2 dogs not getting on

seefin

I rescued 2 dogs this summer. I adopted a very active dog Ellie in June and got a second dog Ben a few months later to keep her company and play with her while I worked. I also had a cat so I guess my main priority in getting second dog was that he was cat friendly.
When 2 dogs were introduced they just ignored each other so reckoned they would be ok.
As it turns out, Ben gas no interest in playing and they either ignore each other or growl and fight. I love both dogs but hate the thought that will be like this for the next ten years.
Now a friends mother gas offered a home to Ben as she is looking for a small companion dog. I had resigned myself to dogs not getting on and just accepting that that was that. Now I'm torn as to whether I'm being unfair to the dogs and should let Ben go to few home and look for another dog who was compatible with Ellie. I want to do the right thing by the dogs. Will they get on well in a years time or will they always be fighting a few times a day? Is it stressing them out and am I being selfish by not considering letting Ben go to new home or am I being selfish in even considering it! I just want to do what's right.
I adore dogs but am pretty inexperienced so don't know what is normal behaviour etc

Helen1976

When you say they fight a few times a day, what do you mean exactly? Do they hurt each other? Maybe they're just playing roughly?!

TooManyDogs

No-one can predict if the two will get on in a few weeks/months so you'll have to make a decision based your gut instincts.

My sister got a second dog to keep the first one company and he's been a grumpy b@stard about it ever since, he tolerates the second dog but doesn't like him as such and if the other dog is away for any period of time the first one is happy again. My sis reckons it was the worst thing she did but he was a rescue so by the time she realised they weren't bosom buddies she was attached and didn't want to send him back, that was 6 years ago.

If this home would be a good one why not ask them to take Ben for a week on trial. You'd be able to see Ellie's reaction to being apart from him and it might give you clarity about the best decision.

seefin

Its def not play fighting.I fostered a few dogs b4 adopting Ben and Ellie played with them. Ben is a jack Russell and growls if Ellie so much as comes into his space. She barks back and this goes on till they get into a ten second brawl. Ellie is usually the victor and they settle down until repeat thewhole process! Both dogs are great with me and am really lucky with them both as everything you'd want in a dog. Maybe if I got second dog who was playful, they wouldn't get on either. Is Ben company for Ellie during the day? Maybe it bothers me more than them. They do following each other around so maybe they get on better than I think. The new home would be in Kerry but guess I could try for a week. Hate putting poor Ben through another disruption in his life though. Can ye recommend ways of stopping them fighting eg if Ben growls,I put him outside the room for a minute? I was advised to not interfere and let them work out themselves whos the boss etc. That hasn't made any difference and they still at best tolerate each other and at worst hate each others guts.
Do ye believe all that stuff about identifying the top dog and feeding them first etc? Because Ellie wins the fights I reckoned she was top so do pet her first etc but no difference. From day 1, Ben growled when she came near.maybe he wasn't socialized too well when small and needs to be an only dog?
Sorry,I'm all over the place here. As ye can tell ,I haven't a clue what to do.

Tranceypoo

Hi, I also have 2 rescues, the older one Archie is about 6 and we've had him 4 years, the younger one Lily is about 3 and we've had her 8 months. I always wanted a second dog and I took Lily in as a foster originally from a rescue I've helped out at before. Archie can be a bit funny, this time last year we found a dog on the side of the road and took him in, he was a male un-neutered collie, he was a total sweetheart but Archie was very grumpy, no fighting but he just wasn't interested in Eric (yes, we named him!!) and he was just unhappy in himself so I knew we couldn't keep poor Eric (who has since gone onto to a lovely home on a farm in Germany!!), so the lady who runs the rescue recommended a female might work out better, as I say we took Lily as a foster originally so I knew I could give her back if it was a disaster (although I would have hated to).

Thankfully it's worked out really well HOWEVER they do have their moments and I've had great advice on here, one time he really snapped at her and they fought for a few seconds but luckily I was there to break it up, I didn't make a fuss, just pulled them apart and that was that, the thing with dogs is they don't hold grudges like we do, they can be best friends again in seconds!! The advice I got on here was to look on them as sort of brother and sister, sometimes they'll have an argument but most of the time they get on great, now unlike yours they do play together, sleep together, I feel them side by side and there's no issues, Archie does have his moments, for instance he has to be first out of the front door for walks or toilets, he will literally push her out of the way so now she just lets him out first, when they're playing he can knock her over purely because he is a thicker stronger dog than her (he's lab/staffie, she's collie/boxer but very 'light-boned' if you know what I mean, whereas he's like a tank!!)

After all that rambling, my point/advice would be, as another poster suggested, go with your gut instinct with rehoming Ben, don't feel guilty if you do, it's not like you're sending him back to the shelter or leaving him outside a shop - he'd be going to a loving home so don't worry on that score. Also, it's easy to humanise dogs and their 'feelings' but as I said, they don't think like us.

seefin

Thanks for all the advice. It just shows,when ye suggested rehoming Ben my heart sank and I realised how attached to him I've gotten and that I really don't want to rehome him. They do have 3 or 4 spats a day but at same time they sleep next to each other,no problems with feeding,if they hear a noise outside they both go flying out to garden barking at poor neighbour or whoever.
When I break it down,I guess they fight for 3 minutes in day, growl for another 10, for 23 hours ignore each other and remaining 47 minutes get on ok ! I know its not perfect but I know now I want to keep them both.any tips about how to deal with their growling and fighting? Should I correct both dogs or only the one who starts it? Does it work putting them out of room?

TooManyDogs

I think that unless you can see a clear instigator you should just break it up and not give out to either. It isn't always clear to see who started a row, and often it's not the one doing the growling!! Subtle body language can start fights and can be corrected.
In my house if a dog is growling at another dog without a real reason I give a sharp verbal 'Ah' and the second time they do it I put them out of the room on their own without any fuss. I don't say anything and just take them by the collar and lead them out. I give them 5 mins on their own and then open the door and walk away, I don't invite them back in so again no fuss, they just come back in in their own time.

To break up fights I normally let a loud yell or bang 2 metal food dishes together, and if that doesn't work I throw the dishes on the ground to make a really big noise very close to them and that normally does the trick. Putting your hands in is where most people get bitten by accident as their dog just bites thinking its the other dog and not realising it's a person

seefin

Thanks.that's really helpful. I was told by animal rescue to let them fight it out and settle who was top dog.2 months later,I think theyve had plenty time to work out and its time I stepped in. At least I now know that I do want to keep Ben and just get on with it. I think they're both happy in general so unless the fighting escalates and goes on longer than 20 seconds ill keep Ben and try to work on keeping the peace.thanks for advice!