Quote:
Originally Posted by Farleys  exercise exercise exercise.  When my dogs are getting tense and anxious and snippy with each other. I add more walks. The more they exercise the more relaxed and tired and less focused on each other they are.
My dogs have a huge fenced yard, but they need more stimulation that the same old yard every single day.
A walk a day on a different path or trail or road keeps them happy. And like i said sleepy dogs get along much better.
I also give them bones(something to chew) or a kong stuffed with a frozen treat in seperated areas of the house to keep them occupied |
Good advice by all. Exercise and stimulate them mentally as much as possible. It sounds like there are some attempts to decide who will be lead dog or the alpha dog might be going on and they are trying to fight it out as the one tries to wrestle top dog from the other.
I'm sure you watch them when they are near each other for the body language that signals a fight is coming and when you see that first signal, an intense, focusing look, ears back or pricked forward, a paw on the other dog, head raised, tail raised or wagging or quite still, etc., you remind them who is the real alpha dog in that family and it is YOU. Stand up and walk to them with a firm,
low and never yelled "No", and send each away to his or her special place to lie down and calm down. Try to spend some time with the instigator, working and getting into obedience training again and the
Nothing In Life Is Free program, so that the dog will start to look to you to run the family pack and quite so much trying to have its say over the other dog. That is your job - running the pack or family.
But do exercise them as
Farleys suggested and keep them as free of built-up tension as possible as you all work this out that you are the leader of the pack.