Bubblezzz Posted November 7, 2005 Share Posted November 7, 2005 After being with us a few weeks, it appears that Woolly (foster dog) is finally finding his confidence and thus, no longer backing down to Cosmic. :-? We have had dogs in and out of the house from the time Cosmic was a puppy. He usually accepts most of them; wants to play with some, tries to hump others :lol: and ignores the rest. Beyond a few warning growls, he's never been really aggressive. But now that Woolly has been here a while, things are starting to change. Cosmic hates sharing us - and his toys - with Woolly. :P When Woolly tries to get us to play, Cosmic will growl & bark him away. :-? And when Woolly looks like he's having too much fun with a toy, Cosmic snatches it away! So far, warning threats from us have prevented most incidences from escalating. But they have fought about 3 times now. :( Yesterday, Woolly punctured Cosmic on the muzzle. My yells didn't stop them this time and I had to throw a glass of coke (only thing handy! :lol:) on them to stop the fight. They were both placed in a "time-out" after that. The plan now is to isolate both of them whenever they start their nonsense. We're also trying to divide our attention and play with/stroke one each, at the same time in order to prevent conflicts. We also have a spray bottle filled with water & Apple Cider Vinegar to break up fights. My biggest worry is that they might get into a fight while we're gone. :-? I *think* the possibilty is slim, since Cosmic seems to get most aggravated when he thinks Woolly has our attention. Should I be doing anything else? Should I take all their toys away when they're unsupervised? :-? Cosmic is sterilised and Woolly isn't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtnek Posted November 7, 2005 Share Posted November 7, 2005 Wooly will continue to try to be top dog as long as he is unneutered. In nature, a dog that cannot produce young is automatically deemed bottom of the pack. he cannot provide for the needs of the pack, which includes procreating. is there some reason why you cant neuter Wooly? if so, Cosmic will be forced to take the back burner by pack rules...its the way these things work in nature. the "forcing" could be traumatic if Cosmic wont back down willingly... :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bubblezzz Posted November 8, 2005 Author Share Posted November 8, 2005 Coalsky, what you said about "equal" attention makes sense. :P What we want is to distract them from each other. We're also practicing NILIF and have put them both back on Bach Flower Rescue Remedy. Hopefully it'll help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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