Guest Dog - HELP!

[jessi76]

I dog sat a malamute over the summer… a very dominant Mal.

Tucker knows this dog, they see each other almost daily, but have had their fair share of nips & growls here & there. We had this dog in our home for a month - and honestly, there were no major issues. I continually made it clear that I AM THE BOSS, neither of the dogs are. I made them BOTH work for everything, as I normally do w/ Tucker. But by doing so, it continually reminded the Mal I'm in charge, not him. Also reminded my own dog, I take care of things, not him.

we fed them in different rooms (since the Mal would take Tucker's face off if he got too close to his food), and we kept them seperated at night, and whenever we couldn't watch them.

I was pleasantly surprised how well it went. I was the boss of the house, but did let my dog keep "his" things to himself. his fav toys, his food, his crates, his blankets, etc.. were all OFF LIMITS to our doggie-guest. basically so Tucker didn't feel "threatened".

when they got things to chew on, they were also seperated. basically I focused on preventing issues before they arose. which seemed to work well.

so yes, take charge, seperate when needed, and prevent issues. have fun dog sitting!

[JoeyQ]

Thanks! I am trying to be in charge, but so far that means ALL THE TIME. I have resorted to crating Apolo all day. I do take him out for several play times, but haven't been able to keep the house under control when they are out together. We are not able to separate them as our house is very open. I think I may take Apolo to his home for the day, then have him sleepover. He has a basement to stay in. Joey has to sleep in the same room as Apolo or he goes nuts! So…Apolo sleeps in his crate and Joey in bed all in our room. My husband loves me!!!:rolleyes:

[JoeyQ]

I just received some advice from the Dog Whisperer. They said that it is MY house NOT Joey's house. I should not let him practice bad behavior just as I would not let my teenagers behave rudely in MY house. (Ha! I feel so empowered Anyway, they suggested that I take turns with Apolo and Joey in the crate. If they are out together, then Joey is on lease and is corrected for bad behavior. Joey has been the aggressor. I will be trying these things as we have Apolo for 3 weeks! (btw, Joey is in the crate now and he is PISSED! After a few corrections for growling tho, he is sitting quietly albeit with a pissed look on his face.) Also, Apolo went to Joey in his crate and they had a nasty interaction, so I told Apolo NO and now he is about the house and leaving Joey alone.

[jys1011]

That's even better advice & really sounds like it's on the money! Good luck in YOUR house

[tlbuddy]

I kept my brothers Boxer that is a 15 month old female for 3 weeks a couple of months ago at things were rough at first, but it got better. Cali was definitely the dominant dog out of the two of them, and they did get in scuffles occasionally. I made sure that I kept them under control so things would not get out of hand. After a few days they started getting along really well and I was able to take them for walks together with no problems. They both were crated during the day while I was at work and Cali sleeps on my bed at night. Cali started waking up every morning at would sit outside Lady's crate until I would let her out in the morning. After 3 weeks I was actually sad to see Lady go and Cali seemed a little sad for a couple of days. I was actually shocked that Cali and Lady got along because there are certain breeds that Cali seems to dislike.

[Quercus]

<<then joey="" is="" on="" lease="" and="" corrected="" for="" bad="" behavior="">>

I was going to sit on my hands on this one…but I just can't Beware of some of Dog Whisper's advice....it isn't the best advice for all breeds, or all individual dogs. Depending on what kind of correction you are giving for interacting with another dog, you can make aggression worse, instead of better.

Here is a scenario...dog growls at other dog, you yank on the leash, dog learns not to growl, and just waits until your back is turned for a full on attack towards other dog. Apolo is an intruder to Joey's space, not a dog in the pack that you want to get along. IMO, if they have any chance of getting along they need to work out their differences, not bury them. That does not mean I would let dogs fight it out! But human intervention can escalate dogs into a fight very quickly if not done correctly. I would keep them separate when you can't be watching, and maybe more to keep peace in the house; and I would take them for lots and lots of walks together. I would reward good behavior; and really work on their obedience skills.

Make sure you are rewarding them when they ignore the other dog in the crate.

I dunno, seems to me, at least with Basenjis you will always, ALWAYS catch more flies with sugar than vinegar...kwim?

I agree though, that you should never let dogs practice things in your home that you don't like...that is just common sense. Practice makes permanent!</then>

[JoeyQ]

Yes, I agree with you about applying certain training methods to all breeds. I didn't think reprimanding him by pulling on the leash was a good idea, so I didn't. The Dog Whisperer did not suggest to pull on his leash. Just be able to quickly end a brawl. I did reward Joey with good behavior in his crate and when he ignored Apolo. In his crate, Joey actually turned his back to Apolo when he was in the room. Joey stopped whining pretty quickly too. I appreciate your advice and for not sitting on your hands! Please don't hesitate to comment anytime, at least to me!!!!

[JoeyQ]

Oh and to jys1011, your advice is the same as the Dog Whisperer. You paid attention

[JoeyQ]

UPDATE - I have implemented some of the suggestions and have gotten the two interacting without aggression only if I am between them. I had a cooling off period by taking Apolo back to his house for awhile and then reintroduced him into the house, very slowly. In retrospect, I allowed Apolo to bound into Joey's territory unsupervised and Joey thought it was rude. I think Joey is also concerned about his space too. I gave them both treats while being good as I was squatting between them. One treat fell that I was giving to Apolo and as Joey went for it between Apolo's feet, Apolo snapped at him. I reprimanded Joey. Joey is still not comfortable with Apolo running freely around the house, but I did get them to lay down next to me and stay without disturbance. Progress, I think. How am I doing??? (I will never do this again, especially over a holiday!!!. Learned lots of things the hard way, but maybe that made me learn faster!)

[Quercus]

<< Progress, I think. How am I doing??? (I will never do this again, especially over a holiday!!!. Learned lots of things the hard way, but maybe that made me learn faster!)>>

Sounds like progress! This is just a really, really hard thing to do Things will never be totally settled until the dogs sort out who is going to be in charge, and unfortunately, as adults, basenjis are often very reactive to other adult dogs…so it often turns into a fight before they dogs can even find out if they might be able to be friends.

Strong human leadership is great, but it doesn't really settle the issue between the dogs.

Isn't funny how fast you can learn new things when there is no option!? Kudos to you for hanging in there

[JoeyQ]

Well, thanks for the encouragement, but I am not liking this at all. You are right…"Strong human leadership is great, but it doesn't really settle the issue between the dogs." The issue will not be settled and I can not be between them 24/7. I am actually going to call Apolo's vet to see if I can board him. It is just too much for all the family (7). I did not do my homework, so now I am paying for it, financially and emotionally! I have appreciated all the help! Anybody want to watch a dog?

[jys1011]

So sorry that you have to resort to boarding Apolo. I imagine it must be an enormous strain on you to keep an eye on both of them. I have 2 Bs & it seems like that to me too. I often wonder if I was right in getting TWO from the beginning but then I think I can't imagine my life without either of them. It's just a LOT of work. I hope it works out in the end.

[Duke]

I've been reading along here, Sandra. Sorry it's not working out for you. Sometimes, best intentions go haywire. (I've had quite a few.) You have a big heart for taking Apollo for 3 weeks. I'm learning a lesson here too. Maybe . . . just maybe if they had been introduced and had several successful playdates in each others home before a live-in arrangement, might have worked better and then be able to assess an invitation? You know the term: "Could'a - Should'a - Would'a" Believe me, I appreciate learning from others - as I hope sharing experiences in this forum does help all who are interested. Thank you.

[Quercus]

<_>

I completely understand. We often have my in-laws over for the holiday (just one day) and they usually bring their dogs. We just put our dogs in a secluded room because it is just too difficult to try to manage continuously. It spoils the fun of the get together, and it just isn't worth it to us.

If I were in your situation, I would not hesitate to board Apolo. It won't be as nice as the accomodations at your home, but I think everyone will have more peace.

Hugs, and kudos for even giving it a try :)_

[jys1011]

Is it possible to keep Apolo at his own home & you can house sit for a while…taking out for walks & feeding & then keeping him in a room in his own home??? This way he doesn't feel stressed out at a boarding place.

Just a thought.

[JoeyQ]

Thanks everyone. I am so very appreciative of your advice. Housesitting is a great idea, but not an option for me as I have 5 teenagers and a husband to "watch". I tried Apolo in his home for the day and when I picked him up at night (I just couldn't leave him there by himself overnight) he went bonkers from being alone all day. I took him to a kennel out in the country as the accomodations at his vet would have meant that he had to be crated all the time which IMO is especially not an option for a big dog!! I worry about Apolo stressing out and have called the kennel to see how he is doing. I will visit as well. I'm really not certain that the kennel would let me know if he was stressing. I don't really know as this is the first time I had to use one. I think I will start another thread on what to look for in a kennel. Once again, learning on the fly!!! I am doing my best and asking as many questions as I can. I also think I may start a thread on how Bs react to Bordatella (I always say, Bortadella, isn't that sausage :D) since I know someday I will have to take Joey to a kennel. I am also going to look at kennels now so that I can choose the best one. So far I have been fortunate and the breeder has been able to board Joey. I think it's like going to Disney World for him!!! He isn't all wigged out to see me when I pick him up!