HI everyone,

Need a little advice on the following.

Last night solo bought an old treat in from the garden and lay ion the living room floor chewing it, Cleo lay by his head just watching him... after some encouragement fom us she started trying to get solo to play so she could nick it... didn't work, but solo happily let her share - though it wasn't successfull as they each tried to put their paw on the other side :D Anyway, she gave up, so i got her another treat from the cupboard - which solo promtly went to nick, and she let him. I stopped this though and played with so while she ate the treat. When she had finished hers, she went and ate the original one while solo was in the garden - on his return he wanted the treat but just sat and watched her (not normal behavious as he willl 100% of the time go and take anything that she has). He walked up to her head and she gave a very nasty growl, and he stopped - but i took the treat off her and gave it to him... she was fine with that and while he went to the gearden she squiggled round on her back for us to play.

Anyway, sorry is long but i wanted to give as much info as possible. I am sure that they are establishing a pack order, and although cleo is older she is much more submissive character. We would like her to be the alpha, but i know that it is not our choice. My question is, should we stop giving cleo preferential treatment? Should we stop making sure that solo doesn't steal treats and let them sort it out by themselves? And if we do, should we start giving solo the prefential treatment as the alpha dog?

Sorry, again so many questions! ;)

x Alex

hi alex if she had the treat in the first place and he growled i would have told him off and let her keep the treat. my lot will sometimes argue over somthing theyve found to play with either toy or bone when they do i take the toy treat away from all of them all sitting looking like little children as if to say but mum bit like children if they fight over some thing nobody play with it. next time i would tell him off for growling and not give in hope none of mine receive preferencial treatment they are all treated the same no matter wether they are my best show dog or just a family pet hope this helps gwen

HI Gwen,

He didn't growl at all - he was happy for her to share the original treat, but she never does... waiting until he leaves it or gives it to her. She will also happily let him have her treats too!

However, last night i stopped him taking her treat, and then she took his and growled at him! Not normal behaviour for either of them, and i am not sure whether i should interfere or not!

Does nobody have any advice/opinions at all????

I've always got an opinion! :D just might not be any use ;)
I'd be inclined to let them get on with it and sort themselves out, the only times I intervene is if it's one of them nicking the others food, which is more often the greedy rotts nicking poor Buds food cos he eats like a gentleman while they're a couple of gannetts.
Or if a scrap starts getting out of hand then I step in and tell them both off as I'm the Alpha person, lucy is the alpha dog but she doesn't get involved in scraps!!! :D
I also like to think I treat them all equal, they all get treats at the same time, although I hand them out in rank order with Lucy being first.
it's strange though because Lucy is definately top dog but she doesn't seem to really do anything to earn that title most of the time, the others just seem to defer to her and know how far to push her!!
probably no help at all :D
about time you sent me some new pics as well, little Solo can't be so little any more ! :)

Thanks Julie, just that solo seems to be the boss... and dont know whether to follow what they have sorted out, or reinforce cleo, at least for the time being, so that he doesn't get too big for his boots...

Pics on their way, though they are a few weeks old, and he has grown again since then! ;)

I have always understood it is best to let the dogs decide what rank each of them has. You can't impose it on them and if you do it only confuses them and creates more problems. The alpha dog will expect to be first in everything and the other dogs will usually wait their turn. This is just what I have heard and read. I only have one dog so living with and alpha and beta may be more complex than that. :)

Wow! Alex
he is looking absolutely gorgeous, he definatley looks like a real cheeky Charlie!! :D Brings tears to my eyes as he reminds me so much of Flynn! ;)
I'd let him carry on being boss as long as he's not bullying Cleo, When I told Flynn off he used to go and pin the cat on the floor as if to make himself boss over somebody! cat probably went out after and pinned a mouse or something to make her feel better!! :D

thanks! little bugger he is and all legs still!

Cleo can hold her own, but she looks at me sometimes, like "why have you done this to me, am i soooo bad!" and other times she is just so happy that he is there - difficult little dog.

He has at last started to leave the cat alone - probably out of major respect for her he has had since she bought in a pidgeon and growled at him cos he tried to sniff it - the cat is only about 3kg's and he has been very deferential since then! :D

Cleo this sounds very much like Zac and Freddie,your dogs seem fine Zac and Freddie
always seem to want the same toy I let them play both growling at each other and big
paw punches out but never got nasty?no alpha one with mine at the moment
unless it seeems to be a real fight I would leave them

Pat xx

Hello cleopatra
I would leave the dogs to sort it out for themselves. Dont give either preferential treatment. As Julie says the alpha of the pack is you, and you should step in when they are getting argumentative with each other and it may get out of hand.
The bitch is usually the dominant, however if you are providing adequate leadership they may not have a heirarchy struggle. As long as they are not being overly nasty to each other let them deal with it in their own way.
Regards Mick.