Advice please on dog dominance

Wokie

I've got a collie x dog and cocker bitch who are both in and around the 1 and half years. I got her first from a family who couldn't keep her and got him from ASH during the Summer. They've settled in very well together and seem to have established the whole dominance issue easily enough...he's the dominant one!!! Lately he's started going for her food as soon as he's finished his own (this only started happening in last week or so) while she's still eating. Naturally this results in a bit of snapping...but he gets his way. My question is...should we pull him away or leave him to it as the dominant dog? I read somewhere that you shouldn't interfere in doggy disputes as such!

Rabies

Feed them in separate rooms. Give them their own food and water bowls.

peasant

I' second the "separate bowl" opinion. That way each dog can eat at its own speed without being harassed ...much healthier in the long run.

As for "dominance" ..that's a wildly mis-used and mis-understood word. The top-dog quite often is actually the calm and quiet one ...whereas the cheeky, noisy sod get's the "dominant" label.

Also dogs in relation towards their owners are very rarely truly dominant ... usually they are just poorly trained and let away with everything under the "dominant" label.

And what is most commonly labelled as "dominant behaviour" between strange dogs is in most cases the behavior of the dog equivalent of a thug that hasn't been properly socialised.

The real dominant dogs, i.e. the top dogs are usually the "strong and silent" type.

As for interfering:

We (we have 3 dogs) set the rules at home. Minor issues they can settle for themselves ...as soon as it gets loud or nasty we stop it ...regardless of who started what ..if there is anyone "dominant" at home, its us ..and they know it:D

If there is one dog that is clearly above the other(s) in rank though, it is important to give that dog preferential treatment ... otherwise you'd be undermining his/her position. Dogs don't understand democracy or "share and share alike" (hence the separate bowls)

But be careful in deciding who (if anyone at all) REALLY is top dog ...it isn't always the loudest and some dogs are quite happily living in largely unstructrured "togetherness" and don't need to be pulling rank all the time ...if in doubt, don't meddle.

Wokie

Thanks for the advice...they actually do have their own water and food bowls. I'll try seperate rooms for feeding, tho' he didn't go near her last night or this morning! Typical after me asking the question:)

As for the 'dominant' issue...I think I did misuse the word:o Sam (the bigger of them) is the strong, silent type tho' neither of them are particularly loud and both are well socialised! Where we're concerned we definitely are the "dominant" ones and they do know it:D

But thanks for the advice re meddling. In general we have let them solve their own disputes which in fairness havent' been many. I just wasn't too sure when it came to food!!

luckat

Incidentally if the dog's getting hungry enough to try and go for the other dog's food, would s/he have worms? (If you're worming one, worm both, and wash everything in sight.)

Wokie

Thanks Luckat... They've both been wormed recently! My OH wormed them....I'll make sure he did do both:D