# OK I know we messed up, but now what?



## chelle2513 (Sep 4, 2012)

I'm sorry this is so long 

So yesterday we went from being a single dog household to a two dog household. We made several mistakes. First, we didn't have the dogs meet before the second dog was introduced. Secondly, we didn't introduce them on neutral ground. I'm sure we made a lot more mistakes too, but that's all I know of right now.

Our first dog is a male siberian husky named Cato. He is 5 months old and super friendly and of course full of energy. He really wants to play all the time. He tries to play with our cats (I forgot to mention we have 3 adult cats) and sometimes they play back with him, somtimes they give him a warning hiss and run away to one of their numerous safe high spots. He has never tried to bite one of the cats. He usually play bows at them and barks at them like crazy. I know not to let him actually chase the cats, however they do sometimes play chase eachother. He never chases them from a room. He will usually bark at cat, the cat will come towards him and he will run and the cat chases him. He stops, the cat stops. they turn around and do the same thing (with dog chasing cat) about half way across the room, the cat stops, the dog stops. The one cat who plays with him the most, will actually come up and prance around in front of him, trying to get him to chase her to start the game. He also LOVES to play with the dogs next door to us, and they play well together.

We did NOT only get the second dog to be a playmate for Cato. We always wanted to have 2 dogs. I just didn't expect it to happen as soon as it did. 

Anyways. The new dog is also a male siberian husky. He is 3 months old. He was raised with his littermates until yesterday when my boyfriend picked him up. When he brought him home, I went outside to meet him, and I carried the new puppy (named Bentley) in. He is quite a bit smaller than Cato, so I didn't want to put him down right away. Cato came up right away to sniff at his butt, and the puppy growled at him, which surpised me a little.... after a little bit, we let both puppies down on the ground, and they were head-to-butt sniffing eachother and I though everything was going well. I feel like Cato was more curious of the new puppy, then the puppy was of him. Cato would go up and sniff at the puppy, follow him a bit, and the puppy will growl and nip at him. The chase each other around like crazy, both dogs doing the chasing. However, when the new puppy barks or nipps at Cato, he backs off very quickly, almost like he's scared. The puppy is NOT yipping, he is not hurt. He actually sounds kind of scary and mean, and will chase Cato away. Cato will also let him walk right up and take away toys he is playing with. This happened over and over again (yes, Bentley does have his own toys). I was quite surprised that Cato just let the puppy pick up his toy and walk away with it. Cato also let the new puppy come up and eat right out of his bowl while he was eating and Cato just moved and let him eat. I did read online that dogs will sometimes give puppies a "license" to act that way, and get away with alot more, until they are about 4 months old, but Cato is only 5 months old himself, so I'm not sure if this is the case. I guess I'm just confused because I was worried Cato was going to boss the new puppy around and I was going to have to watch out for that, but the opposite is happening. The new puppy seems to be bossing Cato around, and it almost makes me feel sad for Cato, because he was here first, and the new puppy seems to be running things. Cato does not seem upset at all, he still wants to be by Bently all the time. And they don't always play or fight or whatever they are doing. They also lay next to to each other and play with toys individually, and play with toys togther, or just sleep.
This morning, when I fed them, Bentley scarfed his food down and finished first, then came up to try and get Cato's food, and this time Cato kind of snarled at him, and the puppy backed up, then just sat about 5 feet away and watched him finish eating. I was happy about this, I figured it was good Cato wasn't going to let the puppy walk all over him. Now I'm second guessing myself.
Cato is not vocal at all. The only time he barks is when he is trying to get the cats to play, or if he is excited to see us when we come home. So, it is kind of shocking to me to hear Bentley make so much noise, and sound so mean, growling and barking etc. Is it ok that he sounds mean?
They usually just chase each other around, but when they start play biting and wrestling around, after a few minutes I feel like the sounds they are making kind of change. Maybe I am just crazy, but it seems like the sounds change from playful to more serious. As soon as I feel like the sound chages, I seperate them. Is this ok?

One more question: Bentley is being Crate trained. At this point, Cato only goes in his crate if we leave, he is doing very well with housetraining etc.. But yesterday, when Bentley was in his crate, Cato went up to sniff at him, and Bentley went crazy! I have never seen anything like it. He was barking like crazy and trying to bite the crate. So, I made Cato come to a part of the house where they couldn't see each other and lay down. And Bentley settled right down. He likes his crate, he goes in there on his own, lays down, sleeps (all with door open) and he doesn't whine when he is in there, as long as we are in the room, and even when we aren't he doesn't whine much. Why would he act like that?

So, again sorry for the long post. In summary:
1) Is it ok that the puppy seems to be bossing Cato around? Should I intervene in this at all?
2)what about when Cato DOES correct Bentley (such as with the food this morning) is this ok? 
3)Is it ok that Bentley barks and growls so much when they play? Is he being aggressive or just playing?
4) is it ok to seperate them when I think the play fighting sounds change?
5) why on earth was Bentley acting so crazy in his crate. Should I be crating Cato whenever Bentley is in his crate? I really don't want to have to do this, because Bentley is in his crate alot (successfull potty break, followed by up to 30 mins free play time, back to crate, repeat) and Cato is used to having more free time.

Also, I want to add that I will take any and all advice, and will try whatever you guys suggest. I work a job where I am off from October til about April or May, so I will be around almost all of the time, and have lots of free time.

Thank you so much if you made it this far.


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## BrittanyG (May 27, 2009)

Well, the puppy is probably scared and stressed. I'd give it a week, at least, and see how the relationship develops. Sorry i can't be more helpful.


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## Canyx (Jul 1, 2011)

chelle2513 said:


> So, again sorry for the long post. In summary:
> 1) Is it ok that the puppy seems to be bossing Cato around? Should I intervene in this at all?
> *(see response to 2)*
> 
> ...


*Honestly, no idea why you got a new puppy when your hands will be full dealing with Cato for the next 1-1.5 years. And Cato's crazy period should be hitting riiiiight around now too.*


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## Niraya (Jun 30, 2011)

Canyx said:


> *Honestly, no idea why you got a new puppy when your hands will be full dealing with Cato for the next 1-1.5 years. And Cato's crazy period should be hitting riiiiight around now too.*


Basically quoted for truth. Not only that - but it sounds like this was an impulse buy and not at all thought out (in regards to "wanting a second dog but didn't expect it this soon).


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## chelle2513 (Sep 4, 2012)

Thank you for the suggestions and the answers to my questions. They were very helpful. 

In regards to getting a puppy before I should have, I started off the post by saying we made mistakes. My spouse brought home the puppy yesterday without my knowledge (we had talked about adding an additional dog in the future, but not now) however someone he works with had adopted the dog and found out his wife didn't want it. I spent all of yesterday and most of the night reading about raising puppies together, whether it be littermates or puppies close in age, and how much work it would be, but that it was do-able, IF you had the time and patience. I was still very wary, so I tried to contact that place he got the puppy from, for additonal info and left a message but got no response. 
So, my question is, at this point what would you rather I do? Ask for advice on a forum full of dog lovers who's opinions I respect, or try to find yet another home for this puppy? I thought, since I have lots of free time, I might as well try and make the best of it. 
I guess I was wrong yet again


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## owutaqt (Oct 15, 2012)

I think they will be fine after a bit. It may be a rough yr or so but you will get it.


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## zhaor (Jul 2, 2009)

I think it's a fairly natural impulses to get more animals and since you pretty much just get dogs whenever, impulse adopting/buying is a pretty easy trap to fall into.

Not gonna lie, I only skimmed the questions part of the post and don't really have much advice. It's obviously going to be more work taking care of 2 puppies than one but plenty of people have done it. I've bought several things on a whim and they've all served me well. My own dog was pretty much an impulse buy since I went to the shelter to "just take a look" and came home with a dog with no preparation. Turned out to be a perfect dog for me and I learned quick.

Just give it time. Things are always more overwhelming at first.


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## chelle2513 (Sep 4, 2012)

Thank you very much for responding. They are getting along much better now. I know it may not last, but for now I am happy and can breathe easy for a moment

And I have lots of time, and can supervise any "together" time they have. I was just feeling overwhelmed and thought this was a good place to voice my concerns.


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## HollowHeaven (Feb 5, 2012)

chelle2513 said:


> I spent all of yesterday and most of the night reading about raising puppies together, whether it be littermates or puppies close in age, and how much work it would be, but that it was do-able, IF you had the time and patience.


Yes but you don't have two _puppies_, you have two _Siberian Husky_ puppies.

All I can say is I wish you good luck and survival.


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## LadyBugAnBuddy (Jul 13, 2012)

chelle2513, just know you are in for a bumpy ride...Wishing you luck!

I would also love to see pictures of your new addition.

~Erica~


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## Crantastic (Feb 3, 2010)

Please ignore all of that "alpha" stuff. The hierarchy in a house is fluid. You can't force your dogs into the roles you think are right. I generally let my dogs sort things out themselves, only intervening if things start to get heated. Sometimes the papillon gives the AKK what he wants, and sometimes he gives her what she wants. It depends on the situation and the resource.

Anyway, some links about the wolf/alpha thing:

De-Bunking the "Alpha Dog" Theory
AVSAB Position Statement on the Use of Dominance Theory in Behavior Modification of Animals
Misconceptions of the Mythical Alpha Dog
L. David Mech's site (he wrote a book on the original wolf research that led to the popularization of the alpha theory; he later did studies that disproved much of it)

If I were you, I'd make sure to do a lot of training separately, crating separately, feeding separately... but do some training and walking together too, to help strengthen the dogs' bond. Make sure they both know their names, and play games where you say a dog's name and treat that dog while the other one watches -- I did this with mine, and now I can toss a treat across the room, say a name and only that dog will go for it. 

NILIF is great, as well. And Ian Dunbar's Training Textbook for all the basics. 

(I have to say, I find it kind of amusing that your husband was like, "Oh, you surprised your wife with a puppy and she didn't want it? Give it to me and I'll surprise MY wife with it!")


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## DJEtzel (Dec 28, 2009)

Lots of great advice. I'll probably reiterate a bit through this.

I'd like to start by saying GOOD LUCK! But, I understand how things like this happen. You seem to have a lot of time (Did I read somewhere you worked from home or were a SAHM?) and it isn't going to be that hard if you have the time. Just a lot to remember/follow when you're new to dogs.

Also, you didn't mess anything up yet from the sounds of it. The dogs are young, there's no reason to let them meet outside, neutral territory, go for walks or anything like that first. I've never done that with any puppy I've brought into my house with adult dogs, and there's no need for it if you know your dogs are friendly and non-territorial. I bring the pups in and sit them down right away and everyone gets on just fine.

As for your questions...

1) Is it ok that the puppy seems to be bossing Cato around? Should I intervene in this at all?
*Perfectly fine. The pack structure can change, and they'll challenge each other, especially being the same breed, and very close in age. Just because Cato was there first, doesn't mean he'll end up top dog, regardless of age. As long as no one is being BULLIED, it's ok. I let the dogs take each others toys if they aren't guarding them to an extent. If a dog is happily lying and another comes to take his ball, I make them give it back. I just don't want to encourage resource guarding.*

2)what about when Cato DOES correct Bentley (such as with the food this morning) is this ok?
*It is OK (better a growl than a bite!) but should not be necessary. You should never let the dogs go into other dogs' bowls while they're eating, it's extremely dangerous and can start fights, along with creating a resource guarding dog. Please, for their safety, crate them or separate them by a baby gate or door/room when they eat their meals. I've trained my dogs to sit and wait for their food in a line, then I release them to eat their own food, and when they're done, if other dogs are still eating, they walk away from all bowls and go lay down. This will come with time and training, but I NEVER let a dog rush another dog at it's bowl for everyone's safety. None of my dogs guard food and I want it to stay that way.*

3)Is it ok that Bentley barks and growls so much when they play? Is he being aggressive or just playing?
*As long as there's no yelping indicating pain, it is fine. If it was aggression there would be blood and yelping and Cato would not want to play. Some dogs play a lot more rough and have different styles of play than others.*

4) is it ok to seperate them when I think the play fighting sounds change?
*You can separtate them whenever you feel like it. If my dogs are rough housing inside and won't settle, I'll crate one or two just to give my head a break and mind a break. As long as everyone is getting what they need, it's totally up to you. Sometimes, they just all get crated for a short nap during the day. It's your decision.*

5) why on earth was Bentley acting so crazy in his crate. Should I be crating Cato whenever Bentley is in his crate? I really don't want to have to do this, because Bentley is in his crate alot (successfull potty break, followed by up to 30 mins free play time, back to crate, repeat) and Cato is used to having more free time.
*They definitely don't need to be in their crates at the same time. Mine never are! Bentley is guarding his crate, or being territorial of it. Space is a big thing for some dogs and in their crate they should feel safe and not be bothered. I never allow my dogs to sniff/bother other dogs while they're crated, whether they're mine or other people's dogs. Again, it's better to leave sleeping dogs lay than risk increasing their guarding or starting it. You can start feeding treats to Bentley while he's in the crate as you have Cato come and lie down near it to change his behavior hopefully and make him realize there's really no threat to dogs coming near.*

Along with your questions, you're going to want to step up training a bit. You're going to want to do as much alone time/one on one time with each dog as possible so that they respond and bond to you and not each other. That means a lot of crating and rotating for the first 4-6 months (until training and bonds have been established) while you specifically train one at a time, take one for a walk, etc. So you'll have to start scheduling your time accordingly. I'm not saying they can't ever play or rough house... but they need to listen to you while doing it and not be so rewarded by each other. A lot of engagement and play will strengthen the thought to them that you are the best thing since sliced bread.


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## chelle2513 (Sep 4, 2012)

Thank you all so much for your replies. I feel much better today, I was really feeling down yesterday after reading a couple responses, I'm sure it was me feeling defensive and being overly sensitive since I already felt like I had made mistakes. Anyways, the responses today made me feel like I'm only half crazy instead of totally looney  lol

@Crantastic and DJEtzel, thank you so much for the advice. I am crating them separately, and will definatley step up the training. I asked my Vet yesterday when I picked up Cato's heartguard for trainer recommendations, and have a list of people I am going to call tomorrow, so I will have some guidence with training them at least. I already do training with Cato, and we do the NILF. I did separate training with him today, and he of course gets walks everyday too, so those were just him and I, since I wont take Bentley walking around the neighborhood until he gets his next shot, around Dec 1st. We are working on some training with Bentley, mostly just getting his attention focused on us, and sit right now. And we only have him sit before he comes in the door from being out, not before going out (that's too hard right now, with us sometimes having to rush out the door with him to potty) I will def start feeding them separately too. They have their own bowls, and I was just filling them and putting them both down and letting them eat, however Bentley finishes first, and I was trying to stop him from going to Cato's dish yesterday, but I missed the one time and was surprised to see Cato just let him start eating it, then (mistake again) I was curious so wanted to see what would happen the next time. Today, I fed them totally apart from each other. Great advice about the names, and treating them! I will definately try that. I'm not sure that I touched on everything you both said, but I do want to thank you again for taking the time to offer advice and answer my questions. Also, Crantastic, as for my boyfriend....sometimes I have to admit I have NO IDEA what is going on in that head of his lol He does have a good heart tho. And DJEtzel, yes you were correct about my work situation. I am self-employed and only work from April until October, so I am done now and when I do get back to work in April, I set my own hours and could even take turns taking the dogs with me. So I will have plenty of time to work with both of them. 

Things are going much more smoothly today (I'm almost afraid to say that) they are getting along and have been, I'm pretty positive it was all play that I was seeing and that Bentley is just much more vocal and noisy than I'm used to. 

@MissPenny and LadyBugAnbuddy here are some pics! Thanks for asking to see them and for the good luck

The first 2 pics are just Bentley, the next one is the two of them relaxing together, and the 4th one is the two of them playing with a toy together. Also, one more question, I think my pics are too big, and I don't want to get in trouble for that, so am I choosing the correct link on photobucket? The image link? Or should I resize them first or something?


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## seaboxador (Sep 23, 2012)

I'm sure people answered most of your questions. I would add this. You're a dog owner and you sound better than most. You bought a dog and whether it was implulse or not don't beat yourself up over it. Millions of dogs are killed each year in shelters. Your adopting one means that one of those dogs can be saved.

In terms of the dog barking and growling when playing, some dogs are vocal and some are not. Growling and barking are not necessarily signs of aggression. Think of the people you know. Some talk a lot and some don't. Barking and growling can be aggression. It just depends.

Why not enroll them in some obedience training together.

It's pretty early and they're both puppies. They'll work it out.


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## LadyBugAnBuddy (Jul 13, 2012)

First time seeing Cato(Beside Avatar picture), he is so handsome! Bentley is a looker too! You have to adorable babies. I'm sure you will do wonderful with them. 

~Erica~


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## Jenness (May 7, 2012)

I really truly wish you the best of luck and hope it works out. I know how tempting it is, I also thought about getting another puppy when Bella was your dogs age, but I was convinced not to. I think it's one of those things that will either turn out super great and be amazing, or could also be potentially problematic and stressful for you. Hopefully it turns out good!

I don't have two dogs, so I'm not 100% sure, but I think some things to help them bond would be to take them on walks together, play games with them, like tug, and fetch (they might not know fetch yet) My point is to have them together but provide other distractions around so they are not just focusing on rough housing, etc. 

I would let them play rough as long as they both seem okay. Look at the body language, if one has its tail tucked between his legs or is trying to get away then it's time to separate. However, if they are both play bowing and taking turns on their back, going back for more, etc then let them go at it. It's important for them to play and test out the boundaries.

Your going to have to keep a close eye on them until they are about 1-1.5 like the others say. Until then they are going to be going through all the crazy stages and for you it's x2. Good luck!


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## annadee (Aug 22, 2012)

Aww, the two look so adorable together! I wouldn't be so hard on yourself. Yes, it's going to be a lot of work, but I also know a few people who have done the raising two puppies at once. You just have to have LOTS of patience, keep up with the training, be consistent, and give them lots of opportunities to burn off that energy so they can sleep and you can have some time to yourself!!! I wish you the best of luck!


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## chelle2513 (Sep 4, 2012)

LadyBugAnBuddy said:


> First time seeing Cato(Beside Avatar picture), he is so handsome! Bentley is a looker too! You have to adorable babies. I'm sure you will do wonderful with them.
> 
> ~Erica~


Thank you 


Jenness said:


> I really truly wish you the best of luck and hope it works out. I know how tempting it is, I also thought about getting another puppy when Bella was your dogs age, but I was convinced not to. I think it's one of those things that will either turn out super great and be amazing, or could also be potentially problematic and stressful for you. Hopefully it turns out good!
> 
> I don't have two dogs, so I'm not 100% sure, but I think some things to help them bond would be to take them on walks together, play games with them, like tug, and fetch (they might not know fetch yet) My point is to have them together but provide other distractions around so they are not just focusing on rough housing, etc.
> 
> ...


Thanks I'm trying to let them play and rough house, but I think I'm still being a little crazy over protective. Everytime they start playing I get up and stand right by them, just in case. But they both keep coming back for more, so I think it's ok. They both play tug with me, and with each other. I hope it's ok that I let them play tug with each other???? Cato is obviously stronger, but he doesn't pull as strongly with Bentley as he does with me, and when he gets the toy away from Bentley, he puts it right down in front of him, so Bentley can pick it up again. Cato plays fetch, but Bentley isn't yet, he will chase after the ball tho.


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## chelle2513 (Sep 4, 2012)

seaboxador said:


> I'm sure people answered most of your questions. I would add this. You're a dog owner and you sound better than most. You bought a dog and whether it was implulse or not don't beat yourself up over it. Millions of dogs are killed each year in shelters. Your adopting one means that one of those dogs can be saved.
> 
> In terms of the dog barking and growling when playing, some dogs are vocal and some are not. Growling and barking are not necessarily signs of aggression. Think of the people you know. Some talk a lot and some don't. Barking and growling can be aggression. It just depends.
> 
> ...


Thank you very much. You made me feel a lot better and that is kind of how I felt too. I know I will take care of them both, and I sure didn't want to give Bentley back, because who knows where he would end up then.....I know he has lots of room to run around inside here, and will also get outdoor exercise and training and that we can provide him with food/vet care/ etc..



annadee said:


> Aww, the two look so adorable together! I wouldn't be so hard on yourself. Yes, it's going to be a lot of work, but I also know a few people who have done the raising two puppies at once. You just have to have LOTS of patience, keep up with the training, be consistent, and give them lots of opportunities to burn off that energy so they can sleep and you can have some time to yourself!!! I wish you the best of luck!


Thank you  They do look adorable together don't they lol


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## seaboxador (Sep 23, 2012)

"Thanks I'm trying to let them play and rough house, but I think I'm still being a little crazy over protective. Everytime they start playing I get up and stand right by them, just in case. But they both keep coming back for more, so I think it's ok. They both play tug with me, and with each other. I hope it's ok that I let them play tug with each other???? Cato is obviously stronger, but he doesn't pull as strongly with Bentley as he does with me, and when he gets the toy away from Bentley, he puts it right down in front of him, so Bentley can pick it up again. Cato plays fetch, but Bentley isn't yet, he will chase after the ball tho."

The trick for this is pull the one you think is being too rough away. If the other dog engages again and wants to keep playing then the dogs were into it. If the other one doesn't do that, then one was too rough. I'd avoid situations where one gets pinned down and isn't given the chance to get back up. The chance is the big thing. Some dogs play from their back. Try some obedience school. It's not that expensive and you have a decade of big dogs to come. It's well worth it.


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## Linda1270 (Nov 8, 2012)

chelle2513 said:


> Thank you for the suggestions and the answers to my questions. They were very helpful.
> 
> In regards to getting a puppy before I should have, I started off the post by saying we made mistakes. My spouse brought home the puppy yesterday without my knowledge (we had talked about adding an additional dog in the future, but not now) however someone he works with had adopted the dog and found out his wife didn't want it. I spent all of yesterday and most of the night reading about raising puppies together, whether it be littermates or puppies close in age, and how much work it would be, but that it was do-able, IF you had the time and patience. I was still very wary, so I tried to contact that place he got the puppy from, for additonal info and left a message but got no response.
> So, my question is, at this point what would you rather I do? Ask for advice on a forum full of dog lovers who's opinions I respect, or try to find yet another home for this puppy? I thought, since I have lots of free time, I might as well try and make the best of it.
> I guess I was wrong yet again


Please don't feel this way, it's happened and now you are willing to deal with it, which I think is very commendable on your part. You could look around and find a new home for Bentley, but your choosing to try to give this pup a good home and in my opinion, reading up a lot on the issue and asking for help, is a great beginning. There's a lot of good advice here and your willing to take it....good for you!

I totally agree with the first poster that you should give it another week or two to let the puppy settle in and at the same time, work on the issues at hand.

Good luck!


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## xxxxdogdragoness (Jul 22, 2010)

You should hear cattle dog play, i need to record a video of Buddy & Josefina playing, because there is alot of growling & teeth clicking & snarling & tumbling, you'd be sure they were fighting LOL. I skimmed your post but i didnt see where it said how old this new pup is, if he is under 6 mos then yes he gets a "puppy liscense" to act "like a baby" but after a few months, the other dogs will rein in the slack & stop letting him get away with stuff.

another thing give them seperate eating/sleeping places, if your older puppy is ok loose then give him his own special bed & put the pup in a crate in your bedroom (he may howl & it will be horrible for a while but he will get used to it I have actually never had one make a fuss in their crate because i have done 2 things: tired them out during the day (both mentally or phsically) & put the crate in my bedroom facing my bed where they could see me/hear me throughout the night. 

as always, pics are the toll you have to pay for advice


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## chelle2513 (Sep 4, 2012)

Thanks again everyone, I really appreciate it I posted some pics, they are on page one. I will post some more soon, but I feel like I haven't even had time to take pictures lol 

I would LOVE to see a video of your dogs playing. Mine are actually getting much less noisy now, which makes me feel better (even if it doesn't actually make a difference Ha!)

They do sleep seperately, because the new puppy sleeps in his crate, and Cato sleeps in our room on the floor by the bed. But I am going to start working on him with Crate games tomorrow. He never really liked his crate (I know that's my fault and not his) but we are going to work on the games tomorrow, so he will *hopefully* like his crate. That way I will have more time to work one-on-one with each of them. I also feed them seperatley (at least now I do, I wasn't at first)

I think you guys saved me with all this great advice. Once again, I really do appreciate it.


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## Nuclear_Glitter (Jun 20, 2012)

What ADORABLE and handsome pups you have =] 

I don't have advice really I just wanted to let you know that I think you're doing a great job. You're an amazing person for making sure both of these dogs will have a great life. That's very important and a lot of people don't do it. Congrats to you for being a good dog owner.


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## xxxxdogdragoness (Jul 22, 2010)

If Cato is ok with his staying out then he him a special bed thats "his" & use the crate for your puppy if that works better for you, if Cato is used to sleeping at the food of your bed (example) then I'd leave him be, change as little of his life as possible. 

You can do this, it'll be an adjustment for everyone of course, but I think it can be done.


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## xxxxdogdragoness (Jul 22, 2010)

chelle2513 said:


> Thank you all so much for your replies. I feel much better today, I was really feeling down yesterday after reading a couple responses, I'm sure it was me feeling defensive and being overly sensitive since I already felt like I had made mistakes. Anyways, the responses today made me feel like I'm only half crazy instead of totally looney  lol
> 
> @Crantastic and DJEtzel, thank you so much for the advice. I am crating them separately, and will definatley step up the training. I asked my Vet yesterday when I picked up Cato's heartguard for trainer recommendations, and have a list of people I am going to call tomorrow, so I will have some guidence with training them at least. I already do training with Cato, and we do the NILF. I did separate training with him today, and he of course gets walks everyday too, so those were just him and I, since I wont take Bentley walking around the neighborhood until he gets his next shot, around Dec 1st. We are working on some training with Bentley, mostly just getting his attention focused on us, and sit right now. And we only have him sit before he comes in the door from being out, not before going out (that's too hard right now, with us sometimes having to rush out the door with him to potty) I will def start feeding them separately too. They have their own bowls, and I was just filling them and putting them both down and letting them eat, however Bentley finishes first, and I was trying to stop him from going to Cato's dish yesterday, but I missed the one time and was surprised to see Cato just let him start eating it, then (mistake again) I was curious so wanted to see what would happen the next time. Today, I fed them totally apart from each other. Great advice about the names, and treating them! I will definately try that. I'm not sure that I touched on everything you both said, but I do want to thank you again for taking the time to offer advice and answer my questions. Also, Crantastic, as for my boyfriend....sometimes I have to admit I have NO IDEA what is going on in that head of his lol He does have a good heart tho. And DJEtzel, yes you were correct about my work situation. I am self-employed and only work from April until October, so I am done now and when I do get back to work in April, I set my own hours and could even take turns taking the dogs with me. So I will have plenty of time to work with both of them.
> 
> ...


Oh gosh ..... He's so cute!!! I can understand why your OH couldn't say no


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## KelseyRose (Dec 16, 2011)

I am an owner of two sibes and I am very knowledgable about dogs, and the most valuable advice I can give you is research, research, research!!! You will NEVER do too much research and will NEVER know enough about dogs. Now, assuming you have already done lots of research since you already had the own Sibe, you should know siberians are VERY rough players. I promise you, do not worry. You can YouTube siberian huskies playing, and it looks and sounds bad, but its not. Huskies are very vocal and very rough. Know that, embrace that. 

Also, since you have yourself two sibes of the same sex, you will be in for a handful. I have two girls, so I know what I'm talkin about ?. Siberians are not easy...so two is twice the trouble. Do not worry about the new pup being the boss. My Sheba did that the very first day she waltz through my door. She ignored all signs from my standard poodle to back off, so she learned the hard way, twice. I cannot stress this enough, do NOT reprimand your older dog from correcting the puppy. That's how dogs from hell are born . You have to remember to let dogs be dogs. They will figure out who is over who in the "chain of command", it doesn't hurt any feelings, just abide by how they have everything figured out.

When they both get older, they go through this rebillious stage. All puppies do it, and you have two sibes . Be prepared. Do research on their teenage years. Using the Nothing in Life is Free approach will do soooo much for you! I use it too, and my Sibe would be intolerable without it. People will tell you "your dog needs some ceaser millan!" PLEASE don't listen..

In regards to the one being more vocal than the other, story of my life. Sheba sings to me allll the time. Kennedy on the other hand, quiet as a mouse except during play time. Also, the crate is a dogs den. Their sanctuary, their space. Respect that. 

Now onto the food thing. FEED THEM IN SEPERATE ROOMS!!! I cannot stress that enough!!! Do NOT allow that puppy to eat out of the other dogs bowl!!! You need to keep feeding time strict and have the same schedule. One dog eats in this room, the other in that room. NO bowl swapping at ALL! My two girls aren't food aggressive with each other, but I don't care. Sheba eats in the living room, Kennedy eats in my room. Kennedy is always fed first. They both have to sit and I give them the "wait" command. I control all aspects of their food and they know it. 

Don't worry, you'll be okay. I suggest contacting a local siberian rescue group and asking questions and getting advice from them. Also if you have a local breeder, a REPUTABLE breeder who knows and cares about the breed, they are a good source of information too.

FYI, it will get better, than worse, than better .


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## xxxxdogdragoness (Jul 22, 2010)

Yeah who puppies are now isn't who they will be later ... Josefina is a totally different dog from who she was at 5 mos to 1 yr both with me & with other dogs. So it's really all about redirection, prevention & management. If you see one of them doing something to the other & they aren't being told no you have to step in & give the offender a time out.


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## DJEtzel (Dec 28, 2009)

Chelle, I took this video for you today. This is moderate rough play from my dogs, and I rarely have to stop them unless I'm getting too annoyed from the noise. XD

http://www.facebook.com/v/10151144475077705

Hope that linked right and that this is allowed... This is a 3 year old German Shepherd, 1.5 year old Pit Bull mix, and 17 week old Border Collie, all males, one intact.


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## chelle2513 (Sep 4, 2012)

DJEtzel said:


> Chelle, I took this video for you today. This is moderate rough play from my dogs, and I rarely have to stop them unless I'm getting too annoyed from the noise. XD
> 
> http://www.facebook.com/v/10151144475077705
> 
> Hope that linked right and that this is allowed... This is a 3 year old German Shepherd, 1.5 year old Pit Bull mix, and 17 week old Border Collie, all males, one intact.


The link worked great and made me feel a lot better, thank you! I was wondering, when you do stop them, do you just separate them? Or do you have a command you give that they know means enough is enough? If so, what command do you use?


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## DJEtzel (Dec 28, 2009)

chelle2513 said:


> The link worked great and made me feel a lot better, thank you! I was wondering, when you do stop them, do you just separate them? Or do you have a command you give that they know means enough is enough? If so, what command do you use?


It varies depending on why. If it's because they're getting too rough and I think it might escalate, I say enough and stand up. They know when mom stands up and glares it's time to cut the non-sense, because me standing up used to mean they were getting separated for a crate cool-down. They take a few minutes now to calm down and start playing again or take a nap on their own. If Frag's being too loud (that GSD talk) I say bedtime and that's his command to go to the nearest wall and lay down out of the way. It used to be to go to his crate, but he doesn't have a crate anymore so we changed that. If Sir or Recon are getting too loud, I just recall them from each other to give them a break. If they play for over 10 minutes successfully, they usually crash a few minutes later. If I have to break them up for noise or roughness more than twice in a ten minute period, usually they all get a bathroom break and then the puppy is crated so they will all calm down and take a nap. 

I'm glad it worked and made you feel better about it!


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## DJEtzel (Dec 28, 2009)

Also, sometimes the puppy will yelp and run away when he's playing with the pit. He instigates most play, and the pit stops when he yelps, so I don't coddle or correct anyone for this. Recon will run back over for more play when he realizes he's fine a few moments later. It's just dog communication.


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## xxxxdogdragoness (Jul 22, 2010)

With mine even if someone yelps I don't interfere because nine times out of ten the yelper or the "causer" uses calming signals to resolve the situation. When I intervene is when two dogs gang up no one or something like that (its usually Josefina that is the victim for some reason & my folks shepherd mix is the aggressor usually) so she is not allowed to participate in play anymore because she doesn't play she just wants to be mean.


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## chelle2513 (Sep 4, 2012)

Thanks again for all the advice and support. I'm not really worried about them playing together anymore. Even though Cato is bigger, he is so gentle with Bentley. He lets Bentley climb on him, and bite his lip etc, and he mostly just bites air or grazes him with his teeth. The only reason I would separate them is for my own sanity  Bentley does very good in his crate, he likes it. However, I tried playing crate cames with Cato the other day, and he will NOT go in his crate. I had the best food ever (parts of a food roll-his fav) in the crate, along with hot dog bits, and I would toss it in, and tell him "in your crate" and he would get the close ones, but when I increased it, NO WAY. He ended up leaving food in there, he would stretch as far as he possibly could, without putting his feet in the crate. I have to figure something out, because when I tell them to stop, or settle, and they don't listen, I have no real "fair" way to separate them. It is mostly Cato who wants to continue playing, even after I tell him no. So, he's been getting short (about 1 minute) time outs in the bathroom. But I have no other place that I could put Bentley. We live in a colonial, and all bedrooms are upstairs, the downstairs is really open, and the bathroom is the only room with a door. I don't want to put Bentley in his crate, because I don't want him to think of it as punishment. I have been working with Cato to learn "on your bed" so at least then I wouldn't think I was punishing either of them, they would just be going to their own places to cool down. 

Any ideas??

Also, I think this is kinda funny. The last couple days our cats have been coming downstairs more often (Bentley hasn't seen them much, because he doesn't go upstairs yet, and they don't come down that often) when they come down here, Bentley barks and barks at them. Well, Cato gets between the cats and Bentley and barks at/makes "husky noises" at Bentley. He even gets next to Bentley and play-bows, and keeps talking away to him. I swear he is trying to tell him, "it's ok, the cats are our friends, be nice to them" If Bentley starts walking towards the cats, Cato will cross in front of him to make him turn, almost like he's herding him. It is very silly to see.


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## DJEtzel (Dec 28, 2009)

So Cato's never been in a crate? I'm a little confused about that.

If I had a dog that wouldn't go into a crate willingly, I would PUT him in it, and give him food once inside to reassure him, then let him back out. Repeat frequently and hopefully he'll get the idea and start going in on his own.


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## Niraya (Jun 30, 2011)

When I re-crate trained (ripped out her puppy teeth in the crate and I never put her back in until about 9 months old) Bella to get her acclimated to the crate I just left the door open and sat down stairs with her and watched TV or played games. Since I clicker train - anytime she would take a step towards or even look at the crate I would click and treat. After awhile she would approach it and put a paw in - click and treat. Two paws - click and treat. Half her body - click and treat. Most of her body and a hind leg - click and treat. All of her body all the way to the back of the crate - click and treat. I think by the end of the second or third day she was approaching, entering and laying on her own in the crate with the door open. That night I worked on closing the door for very small -2 or so minutes - amounts of time and continued until she would go in on her own and I could shut the door for half hour periods at any time.


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## chelle2513 (Sep 4, 2012)

DJEtzel said:


> So Cato's never been in a crate? I'm a little confused about that.
> 
> If I had a dog that wouldn't go into a crate willingly, I would PUT him in it, and give him food once inside to reassure him, then let him back out. Repeat frequently and hopefully he'll get the idea and start going in on his own.


When we got Cato near the end of August, we lived in an apartment. We had a crate, but the very first night when we put him in the crate for bed he whined and howled and made a huge racket. I know this is normal, but we lived in an apartment, and our neighbors were extremely picky about noise, so we made the (bad) choice to bring him to bed with us to quiet him down. From then on, he has slept in our room (on the floor now). He did continue to use the crate during the day though, because then we didn't have to worry about him making noise. He would even go in there on his own, during his free/play time. He never liked being left alone though. October 1st, we moved into our house. We had the crate up for about the first week or so, then took it down because we were painting. He did very well without the crate, so we never set it back up until we got Bentley. We got a new crate for Bentley, and he's been using that fine. On the second (or third?) day we had Bentley, I put Cato's crate back up. That is when I started playing the crate games with him, with no success. 

I wasn't sure if it was a good idea to force him in there....I figured it was better to try and get him to like it. But maybe I will try putting him in there and then treating him.


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## chelle2513 (Sep 4, 2012)

Niraya said:


> When I re-crate trained (ripped out her puppy teeth in the crate and I never put her back in until about 9 months old) Bella to get her acclimated to the crate I just left the door open and sat down stairs with her and watched TV or played games. Since I clicker train - anytime she would take a step towards or even look at the crate I would click and treat. After awhile she would approach it and put a paw in - click and treat. Two paws - click and treat. Half her body - click and treat. Most of her body and a hind leg - click and treat. All of her body all the way to the back of the crate - click and treat. I think by the end of the second or third day she was approaching, entering and laying on her own in the crate with the door open. That night I worked on closing the door for very small -2 or so minutes - amounts of time and continued until she would go in on her own and I could shut the door for half hour periods at any time.


This is what I tried to do the other day. I use a clicker as well. I tossed a treat in, very close to the entrance, and when he stuck his head in, I would click and treat. then a little farther, click treat etc. If he would stay half in there, stretching for the farther food, I would click treat him as well. He just did not want to go further than that. Maybe I should just practice more. But I guess I figured if I could just get him to go to "his bed" easier, then I could at least get a mommy time out if I needed one by telling him to go to his bed and bentley to go to his crate.


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## Niraya (Jun 30, 2011)

I don't use luring that much. I literally just sat in the living room and let her do her own thing - if I caught her investigating I seriously threw her a party for doing it. The first few times I'd give her just one treat and then I'd switch up a few times down the line and give her several treats in succession to let her know she was doing something I really liked and so she didn't get bored with just one treat.

I could never force Bella into anything. Not for a lack of trying, either. It just doesn't work for her - it's not a form of training she responds to well or at all (it's not because she's not a solid dog or she's fearful of being forced into something. She's extremely sturdy - you can drop a bomb [or any inanimate object] on the dog and she wouldn't bat an eyelash [however if you drop a strange human anywhere near her she'll scream her fool head off]). But if she's allowed to figure it out on her own what I want - she has tons more fun doing it and I can tell she enjoys the training a lot more.

For example I was teaching her a "mat" command (same thing as "go to bed"). I started out by just putting empty DVD cases on the floor for her because all I wanted her to do was to put two of her feet on them. I think I had four cases spread out all over the floor and she was really confused but if she sniffed them - click/treat. The she figured out that she could sniff all of them and get a treat. But eventually the clicks and treats stopped. So she got frustrated and so she put her foot on one. Which is exactly what I wanted! Well then they stopped again which frustrated her. So two feet because she attempted to scratch - but I caught her before the actual action and so she just had two feet down. After about 10 minutes she was literally running around leaping onto the dvd cases with both her front feet trying to get a reward. She was having such a blast.


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## DJEtzel (Dec 28, 2009)

chelle2513 said:


> I wasn't sure if it was a good idea to force him in there....I figured it was better to try and get him to like it. But maybe I will try putting him in there and then treating him.


It is better to try to get him to do it on his own and the clicker is a great way to do that, but if he just ISN'T budging... well in my case the dog would have been put in the first day because I NEED to crate my dogs when I leave for things, so it wouldn't have been an option to wait the dog out, but then after they're in there I reward heavily, give lots of kongs, bully sticks, and still work on commands. All of my dogs and the foster know the command "bed time" which means to run from anywhere in the house into their crate. The puppy and pit don't know it quite as well as the GSD and foster, but they're working on it. I just can't call them out of play to their beds yet.


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## chelle2513 (Sep 4, 2012)

Just wanted to stop by and thank everyone again for all the great advice 
Things are going pretty well, actually I think the puppies are doing fabulous and are happy as can be, it's just me who is a little overwhelmed lol. I've been making sure to give them plenty of one-on-one time in between play sessions. Cato gets lots of walks and training time and since Bentley isn't going on walks yet, he gets lots of car rides and training time. I wish I could take Cato on car rides. Unfortunately he gets sick every single time we go in the car, even if its just a few blocks and now he doesn't want to get in the car AT ALL. I've read online that I should start taking him in the car everyday and just sitting for about 10 mins with out even starting the car up, giving him lots of praise etc. Do this for a week or so, then start the car and sit with out moving for 10 mins for a week moving on to pulling to end of driveway and back, to around the block etc. I'm going to start this tomorrow. I also picked up some ginger cookies and I might give him one of those each time we get in the car. I've heard they can help with stomach upset and plus I figure he'll associate getting in the car with getting a cookie. 

Does anyone have any other advice for help with car sickness?


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## xxxxdogdragoness (Jul 22, 2010)

The "reward for its your choice" worked very well with buddy because he was kind of shut down when he first came to us because of the change he endured & whatever past he had ... Judging by how easily he shuts down still.


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## cheebamaster (Jun 21, 2010)

I'm not a fan of Alpha or dominance techniques but I do believe in being assertive and it has worked very well for the German Shepherd I own. I think the pups should work out their "status" on their own but if you notice a change in "tone" so to speak I would correct that instantly and let it be known that it's not okay. You may run into resource guarding and other problems when the pups begin to mature and it's better to create an environment in which the "rules" are set. 

A way you can do this is to correct the snarling as soon as it starts happening with a firm "no" and remove the pup from playtime for a minute or two. Let them associate poor behavior with timeout and taken from their toys. On the other end of the spectrum you can encourage them when they're playing together and positvely reinforce with treats and praise at behaviors that you like. 

within the next week I will have a CO and a GSD living together and will not tolerate even an ouncling of agression from either but instead will praise and make playtime together something really special. This takes consistency and effort and it wouldn't be a bad idea to invest a few bucks in a good positive reinforcement trainer! When I was interviewing trainers for my Caucasian I started phone coversations with "Cesar Milan or Ian Dunbar" ....If they liked cesar or didn't know who dunbar was I would hang up

You're going to have a handful on your plate, now is really the time to nurture a positive relationship between your pups so if you're unsure of anything or if something seems off in their behaviors get a good trainer! You will benefit from it so much in the longterm when their puppy stage ends


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## HollowHeaven (Feb 5, 2012)

cheebamaster said:


> When I was interviewing trainers for my Caucasian I started phone coversations with "Cesar Milan or Ian Dunbar" ....If they liked cesar or didn't know who dunbar was I would hang up


I have never heard of anyone doing this before, and I have to say it's very clever.


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## Niraya (Jun 30, 2011)

This is from a study done on The Social Organization of the Domestic Canine Behavior.

"Abstract:
The theory that a hierarchy based on dominance relationships is the organizing principle in social groups of the sort canis
lupus is a human projection that needs replacing. Furthermore, the model has unjustifiably been transferred from its original
place in the discussion of the behavior of wolves to the discussion of the behavior of domestic dogs (canis familiaris). This
paper presents a new, more adequate model of how familiaris organizes itself when in groups. This paper is based on a
longitudinal study of a permanent group of five randomly acquired dogs living in their natural habitat, as they interact with
each other within the group, with newcomers of various species who joined the group, and with fleetingly met individuals of
various species in their outside environment. This study shows that the existence of the phenomenon "dominance" is
questionable, but that in any case "dominance" does not operate as a principle in the social organization of domestic dogs.
Dominance hierarchies do not exist and are in fact impossible to construct without entering the realm of human projection
and fantasy. The hypotheses were tested by repeatedly starting systems at chaos and observing whether the model
predicted the evolution of each new system. The study shows that domestic canine social groups must be viewed as
complex autopoietic systems, whose primary systemic behavior is to gravitate as quickly as possible to a stable division of
the fitness landscape so that each animal present is sitting on a fitness hill unchallenged by other group members.
Aggression is not used in the division of the fitness landscape. It is not possible for an observer to measure the height of
respective hills. There is no hierarchy between or among the animals. The organization of the system is based on binary
relationships, which are converted by the agents as quickly as possible from competitive to complementary or cooperative
binaries, through the creation of domains of consensus. The production processes by which this is done are twofold. The
first is an elegant and clear, but learned, system of communicative gestures which enables the animals to orient themselves
adequately to each other and emit appropriate responses in order to maintain or restore the stability of their fitness hills and
the larger social landscape. The second is learning. It is the learning history of each animal, which determines how
adequately the animal can operate within the system and what the components of its individual fitness hill will be, and which,
in the end, is more crucial to the animal’s survival than even presumed genetic factors or some human-constructed
“dominance” position."

"Summary and conclusions 


The model presented here, of dogs as occupants of a complex autopoietic system, provides an accurate and conceptually
elegant way to represent canine social systems and understand system organization and structure, as well as better
understanding discrete interactions within the system. Looking at dogs this way solves a number of serious problems
presented by the older model, which represents the social organization as a dominance hierarchy. It provides us with a
means of studying and describing the animals' and the system's behavior which does not conflict with the behavior
observed, and, no less important since we are dogs' natural habitat, it allows us to interact more adequately with domestic
dogs we live with.

The model itself is not new, but applying it to dogs is. In addition, by doing so, this study was able to discover three simple
principles governing the organization of their groups and accounting for behavior on all levels of organization. The first
principle is: no aggression. The second is: we will find a common language and try to establish a complementary or
cooperative binary. The third rule is: once we know about each other’s fitness positions, we will make compromise so as to
minimize perturbing both those and the larger social landscape. *As dogs interact, they are juggling variables from and
seeking stability (epistasis) on multiple levels of organization. The dog’s signals serve to establish a consensual domain
within which two dogs can interact safely and adequately; as they signal, the binary moves along a trajectory in its state
space, seeking an attractor. The dog that emits non-threat signals is, in fact, leading both the other dog and the binary
toward a stable spot in their respective state spaces.* As a dog interacts with another dog in a binary, it is still keeping an
eye on the larger social landscape and watching out not to accidentally perturb any of the others present. If a dog bumps
another dog while playing, it must shift eye contact and exchange signals directly with the bumped dog before it can focus
on the other binary again. It can’t do both at the same time. Each dog has an individual fitness landscape that it moves in. 
This fitness landscape contains the many subjectively defined optima that dog may choose from. There is also a fitness
landscape each larger system may move upon. Optima for the larger system are defined by the maximization of stability in
the social landscape without the use of aggression. Each dog occupies a fitness hill in its own landscape, and the dogs are
constantly exchanging signals regarding these fitness hills in order to avoid perturbations. Dogs are quite wiling to make
trade-offs in order to preserve stability of whichever social system they are participating in. Their choices are not
paradoxical: both social peace and continued relations with other dogs are valued resources. The system’s border at the
third level of organization (groups larger than two) is porous. Each time another dog passes through this border, all inner
states and fitness landscapes may be perturbed, information is exchanged, inner states find new equilibriums, and shifts
among individual optima may take place to accommodate the new system participant. Unlike a war or a capitalist market
situation, where parties try to completely flatten other actors' hills and maximize the height of their own, in this canine system
participants migrate to the closest attractor available, striving to restore the stability and predictability generated by
consensus rather than to heighten individual hills at the cost of the other(s). In fact, the very presence of the other(s)
constitutes in itself a heightening of a dog’s fitness hill if only the dog has undergone normal production processes. If it
hasn't, it can still be repaired – it can learn. This is, however, dependent on the dog obeying the first, basic system rule.
Aggression is abnormal behavior, which, by its nature, prevents a dog from being able to become a part of any canine
social system. Aggression, when it does occur, indicates system disintegration. The system as a whole tends not toward a
hierarchical structure, but towards a structure in which each dog sits unchallenged on a fitness hill whose height is
immeasurable and irrelevant.

Alexandra Semyonova
The Hague, 2002"


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## Niraya (Jun 30, 2011)

Why would you correct a snarl? A growl is a warning and precedes a bite if the annoyance continues? If you punish a growl or snarl you're telling the dog that they're allowed to bite without warning.


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## KBLover (Sep 9, 2008)

cheebamaster said:


> When I was interviewing trainers for my Caucasian I started phone coversations with "Cesar Milan or Ian Dunbar" ....If they liked cesar or didn't know who dunbar was I would hang up


Hahaha 

What if I said "neither, I prefer shaping" ? 



Niraya said:


> Why would you correct a snarl? A growl is a warning and precedes a bite if the annoyance continues? If you punish a growl or snarl you're telling the dog that they're allowed to bite without warning.


I swear, I have to keep explaining this to my mom sometimes. 

DON'T CORRECT GROWLING - Just seperate, call Wally to you and move on. Leave that communication alone.


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## cheebamaster (Jun 21, 2010)

Niraya said:


> Why would you correct a snarl? A growl is a warning and precedes a bite if the annoyance continues? If you punish a growl or snarl you're telling the dog that they're allowed to bite without warning.


Glad you pointed this out as it's very true! I meant that when it escalates beyond the normal warning/annoyances into actual aggression. This I believe should be corrected.


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## cheebamaster (Jun 21, 2010)

To add to the whole dominance/alpha myth. It's really interesting to note that wolves DON'T actually have real social hierarchies. The studies that show they do were in controlled small environments where wolves were forced into small spaces and thus created hierarchical status. In the wild, they act as more of a family with there usually being only one mating pair that is responsible for the pups in the pact. The pups would learn from the parents/older siblings on how to act in different situations but in essence would all hunt together. Hierarchy existed sort of like how a parent/child relationship exists. It was a relationship where the child learns from the parents and siblings and acts accordingly. Some wolves don't even bother with a "pack" and go hunt for themselves.


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## Bethl (Apr 30, 2012)

I am going to read every word (again) tomorrow when i am not so tired. I am adding a new pup to our family this weekend myself. I have never owned 2 dogs at the same time, so I am sure I can learn a lot from this thread. I actually started 1 like it (before seeing this one).

Chelle the 1 thing I did notice in your pics was the harnesses. I have the same kind & LOVE them! I have had different harnesses and just love this style/type over any other. I got ours at petco. Our current pup is a boy mini schnauzer age 8 months old - Romey. We are adding a 9 week old Boston Terror girl - Juliet


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## chelle2513 (Sep 4, 2012)

Hi all I just wanted to tell you about the "freak out" I had earlier today. After the pups got done playing together, I noticed Bentley had blood on his head!?!?! I was like OMG Cato broke his skin and made him bleed what am I going to do?? I grabbed Bentley up and frantically searched him, only to realize that the blood was coming from Cato's mouth. Whoosh, was a relief. I figure some mouth/gum bleeding is normal when he is teething so much and teeth are falling out, right?? But oh my goodness the blood looked so bright and red since Bentley is all white, it scared me to death. Thought I would post a couple updated pics of the two of them as well.


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## DJEtzel (Dec 28, 2009)

Awh, haha! Yes blood is normal. We go to puppy play hour every weekend at petco and it's an instant response to blood now; "grab your puppies, check to see who lost teeth!" A poor Dalmatian was covered in blood from a cattle dog's tooth last weekend.


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## Bethl (Apr 30, 2012)

When Roey lost his teeth he look like he had been in a horrible fight - but my question was with who? Hubby?  He lost 2 teeth at once & his face was COVERED in blood. I actually rushed him to the vet..... neurotic much? lol  

By the way the 2 "pups" look VERY happy together


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