Haven't posted in a long while. I have a 4 year old Yorkie & 2 year old Biewer Terrier.
My pups got along great until my little Biewer came into heat. She's since been spayed but both dogs have issues with each other. For the past year, they've been living on separate floors since they automatically attack when they get near.
I've recently hired a trainer who has gotten them to walk together. My family just took a vacation & our dogs were kept in separate rooms at a doggie daycare. The facility was very nice and had a large open area where small dogs could hang out for a few hours every day. We were able to watch this on webcam.
I asked the facility to keep the dogs separate. After the first day, the owner called me & asked whether she could try to bring them to the open area with the other dogs. Well, while there, the two of them acted like BFFs the whole time! They stayed right next to each other while in the play area. If one dog walked to the other side, the other one followed. I guess it was a little of the old "devil you know" kind of thing.
We picked up the pups on Friday. They laid next to each other in the car.
However - after a day at home, they've started at each other again. They'll walk together. But that "stare" comes out when they're in a room together, then the barks, then the attack.
It's a dominance issue for sure. And the trainer believes its really the humans' fault that this all happened.
Now, it's going to take a long time to undo.
So, my only suggestion to you is to handle this issue as swiftly as possible. Correct the behavior when it happens. Look for the signs, like ears going back or that stare or growl. Stop it & let both dogs know that you're the Alpha - not them.
Good luck! |