Raising two puppies at once: aggressive at meal times This is my first post here, and I would really appreciate any kind of feedback or ideas that you might have!
My husband and I are the new parents of Moo and Puck—14-week brother and sister. They play well together most of the time, and they're generally good company for each other. What we're having a hard time with is meal times. We each feed them the same amount of Nutro in two separate bowls, but Moo (the girl) turns into a possessed demon when we put bowls down. As soon as Puck starts eating, or even attempts to eat, she goes insane and starts violently attacking him. We have to break them up by shaking a glass jar filled with coins, and sometimes that doesn't even do the trick. Then neither one of them eats; she's too stressed out, and he's too scared that she'll attack him.
So for the last couple of days we've been feeding them at the same time, but in different areas where they can't see each other. This has helped for the most part, but obviously, I want to be able to feed them at the same time and not have to have this be a big ordeal. I'm afraid to feed them together because of the fighting and the eventual lack of eating due to the fighting, but I also want them to learn to not do this, and to be able to eat meals together.
I've read that this could be a dominance thing, but with the way they fight, I honestly cannot leave them to "finish" the fight. Someone will get seriously hurt.
Any advice or suggestions? |