Dogs not getting along

Leeby

Hi Folks, I don't know if there's anything I can really do about this other than wait it out but I thought I'd ask just in case anyone would be able to offer some advice.

I don't live with my parents but I visit them every Sunday and bring my dog with me. He's a mix breed, he's not small but he is short if you know what I mean. Anyway he gets along great with my sisters dog that lives with my parents. But this week my parents got a new dog. She's a four year old boxer (though not purebread). My dog, who's never ever aggressive with other dogs absolutely hates her! They met on Friday and again on Sunday and on both visits he went for her four or five times. She fights back when he does this but she never starts the fights. As far as I can tell it's not jealousy as he's fine with me petting her, it just seems to happen when she goes over to him and sniffs him. He's also pleased enough to go over and sniff her when she's lying down but he'll growl at her if she gets up. I presume he's trying to assert his authority or something but I just don't know what to do.

I could stop bringing him over on Sundays and that's fine but my parents look after him if I ever go away so I really need them to get along. We're going to meet up in the park instead of the house over the next couple of weeks so hopefully he'll get used to her on common ground and then begin to accept her, but if anyone has any other advice it would be greatly appreciated.

Alfasudcrazy

I think you will have to leave your dog at your parents for a week or two so that they can get used to each other. A short visit every sunday will mean they never do and will always fight.

In my experience dogs eventually get along once they know each other - hope this might help.

Leeby

Yeah that sounds like a good idea but I don't think I could do that to the parents really. I'd rather give them time to bond with the new doggy without the worry of constant fights.
I also don't want to be upsetting the new dog as she really is nice as pie and despite the fact that she can pin my one, she's still the one who ends up with cuts on her face.
I think at the end of the day my dog thinks my parents house is his territory and she's invading it so all I can think of us to get them to interact on common ground for a while before having them both in my parents house again

Amimad

Leeeby,
Your dog most likely looks at your parents house as an extension of his own terriotry. I would imagine that the boxer hadn't been there long before you visited & had not had a chance to put her on stamp on the place!:rolleyes: The best thing to do is not force the issue, maybe don't visit with your dog for a week or two & then put them out in the garden together & you just go inside. Leave them to it, if you make any kind of fuss or re-act to the fighting it could get worse, you maybe repremanding the wrong dog without even knowing it. Over time they may get on but don't be surprised if they only learn to tolerate each other, each will learn how to treat each other, whether that means being best friends or giving each other space. Good luck & let us all know how you get on.:)

Leeby

Yeah we had them in the garden without us around but he still went for her, as I said it's not really jealousy. I think you're right about the territory, that's why I was thinking maybe I'd stop bringing him over and just bring them for the odd walk together instead. I'd say I really should've done that in the first place rather than letting them meet in the garden, I was actually more worried about the other dog not wanting him in the house, not the other way around!

EGAR

it sounds to me as if your dog is insecure and does not know how to handle the new situation/dog. As you said, he is fine until she gets up etc. My advice, do not let the situation escalate, take them for walks together away from the house, divide attention equally between the dogs and do not let your own dog decide when to attack, assert yourself and let him know his behaviour is unacceptable by ignoring him after bad behaviour. There is no instant cure to this, it will take time. Are any of the dogs spayed/neutered? Entire males often react in strange ways to spayed bitch as she smells different and vice versa.

luckat

Could you borrow your parents' dog on a day when you'll be home all day, have them there together with you, bring them for a walk, etc?

Another tip: swap the dogs' bedding, so they get used to each other's smell and associate it with pleasant, comfortable snoozing.

SCI

EGAR wrote:

it sounds to me as if your dog is insecure and does not know how to handle the new situation/dog. As you said, he is fine until she gets up etc. My advice, do not let the situation escalate, take them for walks together away from the house, divide attention equally between the dogs and do not let your own dog decide when to attack, assert yourself and let him know his behaviour is unacceptable by ignoring him after bad behaviour. There is no instant cure to this, it will take time. Are any of the dogs spayed/neutered? Entire males often react in strange ways to spayed bitch as she smells different and vice versa.

Very good advice.