We have a bit of a green-eyed monster

[conuly]

When Finn goes near something Moonpie considers hers, she tends to lunge and steal whatever it is back. If she thinks she can get away with it (she can't) she'll snap at him at the same time.

95% of the time they get along fine, but that 5% of that time is killer. I've been handling it the same way I handle similar issues with cats, by putting Moonie out the door for a few minutes, but results are slow. She's gradually switched to waiting for Finn to drop whatever-it-is on his own, then stealing it back from him, which... I guess is progress? I need to put these dogs in training, stat. At least they're in the same weight class.

In other news, Finn has learned to fetch! Well, I mean, he's learned the chasing part of fetch.

Comments

[miss_s_b]

Roxy is ALWAYS stealing Spike's precious things.

[conuly]

It's not the stealing that concerns me so much as the occasional snapping when she does it.

[miss_s_b]

This is a fair point.

[elenbarathi.livejournal.com]

"I've been handling it the same way I handle similar issues with cats, by putting Moonie out the door for a few minutes, but results are slow."

Nope nope. Dogs (even poodles) aren't cats, and their minds don't work that way. When Moonpie acts aggressively to Finn over one of her toys, scold her verbally in an "I'm very disappointed" tone while taking the toy away from both of them and putting it up somewhere for a while.

Like it or not, dogs are as territorial about their possessions as toddlers are, and it is not reasonable to expect them to share everything. I understand that the lunging-and-snapping looks awful from a human perspective, and that you don't want it to continue, but remember that dogs have their own time-tested ways of solving dominance disputes. You will NEVER have two 'equal' dogs in a house, because that isn't how dogs roll.

Moonpie was there first, and is therefore dominant. Punishing her for acting dominant in normal dog-dominance situations will cause you more behavioral problems in the long run. What you need to do is support her dominance, i.e. stop letting Finn get away with taking her stuff.

[conuly]

Finn isn't taking her stuff. Moonpie is taking stuff I've given to Finn (like treats) or else reacting to Finn being somewhere in the vicinity of her toys. Or, once, being in the vicinity of me, and excuse me, I am not Moonpie's exclusive possession. (I'm Callie's, and she's very put out at having to share her room with dogs.)

I don't particularly care if they do share, but I don't want her snapping at him.

[elenbarathi.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the snapping is unacceptable, and merits a stern "Moonpie, be nice!" - putting her out of the room is too harsh, though, and will only increase her jealousy. If you give treats to one, you have to give to both, and being Top Dog, Moonpie should get hers first.

Heh, when James's Shelties were still alive, I had to give them exactly the same of everything, simultaneously, or there'd be Trouble. They'd lived together for years, and got along fine, as long as neither thought he was being slighted.

Alas, I really miss "meine kleine Schnackhunds" when there's food spilled on the floor or dishes to 'pre-rinse' before going in the dishwasher: they never had to be called twice!

[conuly]

I always give treats to both dogs at the same time. Even if it's a treat I know Moonie doesn't want - like plain boiled potatoes! - I let her decide that on her own. Sometimes more than once....