Alpha doggie gone Nutty

[3Dogs4ME]

Hello Everyone,
Im a new member who just discovered this great site! You got to wonder sometimes if there are other people out there who are crazy about their dogs as me...and there are..yipeee
Okay I have 3 dogs, the alpha is a small gray mix mutt I got from the SPCA when she was just a pup.. I also have a white mix mutt and a german shep..the german shep is on the bottom of the pack, he is the youngest although he weighs a 75 fat pounds... the question is my gray alpha is just so aggressive with him it makes me so MAD!! She only weighs like 30 pounds but she is mean as spit to him! I know that it is nature's way with the pack and all to have the alpha and the omega but it still makes me mad. They have all been togeter about a year so the get to know you is over. There is never any blood or flesh flying but it makes my poor german such a scardy dog..any advice??
thanks

[Dax]

The behaviours are set early on like when you brought the young one home - be was bottom of the pack and will probably stay there which is kind of good.

It's better that your 30lb is aggressive to the 75 lb than vice versa. It he decides one day enough is enough he can certainly assert himself with as little as putting his weight down.

As long as it's not in your house - I would say let nature decide who rules (IN YOUR ABSENCE SINCE YOU SHOULD BE THE ONE TRUE ALPHA - NO EXCEPTIONS).

[3Dogs4ME]

Thanks for the info..you are right it is better that big doggies is at the bottom and that there was not a battle for top dog or there would have been a war of the world.
No my gray dog knows that I am the alpha that is one thing she does respect..she is very big on everyone knowing his or her place in the pack..she is a rule keeper..i guess that is good..thanks

[PixelQ]

Yep let the little dog have the top spot.

That's how it was for my two male dogs, until the day the smaller older one died.

Now I have a lab mix, Mickey and a shepherd mix, Molly. Mickey's bigger and the alpha dog. It's just fine.

But that Molly, she can really challenge Mickey at times.

[erdog3]

I agree, isn't it funny how the female can over power the male, I have the same situation here, Sophie is definately the Alpha when it comes to Wally, he is a coward, but the two females, that is Sophie and Ellie, are still working on who's gonna be top dog, unfortunately Sophie is getting old and Ellie has become more powerful. Sophie would have killed Ellie in the beginning, but now I see Ellie having a go back and Sophie retreating.
p.s. they can't come into actual contact though, or we have world war 3 on our hands.

[Dax]

Even now that Sophie's fixed? How do you handle it when you're out and about doing chores, etc. is one with you and the other confined? Did they ever share pup duty?

[erdog3]

That is a very odd thing, one day Sophie got out from the whelping room, Ellie got out of the puppy pen, Sophie ended up with Wally and Ellie's last choc puppy running round with them, and Ellie was in with Sophie's pups letting them have a feed, NO FIGHTING. What a mix up. lol.
I was hoping the spey would slow Sophie's dominance down, but it has had no effect, only her age is all.
When Ell's came home as a puppy, Sophie was fine, it wasn't till Ellie's first heat it all started.
I have to keep them separated, that is mainly why Ellie is an inside dog and Sophie outside.
We have a fenced in yard now, and three separate pens within. So at night they all have their own kennel and run. During the day, Soph and Wally spend most of the day on the back porch, Ellie inside. Don't forget I'm on 10 acres, so they all get a good run and swim everyday.

[Dax]

I guess that's one of the joys of breeding - dominance issues that I don't have to worry about.

Ariel is going in for her surgery next Tuesday. - the big LASER SPAY.

In my house there has never really been any issues, even with the last two. My old girl is just too soft hearted even to get a good nip in when Ariel's chewing on her tail.

[tommyjake]

Mt youngest dog is 4, and he is the most dominent. He always bites my 9 year old dog who is really sweet and sensitive.
Luckily the elder one knows his position in the 'pack' and is ok with it.
BTW doglover- good luck to Ariel. [img]smile.gif[/img]