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Originally Posted by MiraRen  It makes me feel better that you said that! I did try to let them work it out, until things escalated & were getting bad. My husband thought I should have intervened right away. But I wanted to observe their interaction first, see if they could work it out on their own.
It's my present dog that is really jealous of any attention the new dog gets. My present dog is really bonded to me, and my new dog prefers me over everyone else in the family too. Will they learn to share me? |
Absolutely they should. Just slowly desensitize them with one or the other in the crate getting luscious treats as you play and interact with the other right beside the crate. Be very upbeat and extremely positive about the dog going into the crate, getting all hyper and happy just before you put her in, clapping your hands and saying, "Crate time! Oh Boy! Wow!" and acting very excited and toss in some treats and clap and yell happily as she goes in and you close the door. Praise her roundly for going in the crate and dance about all happy and excited that she's in there - make it like she won the lottery! You should have a happy, happy dog, excited to go in that crate. It's up to you to make it GREAT!
Then play with the other dog right beside her as you toss in more treats and in time, each dog should be slowly desensitized to seeing the other dog getting attention, romping about and come to understand that you alone make the decisions of who decides who plays with whom and when. When each dog can lie down and watch you play with the other in the crate without focusing in on the other, alerting and tensing up and is tail-wagging and happy to approach the other, they are ready to try a short time together going through some training exercises side-by-side for a minute or two.
I'd also start them both on Nothing In Life Is Free programs for a couple weeks so that they have to do something you tell them to in order to eat, go potty outside, play with a toy, get their dinner, look out the window or even jump up on the couch or bed or get a snuggle. Complete the package with starting each on a good home obedience training program that teaches them to want to obey your commands and requests quickly and happily for your smile, praise and a nice treat reward and the working and the focusing in on learning how to do what you want should help complete the picture of dogs with a real pack leader that they answer to and don't take matters of discipline into their own paws.
For a long while after they are able to be tolerate each other and when they are out together, carefully watch their body language for signs of focusing in or alerting and stand up, say "Leave it", step in and back the dog off that is practicing the hyper-vigilance, standing there over the dog until she turns away and leaves or lies down and becomes calm again. Only when she relinquishes her tenseness should you retreat and perhaps then she gets a little treat quietly handed to her for a reward that she's learning but keep it low key - don't want to excite her at that time in that circumstance.