Thank you =) They've had one real "fight" since my last update. I'm still keeping a close eye on them. But I've started treating them more as equals instead of constantly favoring Yoshi. That's actually released some of the tension between them.

Sorry I am just now catching up on your progress... great! And good to still meet with the behaviorist... being there and seeing the personalities interacting can help a lot.

I can't say I no longer have to pay attention and not watch for bad behavior, most of the bad behavior has stopped but every now and then, somebody tries to start something. It is easier to deal with now, because I can usually tell what's going on and who the culprit is by their growls and barks, and they will stop when they hear my voice, so I don't have to be right on top of them all the time. Plus my Biewer has turned out to be quite the little tattletale, and she'll come running to me out of the blue and will try to get up in my lap, usually in a panic, either for protection or to let me know something's up with one of the others. I never ignore this behavior in her, I always stop what I'm doing and go check on all of them.

And yes, puppies will play, also young adults and seniors too, lol. But by watching them, I have learned a lot about their triggers and reactions, so I can intervene, keeping the fights to a minimum and teaching them how to get along with each other in ways that I approve. And in watching them, I have learned also things that are acceptable to them, and I have found special qualities in each that endears each one to me. So each one is special to me, and we don't end up playing the favorites game. Each one is my favorite, in their own way.

Thanks KJC :) I've actually learned so much about their unique personalities by watching them & taking little notes. It's amazing to see how they react to certain things. Their behavior patterns have given me a much better understanding of how these little babies think...and what to expect.

I always thought that you were supposed to favor the senior dog. But in my situation, that wasn't working. In fact, it seemed to be creating some tension. I'm sure that keeping the pecking order in place works for a lot of people. But it didn't work for my two. Maybe they both see ME as the leader & neither one of them wants the responsibility of being the dog in charge. Maybe?

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply to my post in so much detail! Now let's see what happens when I throw a 3rd into the mix this summer :p

I've had three sets of male, female dogs and each time the female seems to be the "boss". The female generally eats first, she will look at the male as if to give her ok then he eats. Also with walks it seems the female will lead. Maybe it's just my observation. I has two GSD along with my yorkie puppies. If my GSD have a " disagreement" my female lets the male know when she's had enough and my male will back down. I'm anxious to see how it works with my yorkies. I have a feeling it will be the same because my female is already bossy.