new recue dog and tegan...

TegansMyBoy

READ HERE:
Adopting a Senior Great Dane... food?

to get the background info...

it's day two...

and day two has brought Lyla (her name now) injuring herself (she bit her jowl trying to attack tegan) and tegan and her fighting over me and food twice. Its scary having tegan attacked by a dog so much bigger, i'd let them work it out but she's got 70lbs on him.
She slept good, he was in the room with her and they didn't fight after we made it clear neither of them was getting on the bed.
She looks down and him, he growls, and then she jumps on him. It's bad.

Is this going to improve or did I make a huge mistake? I am feeling stressed and like I made a terrible decision.... :-/

They are being good as long as I ignore them both... so I don't think they have a REAL problem with each other as dogs, it's purely just me and food they start fights over. (I fed them separately but they were both begging for food from me and she thought a piece fell cause he ran over closer to me and she attacked him )

Help?

Mikey

I would think it's only day two, so be careful but you can proceed.

I'd exercise the crud out of both of them-walk them together and get them tuckered out. Ensure you spend time with each of them when the other isn't around (put one outside and do some training and play with the other, then switch).

It sounds like they are resource guarding-and it's different if they doing it with humans then when they do it with dogs in the household. Perhaps in the meantime while things settle, put all the toys away except when you play with them one-on-one, feed in seperate rooms, and start working with them.

I would think some nilif is a good way to go (Nothing in Life is Free-the basic premise is that the dogs don't get any 'free' meals-they must 'work' for them-so in training they get their food for the day; and the reason this works is they no longer 'own' any resources at all-so they can't guard what they don't own)
More reading: Nothing in Life is Free
NILIF Leadership Without Confrontation

Criosphynx

That much fighting that quickly is not normal or a good sign IMO.

one of the methods used for this is you only allow good things to happen when they are around each other....for example you would feed teag really high value food while a helper walks the dane into the room...then you'd signal the helper to leave the room and then aburptly stop the treats. You would have to practice this several times a dog for a decent amount of time.

The main thing tho, right now is prevention. Everytime they fight, you are making it that much harder to prevent next time. Fighting can be very reinforcing to the dog.

Personally, I would separate them if I was not directly working on them.


what do you do when they do fight?

TegansMyBoy

The last fight they had to smack the dane with her leash to get her off of tegan, and then once they were separated I put the dane in the yard and tegan in the living room for about 20 minutes. I didn't give either of them attention after the fight.

Usually, since the weather is nice the door is open so they wonder in and out. I am working on the dane not following my EVERY move and establishing she can't come into my room unless I tell her it's okay, she can't get on the couch, on the bed, she cant bark at the cat, etc. Tegan is sleeping and doesn't really stirr unless there is food now. They are ignoring each other.

I think I just made the mistake of either of them being in the same room as I am when I had food. I am going to start putting tegan in my room and the dane in the yard until they are getting along on normal activities.

It doesn't help that our one roomie hides her little dog like its not a dog, so when it comes out it barks and starts a rukkus with everyone barking and angry.

She wants in your lap 24 7 and that doesn't work when shes 110 lbs lol...

Im basically just going to try to keep them separate unless its chill time. If any activity is going to happen, they will be separated, until they dont phase each other.

Does that sound good?

Gone2Dogs

IMO you are giving the new girl way too much freedom too fast and I am surprised this has been your only problem.

Personally if it were me I would crate her, walk her, feed her and treat her with loads of NILIF. Let her spend a couple weeks just getting used to the house and comings and goings. She gets necessary care but not baby oogling and freedoms with the house and furniture and certainly not with Tegan.

Likewise Tegan gets normal routine with the ability to investigate her through the crate. If someone is there to help you you walk them together. If it is just you you have one out at a time.

Work both of them with NOT begging, not getting treats or leftovers without doing something for them....all NILIF. Get a handle on the danes obedience level so you know what you can and can't ask of her. Loads of praise for doing anything you ask....nothing extra.

coldnoze54

TeGans, how are things going now? Any improvement?