Then very unfortunately to my mind, they enlisted the help of a dog trainer. They advocated spraying water at her, shaking a bottle of stones at her, shouting at her, intimidation and domination. The wrong kind of training. Already more sensitive than the other dogs, Autumn is now really nervous.
Honey will suddenly just go for Millie. Sometimes she gives ‘that look’ first, sometimes it seems to happen out of the blue.
Ellie does quite a lot of growling, especially when one of the other dogs walks towards the lady (to whom Ellie will be as near as possible and who will probably be touching and tickling her). All growling is a warning of sorts unless in boisterous play (and I wouldn’t encourage that either), and should be taken seriously.
I have just visited two more dogs living together that on occasion fight. Harry and Star, both terrier mixes, have always had a volatile relationship. They are both in their third year, and were adopted as puppies. Star must have some Border Terrier in her, and Harry is mostly Tibetan Read more…
Just under four weeks ago I visited William and Fergus – Whippet brothers that fought. Walks were a nightmare as the excitable William would redirect his stress onto Fergus, especially if they came across a cat – to such an extent that they were muzzled on walks. Both dogs would Read more…
Whippets are just so delicate and graceful. To look at them it’s hard to imagine they could ever cause any trouble! These two beautiful whippet siblings are now four years old. They have lived with their family for eighteen months. The two have very different personalities, and for most of Read more…
Lugh and Idris are gorgeous very well-loved 14-month-old Jack Russel/Parson mix Terriers with a few unwanted behaviours creeping in. The owners are ‘bringing them up’ in a fair and caring way and the dogs are mostly well-behaved, although they may be doted on a little too much by the lady Read more…
When I visited these two dogs today I expected the problem to be the Clumber Spaniel Casper, one year of age, jumping up, mouthing and generally too excitable. What I actually ‘read’ from the dogs when I got there was a different story altogether. It was the relationship between the two dogs. OK, Casper Read more…
As disobeyed commands are a catalyst, the first thing to do is to find ways to get the dogs to comply non-verbally for now. Most commands, when analysed, are unnecessary anyway. People find it very hard not to give commands or to stop saying ‘no’. It can be a real challenge.
The three dogs were at each other most of the time. As soon as anybody came in or went out, which happened frequently, the excitement caused some sort of turmoil.