Help Please! Added another dog-not going well...

[ShadowsGirl]

About 6 weeks ago we adopted a great 2-year old lab/border collie mix. She is just the sweetest thing and routines have been great. All has bee going well. Well, I guess we couldn't leave well enough alone. We really wanted a second dog, so just today, we adopted a smaller hound mix from the pound, same age. Things are starting off very badly. Lots of aggression. The new hound is keeping the lab mix away from both of us and from her toys. The hound is very possessive and we feel like the lab mix is really unhappy. Now that I am in this situation I am reading online and I find that two females are probably not a good idea. And in most cases, more than one is really not the ideal situation it is all cracked up to be? Now what do I do? I don not want the lab mix to be unhappy...have I ruined her for life now by bringing in this second dog? Help? Do I bring back the second dog to that awful pound? OMG, I don't think I can do that...please someone help me....
Lisa

[rconley1973]

It sounds like you're letting her rule the roost. That could be your biggest problem. Two possible solutions. Learn to dominate over your new dog. One easy way is to take her feet out fom under her and get her down on her side with legs out to the side. Hold her down by her neck to get her the point that your in charge. You can tell whether she is ready to submit which I think she will not be too happy @ this by her going limp and not all tense. You can practice this technique many times until she finally understands you don't plan on giving in to her. Another idea is to get her socialized w/ other dogs that will be clearly dominant in a dog park situation. She needs to understand she is not in charge. You are!!

[whimzikal]

Give them time. Show the new dog that she is in not the boss.

I have 3 girls who get along very well and my parents have 2--- it is not impossible.

[Moo]

If the new dog ends up being dominant over the new dog, so be it, but YOU have to be the one who controls the resources. Your affection is also a resource, and if the need be, (assuming that the new dog is not trained) crate her while you pet/play with the existing dog. Have the crate within sight, then release her and do the same with the new dog.

In addition, spend lots of time getting the dogs acclimated to eachother on neutral territory. Take them both to a quiet park where they can sniff eachother leashless and fenceless, or go on walks, preferably with one human on each lead.

I would NOT suggest what rconley described. For many dogs, especially those which act aggressively, applying force while make the dog so much worse.

[sandvand]

Originally Posted by rconley1973

It sounds like you're letting her rule the roost. That could be your biggest problem. Two possible solutions. Learn to dominate over your new dog. One easy way is to take her feet out fom under her and get her down on her side with legs out to the side. Hold her down by her neck to get her the point that your in charge. You can tell whether she is ready to submit which I think she will not be too happy @ this by her going limp and not all tense. You can practice this technique many times until she finally understands you don't plan on giving in to her. Another idea is to get her socialized w/ other dogs that will be clearly dominant in a dog park situation. She needs to understand she is not in charge. You are!!

I wouldn't do this unless you know exactly what you are doing, it can lead to devastating results, and the OP doesn't sound like she is an expert (no offense) I wouldn't even do this to my dogs, and I know how to handle them.

[bdrcol22]

Originally Posted by sandvand

I wouldn't do this unless you know exactly what you are doing, it can lead to devastating results, and the OP doesn't sound like she is an expert (no offense) I wouldn't even do this to my dogs, and I know how to handle them.

Agree... Unless you are pretty experienced in dog language, I would not do the lay out as described. In my 13 years of dogs, I can count the number of times I have had to lay out a dog of mine on one hand.