Well I have a mix here... two intact girls , a spayed girl and an old neutered male. We have the occassional bout, but from the beginning I've always gotten right in the middle of things and stopped it. Some days are worse than others, due to personality flares and attention seeking. Now if I holler at them (like I really mean it) they will stop before I can even get to them. Only a few times have I had to separate them. I hold off the attacker till she/he calms down or they get right back at it. When that happens, I jump in and separate them again and hold the attacker for a longer period of time, or try to get him/her refocused on something else.
My attitude is that I am the boss, I will decide who fights and when (which is never, bc I pay the vet bills), and I will protect from harm any and all of them equally. That's the main rule in my house, and they know I won't put up with any nonsense.
When I first got a second Yorkie, well before that, I had an aging GSD, an aging Maltese, and a youngish Yorkie. They all knew what to do and when to do it. And they were all well behaved, for the most part. When the two oldest passed, and I added 3 youngsters, wow, did my life change! This was so much harder! I used to be friends and kind to my dogs... these new ones were making me crazy. Playing, fighting over toys, attention, fighting just getting harnesses on to go for a walk! (bc wearing them out helps and makes them feel more pack-like when they return home).
I had to kick it in to Packmaster gear real quick. For a few months it was tough, I had to have my eyes and ears on alert 24/7. After a few months they settled down, and I was once again able to relax a little. Now just an occassional 'Ah, Ah!' does the trick and peace is restored. It was well worth doing... teaching them what I expected and what I would not allow. Now it's more fun than work...
Also there are some things we don't do. Sometimes petting one or two can set them off. I try to avoid those situations... I may pick one up to pet, then put her down and grab the other one to pet. Setting one back down at anytime can set them off. I look for signals and try to discourage nastiness.
And when they act right, I try to remember to always say 'Good Dog!' and 'What a Good girl!' (adding the 'What a' has a better effect) so they learn what is good to do. |