Hello
Dolly (BC), as if you all don't know by now!!, has taken to growling at Rosie her sister, when she tries to come through the door, after we have been for a walk and also when they have been out in the garden to do a wee?

I did notice she was being a bit growly to Rosie and kept backing her into a corner of the kitchen a few times, I read a website which said she was/is trying to establish herself as 'Top Dog'. They advised on this website to make her feel like the top dog and feed her first,put her lead on first,pet her first and let her go through doors first?????. I find this hard because poor Rosie is just being barged out the way!!

She knows who's boss (i.e me) and I think knows she is doing wrong, because if I watch her growl and then say 'Dolly No' loudly she stops it and looks at me as if to say 'sorry!!'

Is this what is happening and how do I try to stop her being mean to Rose??

Thanks

Jo

Not qualified to offer anything other than sympathy as only have one male dog. How does Rosie react to bossy Dolly? Does she object or accept Dolly in charge? From the kids I know that expecting harmony and affection between sibs is unrealistic and tend not to intervene unless someone is actually being murdered ( and its been close a couple of times). Sure someone else with relevant experience will be along shortly.

Thanks Lorelei, Rosie actually takes bossy Dolly! which I hate, coz she just looks at me as if to say why is she being so mean!!

I also read somewhere that whilst your first reaction is to pet the 'victim' dog so to speak ,thats the worse thing to do as this shows she has no status, and the person won't always be around to defend her??

Don't know if thats correct, but it does make a bit of sense

I try not to interfere between the dogs and let them sort them selves out, of course, if it gets serious I would but if it is just a bit of a grumble the let them sort it out themselves.

I agree with Jackie, dogs sort themselves out.  That is their job.

That's three of us. :) I suspect people (including some who write best selling books!) do far more harm than good by trying to arrange / assist pack order and sort squabbles. IMHO the vast majority of dogs speak and understand human much, much better than the best behaviourists understand or speak dog.

Four :)  I too would leave them be.  I reckon that the vast majority of conflicts between dogs are caused by us humans interfering in their business.

And I agree jas about the best behaviourists not understanding dogs except that the 'best' ones do.  It's the ones who think they are the best, the self-proclaimed experts, that don't. IMO

Sally

It may be that she's conecting Dollie's presence with being told off :(  I'd try asking her to do something instead of growling, like call her to you so you can praise her for that and this defuse the situation between the two dogs......

my two girls can be abit growly,tara is generally top dog about most things.nellie will make a stand when its about things that matter to her,but generally lets tara be boss. both of them tell flynn off but he just ignores them & bulldozes through,much to their disgust!
i leave well alone unless anything got really nasty(very rarley!) & let them sort themselves out.

Hollie our last Rottweiler (rip) was top dog over Storm Rottweiler (rip).  Like most others have said - its best to let them sort it out.  You can't stop a dog being top - that's what being a dog is all about. 

I agree with the others. Though I would keep an eye on it. Bitches can, occasionally, decide to fight to the death. If this happens (they decide to fight it out) then you may have to rehome one of them. Though it sounds as if you shouldn't have that problem. So long as they decide who's boss and you don't interfere you should be ok.

Thank you all, I will just leave them to it, unless as you said it gets out of hand, which I don't think it will.

Jo