Ember is six months old. The now adolescent Ember lives with a couple, their two children and the beautiful and easy-going Siberian Husky, Runa.
The two dogs play together and they sleep together.
What concerns the couple is adolescent Ember’s growing guarding behaviour towards Runa. She is happy to give things up to the humans. However, she is doing her very best to incite a reaction from Runa.
She will flaunt an item, inviting conflict. So far Runa hasn’t responded. Ember is upping her efforts. She will do her best to goad Runa into a reaction as she parades a toy or a stick.
She also growls in a threatening way if Runa so much as looks at her while she is eating (they are fed in separate rooms).
When she is sitting on the sofa, Ember may now growl at Runa if she enters the room. Things get worse in the evening as they so often do. This is because arousal, stress and excitement tends to build up as the day progresses. Ember’s way of handling this is to goad Runa with her guarding behaviour.
Lovely Runa doesn’t react. Yet.
The family has done the right thing in getting help now before it develops further. One day Runa could retaliate and that is a bridge they don’t want to cross with their two females.
Watching Ember’s arousal levels is the place to start. They will give her as much rewarding enrichment as they can, particularly calming activities in the evening. They will offer her things to do that can replace her goading of Runa.
We also looked at clicker training – an excellent way to concentrate a dog’s brain and show the adolescent dog what they DO want. She will learn to welcome Runa walking into the room.
The two beautiful dogs will continue to play, run and have fun with each other, without the fear of any potential future conflict.
