Not logged inChampdogs Information Exchange
By Guest
Date 24.03.05 19:36 UTC
I AM SORRY I DONT KNOW HOW TO REPLY IN THE SAME POLL. =O\
THEY ARE FIGHTING FOR POSSESSION. THE SMALLER SHIH TZU GETS VERY TERRITORIAL WHEN HE IS AT MY GRANDFATHERS SIDE OF THE HOUSE AND AROUND ME. I DON'T KNOW REALLLY HOW TO STOP EM. WE HAD A DOG BEHAVIORIST COME TO THE HOUSE NOT TOO LONG AGO AND WHAT THE GUY TOLD ME WAS THAT "JUNIOR" THE TOP DOG LETS "NEO" THE YOUNGER DOG.. GROWL AND DO HIS THING BECAUSE HE IS TEACHING HIM HOW TO BE STRONG AND BE PART OF THE PACK BECAUSE IN ALL ACTUALITY "NEO" WAS NOT TOO CONFIDENT AND WAS SCARED EASILY. SO THE REASON WHY JUNIOR GETS ON TOP OF NEO IS BECAUSE WHEN HE IS GETTING OUT OF LINE HE WILL SHOW HIM WHO'S THE BOSS. BUT LATELY.. I THINK NEO HAS GOTTEN TOO COCKY AND PICKS FIGHTS ALMOST ALL THE TIME.. SPECIALLY WHEN MY GRANDFATHER OR I'M AROUND. I HAVE A TOTAL OF 7 SHIH TZU'S. 4 BOYS.. AND 3 GIRLS.. ALL THE GIRLS ARE SPAYED.
SORRY FOR THE LONG DESCRIPTION. I JUST DONT WANT TO MAKE A WRONG DECISION BY CASTRATING THEM IF I DONT NEED TO. I READ IN THE OTHER POLLSTHAT AFTER HE PASSES TEENAGE YEARS HE WILL GET BETTER.. IS THAT TRUE?
By archer
Date 24.03.05 19:39 UTC
It is more than possible that they will sort out their 'differences' and things will settle down.Many people let the dogs 'sort it out' between themselves...however if your dogs are getting injured its not that easy.
Please register...its free and then you can post as many times as you like
Archer
true the pack will sort themselves out but i have to say not while they have a weak pack leader if you have 7 you will def have to think into the mind of a dog .i would not allow them any possesions especially while the fighting is going on or leave any food around .
all possesions belong to pack leader that is important to a dog
if it was my dog i would also find out who is causing all the trouble i would leave his collar and lead as said earlier on in the house and first minute he stepped out of line i would be there with my hand at the back of his collar with that very firm no.
i would also give him all his meals in a crate with the door shut so he has his own bit of space
crate training is very effective i think you could benefit greatly
i do not agree with the advice given by your behaviourist at all.
SO DEFINETELY NUETERING MY MALE DOGS WILL NOT CORRECT THEIR BEHAVIOR OR AGGRESSION. I NEED TO HELP MY PACK LEADER ESTABLISH HE'S THE TOP DOG BY ALLOWING HIM TO POSSESIONS? I THINK I UNDERSTAND.

I think you need help to discover their true hierarchical ranking and support that. Sometimes neutering the lowest ranking one (whichever it turns out to be) will be enough to increase the difference in status and stop the fighting. However it may be that the older one is one the point of being demoted - which is normal when you have enough dogs for such a strong pack system to develop. But castrating them all, or the wrong one/s may well upset the applecart even more. :(
I have two entire dogs and two spayed bitches and the dogs definitely don't wander, fight, pee in the house or hump inappropriately (even the one who's been used at stud) even when there's an in-season bitch in the area. And I know a castrated dog who pees in the house. Surgery isn't necessarily a cure-all.
:)
I FORGOT TO MENTION A VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: THE THING IS MY PACK LEADER HAD RAN AWAY AND GOT HIT BY A CAR AND LOST SOME OF HIS FRONT TEETH. HE STILL HAS HIS FANGS AND ALL HIS BOTTOM TEETH. I DONT WANT HIM TO LOOSE HIS POSITION AMONG THE OTHER DOGS AND I DONT WANT HIM TO GET HURT. I NOW HIS MAJOR DEFENSE WAS NOT KNOCKED OUT AS I BELIEVE THE FANGS ARE MOST DAMAGING BUT I WANT THEM TO NOT FIGHT ANYMORE. I HATE IT BECAUSE ONE OR THE OTHER END UP HURT...
THANK YOU FOR UR HELP.

If you're thinking about going down the castration route you'll need to make sure you castrate the right one/s. Castrating them all will leave them in exactly the same heirarchical position as they are now.
By rose
Date 25.03.05 01:00 UTC
I would definately think about neutering,what JG says makes sense tho,but i'm still not sure that the problems will remain once their hormones arent as rampant. I would have said neuter them all!
I have never had an entire male or female,i have had all of my dog done at 6mths and over,however I've had a couple of older dogs come to me that were still entire which had some of the same problems you are describing,but as soon as i got them done they were fine :)
I've met quite a few aggressive,dominant males,but as soon as their owner got them neutered they calmed down and were fine :) One in particular had a very dominant german shepard,he would mount anything that came into his path,male or female,if he wasnt mounting he was fighting,this went on for 21/2 years,the owner couldnt take it anymore,he had tried all other avenues such as behaviourists,obedience etc. but the only thing that worked was neutering,he is now a beautifully well behaved dog and there is no trace of his previous dominance or aggression.
As you can probaly tell i am a firm believer in spaying and neutering.I have had nothing but positive experiences!
I cant see the point of leaving a dog entire,(especially when your having so much trouble) unless your a breeder,the dogs will be alot happier and less stressed without all of those hormones flying about,a behaviourist cant get rid of those,the only thing that will is neutering them :)
ROSE LIKE I MENTIONED TO THE OTHER PPL WHO HAVE RESPONDED TO MY DESPERATE SEARCH FOR AN ANSWER. I HONESTLY DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO AT THIS POINT. I DO NOT WANT TO HURT MY BABIES BUT I ALSO WANT WHAT'S BEST FOR THEM. I DONT WANT THEM TO CHANGE THEIR BEAUTIFUL ATTITUDES!! I JUST WISH THEY WOULD STOP TRYING TO BE SO DOMINANT.
NEO IS ALMOST 2 YRS OLD.. DO U THINK HIS BEHAVIOR WILL SUBSIDE?
By rose
Date 25.03.05 05:46 UTC
Their attitudes will change for the better after their neutered not for the worse. The longer you let this go on the more ingrained their behaviour will become.
No i dont think Neo's behaviour will subside,like i said the longer he is allowed to get away with it the worse it will get.
I strongly,strongly urge you to get Neo neutered and then go from there.If you are NOT going to breed then there is no reason to keep a house full of intact dogs,it causes more trouble than its worth!!
The last entire male i had in my house pi**ed everywhere and was constantly trying to hump my girls and one of my boys,when my male let out a low growl the other dog attacked him :( This dog belonged to a friend of mine,she has since had him neutered and he is no problems now,thank gawd as it was starting to put a strain on our friendship!
Good luck and please keep us updated :)
By digger
Date 25.03.05 12:44 UTC
An adolescent dog, like any mammal, will go through a period when testosterone output is at a peak, and this will decrease as he gets older. However, wether it will come down to levels at which the older dog remains the 'pack leader' only time will tell - Neo's natural adult levels may be sufficiently high for him to execute a near 'bloodless' takeover, only time will tell. Castrating him now (as JG was explaining) and hoping this brings him down below Jnr. is very much a hit and miss thing, and not something I would recommend. It may even be that instead of supporting Jnr. you should be elevating Neo......... (BTW - dogs don't need all their teeth to retain pack leader status - my oldest bitch has hardly any front teeth, due to a broken jaw when she took on an adult lab cross when she was a 4 month old pup, and she's still 'the boss' over a 6 year old Springer Bitch aged nearly 13!!)
I think you really need to get somebody in to observe these dogs, and your interaction with them, to advise you...... As for 'teaching him how to be pack leader' - I wonder what the reasoning is behind that one, it's not a reason I have ever come across.......
Powered by mwForum 2.29.6 © 1999-2015 Markus Wichitill