[tiffygirl2003]

I am getting so frustrated that I can't fix this problem. I have 4 dogs, 2 female Yorkies, 1 male Yorkie and 1 Terrier mix. Generally speaking, they all get along well but lately the youngest female (17 mos old) has begun to attack my 12 year old female Yorkie (sometimes drawing blood). I am part of the problem because initially I didn't acknowledge the change is hierachy since the older girl had lost her position in the pack due to age and illness. I was disciplining the 17 month old when I should not have been. I was going against the new pack order. I acknowledge and accept these responsibilities but how do I correct what I have done and get order back into my pack?

I've been reading different articles about this issue and most of them state that I should not give as much attention to the lowest member of the pack. But that's difficult because I know she's getting old and needs me more now than she ever did. She's too frail to jump on or off of the couch or walk up the stairs so I tend to carry her more. She's never been a lap dog because she was a puppy mill resue who was not properly socialized and she has very little interest in human cuddling. The fights are never over food or toys. They seem to erupt over space, who's going to walk in front of who. It's always the 17 month old who starts the fight but she never attacks the other 2 dogs who dominate her in the pack order which is also why I believe that the issue is about pack order. The 12 yr old just wants to live out her remaining years in peace and quiet and doesn't seem to care where she fits within the pack.

I'm confused as to how I respect the pack order and help her as she ages. I see no evidence of fighting when I'm absent from home. Because I no longer trust myself with how I respond to the pack order, I have begun to crate the 12 yr old when I'm busy around the house and can't protect her.

Any suggestions or input would be appreciated!