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Four intact females. Charlie, my gorgeous almost 5 year old girl...who has shitty titties according to my husband...she had 10 puppies for crying out loud! She gave birth to both Skylar (Boo) and Joy. Tobi, our 4th female, is Charlie's cousin and about 2 months older than Boo & Joy, who are 3 years old. Of the girls, Boo is definitely the most aggressive. She doesn't care if a human touches her food, puts their face in her food bowl, etc. The second another animal - I mean ANY animal - comes near her food, she bites. She was born here...she was Charlie's 1st pup...I've been here literally since the 1st breath she took. She is also petrified of children. Small children. As long as they're at least close to adult size, she's fine. I'm thinking midgets would be an issue with Boo. Yet, for all her 'faults', she's a beautiful, wonderful dog!! She listens to us humans very well, runs & plays in total abandonment and completely adheres to her Mama Charlie...and Mommy...except when there's a 'threat'.
Now that you have the immediate background...
We have been actively searching for a male GSP puppy. He had to be beautiful, but most important, he had to be playful and loving. Found him on puppyfinder.com and he lived less than 5 miles from our home!! We brought him home yesterday.
Boo hates him. Well, hate might be a little strong of a word, but she definitely isn't thrilled with him being here. He looks almost identical to Boo's twin. I cried for weeks after she left to go to her new home. So, obviously, I'm already attached to this little guy...and determined to make this work. What did I think was going to happen? I have 4 females, all over the age of 3...and I want them to simply accept a new male puppy into our home without incident. Oh, I knew there would be adjustment period and the food situation would need to be carefully monitored. We haven't made it through 24 hours with Ziggy and Boo has already 'attacked' him!! Grr.
Dogs are so much like toddlers. They are positive we do not have enough hands to pet more than one of them at a time. They are positive whatever it is that fell on the floor belongs to them. And they 'resolve' their issue's with growls, bites and attacks...much like a spoiled child who has received no discipline. Yet, I do discipline my dogs. My dogs get 'spanked' with rolled newspapers and sometimes even my bare hand on their back thigh. They must do something to earn a treat - sometimes it's just a sit & wait, sometimes it's a down & wait...but something always must be done before receiving a treat.
I have read and studied Cesar Milan's technique. It's not a very good way to handle dog breeds like GSP's. They are already geared to want to please you. They are typically not an aggressive or bully dog. I have found Tamar Geller's approach to dogs to be much more likable...and, if followed consistently, works like a charm. According to Tamar, dogs have 7 basic needs: Sense of Security, Companionship, Understanding the Hierarchy, Surprise/Excitement, Food/Exercise, Mental Stimulation and Love/Connection.
I already messed up the "Sense of Security". I allowed Boo to attack Ziggy...doesn't seem to be any 'real' damage, but there was a little bit of blood and he was definitely hurt by her attack. Not in any lasting way physically, but his mental feeling of security vanished in thin air. I will correct this by spending quality time alone with Boo...and separate quality time with Ziggy and each of my other dogs over the next several weeks. I also made a mistake by grabbing Ziggy 1st (I was concerned about injuries). Doing this, however, confused Boo even further. So, am I 2nd female in command or does this new pup that Mom obviously favors, now #2 dog? My correct response should have been to love on Boo. I know, it doesn't seem right at all. She attacked the little puppy!! BUT...She was protecting her turf - her 2nd in command. Well, that's not entirely true. She should be 3rd...First comes me (Mommy), then Charlie (Mama Charlie), then Boo. After that, Tobi & Joy tend to go back & forth as to who is #4 and #5. Where does the new pup fit in? Hopefully, if we do this right, as he grows, he'll simply become Alpha Male after my husband...and when Jack's crated for his 2 hour nap. As I mentioned before, Jack is not to be trusted with 'dark' dogs. My dogs are currently on a 2-hour rotation schedule. From 7:00am-9:00am the girls (and now Ziggy) are out. From 9:00am-11:00am, Jack & Charlie are out. So forth and so on. I'm positive Jack's anti-social behavior could be corrected...but I need a professional to help with this. No way will I risk another massive attack on Boo...or Ziggy! Jack attacks to kill. This is no joke. I have paid over $1,500 on the two dogs (Rudy - who is the father of both Boo & Joy); and Boo...mostly Rudy. Jack attacked him seriously three times. After the 3rd time, we separated the boys - started the 2 hour rotation schedule and even had Rudy neutered. None of things made a difference. In the end, we chose to find Rudy an amazing home and he is thriving!! He is even working in search & rescue at this time. We could not have done a better thing for Rudy. Even though I miss him daily, I know he is right where he should be. Under no circumstances do I want a repeat... Ziggy is here and I will make this work.
One of the most important things I need to make sure is established, is MY position as Alpha Bitch. It is important for all people who live in our household, as well as regular visitors, to also establish their alpha-ness when entering our home. However, as the main caregiver for our pets, I must establish this. I tend to let Charlie take the role of Alpha female and Jack Alpha male. While this works on the average day, it does not always make for a good time. When we walk Charlie, she acts out terribly, barking at vehicles she can see a 1/2 mile away and terrorizing any livestock along our walk. This is definitely an unwanted behavior.
Tamar discusses the fact that dogs need their heirarchy. As a human, and a female yet to boot, my first inclination is to protect the puppy. This is wrong. Obviously, the puppy's life shouldn't be threatened, but the puppy must learn his place in the already established pack in our home. Things have ran very smoothly for over 2 years. Even when our grandpuppy, a Pit Bull named Lexi, was living here for a little over a year we had little incidence. Boo did bite Lexi - twice. Both times requiring stitches. Again, our fault as humans. Why did we baby Lexi when she was attacked for getting out of line? We not only reinforced to Lexi that her 'position' in our home was higher than Boo's, we confused Boo...leaving her to re-establish her position. I now feel guilt. Boo knows who she is. She knows where she belongs. Why, oh why, would I cause her to question this?
So, I sit here, re-reading "The Loved Dog" and desperately trying to learn how to integrate Ziggy into the girl pack.
Wish me luck!
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