Hi there

As some of you may remember I have a 2.5 years old bitch miniature bull terrier with what has been highlighted as possessiveness aggression. I also have a dog 14 years and another bitch approx 15 years (rescue dog).

I think I may have got to the point where I am over thinking everything now and my brain is starting to hurt analysing everything that I do, but we had another incident yesterday (which I will get to), but for now we have decided that they need to sleep separate at night young bitch in her bed in a separate room and male dog and older bitch in another room.  Question is in the morning/if I go out for a couple of hours which way should they greet each other?  Should I let the young bitch out first and let the others see her and then let them all go out into the garden together or should I let the older 2 out first and let the bitch see that I have attended to them first? Or am I really just getting too worried about everything that I do?? My OH thinks I am losing the plot and now being too analytic.

History has been a behaviourist to help with the possessiveness issues over me/ my eldest bitch, which have got better still a WIP lol. Also some of you here helped me with the bed dominance and the growling if people/other dogs walked past her bed (which again has really helped), and although she does mumble she has got a lot better. I use the NILIF and that again has reaped some rewards. Also lots of obedience training.

Yesterday her and my male dog had a spat (never had an issue before).  Feeling is that she had an eye infection and my male dog is a licker and he was trying to clean her eye...but this is presumption and I turned my back and just glimpsed him licking her eye and then my phone rang.  Instant I turned my back all hell let loose. After another chat with the behaviourist she advised me to speak to a specialist bull terrier behaviourist, which I did.  Cut a long story short he advised separate beds (previous advice had been to allow them to sleep together as a pack), but at the time I was very upset and maybe didn't ask him all the correct questions.  Second part of this is that he can't visit as he is at the other end of the country so does anyone know any bull terrier behaviourists in Yorkshire?

I am beginning to lose the will....and I am constantly looking and ensuring all 3 dogs are within eye sight.  Seems like 3 steps forward and then 5 steps back. They have been getting on and have had no spats in 2 months till yesterday.  Sorry to ramble I am just still upset over yesterday and starting to feel I am failing miserably.

Thanks Michelle

i sleep one of my dogs in the kitchen and the other two in the utility room as my older bitch didn't like the new arrival for a good while and i didn't want to risk a fight.
thankfully we sem to be past all that now but i've still kept their sleeping arrangements the same for peace of mind and i don't want them in a confin ed space together as thats when things could kick off.
have you tried sleeping them in seperate rooms but with a dog stair gate in between, this way they can see but not get to each other and when you bring them back together in the morning it's not such a big deal.
i don't think it really matters which dog/dogs you let out first as long as you ignore them all and also make sure your in control and go through the door first as if your incharge. mine used to get excited about seeing each other again in the morning but now don't really bother as their used to the routine.   

Thanks for that!

The room the 2 eldest sleep in is a strange shape and a dog stair gate wouldnt work and the utility room is tidgy so not suitable to fit all 3 in with a divider...so at the moment the youngest bitch is now sleeping upstairs seperately.  Have you found seperating your dogs had has an impact on their attitude to each other?  During the day do they still come together and sleep on the same beds?  Mine seem a bit solo at the moment and not as comfy as they used to be with each other during the day.

Yes they have been excited to see each other in the morning. Because we are upstairs the youngest gets let out first and then we go downstairs let them all meet and then I let them all out into the garden.

The behavourist is here on Monday so that will help me...as sometimes I do not know if I am doing wrong for right.

Michelle

it did take a little while for my dogs to get used to sleeping apart and i'm sure it makes them a little unsettled when they are together in the day to start with but for my dogs they have settled into this routine and are now just the same as if they slept together,it just took a bit of time.
the dog that sleeps upstairs in your house, is it in your room or away from you? it's  just that i had my bitch that didn't like the new arrival in my bedroom for a couple of nights and i found that made things worst as she seemed to think she was top dog because of the special treatment. at training class i was also told this wasn't a good idea but much better to have them all away from you as their treated the same.

She sleeps in the hallway upstairs which is just down the way from our bedroom door.  She does come up to the bedroom door (which is closed) and sniffs for us and we then say to her "bed" and she walks away. The oldest 2 never see where she sleeps.  We put them all out together in the garden at night them the eldest 2 go to their room and we then call the younger bitch upstairs and to her bed.

This is only the 3rd day of this arrangement...since she was a pup they have all slept together, but the last fight/spat was the last straw and I see no way other than to now seperate them at night.

The idea was/is to move her bed eventually maybe at the bottom of the stairs inch by inch every night and then maybe into the kitchen.  We did try to put her into the kitchen on the first night but she just cried all night...behaviourist mentioned seperation anxiety as always been used to sleeping around the other dogs.  She is here Monday so will have that conversation with her then.

Their behaviour has been more strained since we have seperated them.  The younger bitch now seems to be guarding withever bed she chooses and the other 2 have become very clingy with each other and almost ignoring the younger one.  I am hoping like you mention this will settle as I do not want that to be another route for them to fall out.

Thanks for your help really appreciate it. Have been very upset over the situation and hoping time and more training with the behaviourist will help.

Michelle

Id defintally not put them in separate rooms to sleep! Maybe try crating them separtly , in the same room. That may help.

I've had similar problems with 3 bitches [spayed and entire[ and eventually had to re-home 1 so am def no expert.
> Their behaviour has been more strained since we have seperated them.  The younger bitch now seems to be guarding withever bed she chooses and the other 2 have become very clingy with each other and almost ignoring the younger one.  
It just seems to me that having one bitch seemingly upstairs with you -the others don't know where she is except she's gone with you - they can really 'suss' out where people/dogs are in the house].   This can lead to further jealousy and the younger bitch feeling she is being treated in a special way so can 'call the shots' so to speak.  I don't know the answers but could you possibly mix 'n match the sleeping arrangements [change which 2 dogs are together] and as others have suggested, crate them in the same room.  I know all this pack leader stuff is highly challenged/ridiculed, but, to me at least, if one is seemingly getting special treatment, the others will get jealous and that one will think it's more privileged and so should have more - like children give an inch they take a mile - or try to.
Hope things settle for you.

I am certainly no bull terrier expert, but I think the idea of crating her in the same room as the other two during the night would be the most ideal scenario, that way, they are all together, and you can go to bed knowing that none of them will come to any harm. As others have said, also no problems with jealousy, or reuniting in the morning.