggressor). Never get in between two dogs if there is a chance of you getting hurt, you can try grabbing the aggressive dog by the hind legs and wheel-barrow it out of the fight (or if there's two people available, each grabs a dog by the hind legs and wheel-barrows their dog away from the other).

I think one of the biggest problems is having intact dogs in an unstable pack situation. Intact dogs are highly territorial, especially females. Females will defend their den, their food and their pack against intruding males - females are protecting all the benefits that would give her the best chance to raise pups. It would be best if you make a choice as to whether your dogs are to be pets, or if they are to be bred. If you are holding out for one breeding just for the sake of breeding, consider what your dogs living peacefully together means for you and for them. If you are planning a breeding program, I highly recommend going to speak to a reputable breeder of another working breed of dog to learn the ropes, so to speak, and ensure your dogs the best possible future - as well as their pups.

In the end you need to be really consistent with her aggressiveness no matter when or where she does it. Once she has been told off make her sit, if she responds then reward her with praise, attention and petting. This will help her get the idea that she is not the boss and you are.

I hope this helps and please let me know how things are going and if you have more questions.
Blue