LM
Posted By: Jake on 2006-07-06
In Reply to: Has anyone moved 3 older dogs in together? sm - Georgia gal
My experience stems from the rescuing large breed dogs that are primarily abuse or neglect cases. One rule in my house is that everyone has to get along. First, separating the feeding area for now is imperative. I would strongly recommend not using treats or food in any manner (such as rewards) with the dogs when they are in the same area together - with 1 dog feeling insecure this will bring out some of the worst behavior. Your dog is clearly feeling threatened and insecure and until she feels secure in the situation, you do have a bite risk - I have known a beloved pet to bite its owner in a similar situation - or anyone who gets in the way, so be careful and do not allow a child to get into this especially. This is going to take time and energy but you have an advantage in that your dog is already healthy and I assume well loved and taken care of. Her stress will also feed from your stress and this will add to her insecurity. You need to make her feel as "normal" as possible with attention, tone of voice and other things that you may have done formerly before your living situation changed. Also, do not leave your dog alone with the other dogs for extended periods of time until these 3 become friends. While the other 2 dogs have been relatively docile (it sounds) so far, if pushed they will potentially gang up on your dog and hurt her if threatened themselves. Give her as much comfort as you can but don't over-baby her because she will know something is going on and respond with stress when you take the attention away. If she is also doing an alpha female thing, she will test the waters with bossiness for a while on top of the insecurity. The good news is that with a little time and effort, all the dogs can get along - my household is proof and my vet says I've gotten dogs to get along that he could never imagine living together. Best of luck to you!
Complete Discussion Below:  marks the location of current message within thread
The messages you are viewing
are archived/old.
To view latest messages and participate in discussions, select
the boards given in left menu
Other related messages found in our database
|
