Dominance or normal puppy behavior?

[Jamie_Dog_Trainer]

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You are correct in some ways. You have a very good point. However, (

) I did say if the behavoir doesn't stop she should address it. I have seen this kind of behavior go over well when the puppy was little just to have it continue till there was a huge dog fight "out of the blue" one day. Of course its not out of the blue, it was building since the owners decided to allow it to work itself out.

If it continues longer than another week or two I would definately address it.

ETA however at this time its not a huge deal.

 

[Redyre Rotties]

I don't interfere in dog interactions unless someone is about to get hurt.

Puppies hump. Other dogs, you, objects, feh, they don't really care.

Puppies annoy older dogs/puppies ENDLESSLY. This is part of their learning and socialization to other dogs. Almost all older dogs will tolerate every annoying bratty behavior a little puppy can come up with until they are about 4 months old.

Then what we like to call the "puppy passport" expires, and most dogs will begin to correct the puppy as if it were an adult dog. In my breed this involves a lot of knocking over, lots of very loud growling, horrifying displays of teeth, and sometimes the grabbing of the throat area and lying on the puppy.

Again, I DON'T interfere. The dog is teaching the puppy valuable lessons that it will use later in life to turn off aggression in other dogs. In addition, between your two dogs, one will be more dominant over the other. You cannot pick which one is which. So for me, it is better to just let nature take its course and allow them to sort it out over time.

Exceptions are puppies annoying senior dogs, or dogs with illnesses or other special needs, and if there is an extreme size/weight difference.

FWIW, I would not leave 2 same sex dogs together unsupervised, or unconfined, ever.

 

[Becky89*]

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I think its a puppy thing cause my Rocket use to do it to his dog bed and other things, he then grew out of it and stopped. Rocket knows that Rose is the dominant dog in the house and she owns my mom. Rocket is four and Rose is nine and Rocket is my dog, my hip attachment. He comes to me for anything and everything.

 

[gritsar]

Well the behavior stopped after one day, although I understand it could pop up again in the future. Either Jax did something to correct Kane that I didn't see or Kane decided on his own that it wasn't a good idea. Kane hasn't tried it again with the cats either, but then again the cats have taught him that they have "stickers" and know how to use them, so he's learning a healty respect.
Redyre, I don't understand the statement "I would not leave 2 same sex dogs together unsupervised, or unconfined, ever". Jax and Kane are together 24/7 and would sleep in the same crate if I let them. Kane has found himself different cubby holes throughout the house and yard that he can run and duck behind when big brother plays too rough. For his part, Jax is good about using gentle reminders to Kane when he's had enough. From talking to many GSDs owners (DH's knows a few as well as belonging to a GSD forum) we've been given the impression that raising two male GSDs together is not only possible, but preferable to raising two female GSDs together; so long as there are no females around.
I've never had two male dogs together before, but DH recollects a time when this farm always had at least 5 hound dogs lounging around the place and guarding the livestock. All unaltered males, it was rare for farm folk to alter dogs back then, and all ruled by one scrawny little hound mix named Perkins. Very little if any fighting except when Perkins had to remind someone of their place in the pack.
I'm not arguing with you, just trying to better understand that statement.

 

[redhen]

I leave my 3 dogs unsupervised together all the time... all are fixed though. (2 males and 1 female)

I have an older Saint.(he'll be 3 in June..).. and my other male is a 15 month old male Mastiff...
They get along fine...but every once in a while..when Duke (older Saint) has had enough of Major (younger Mastiff) i will hear ONE loud warning bark from Duke....and Major stops bothering him right away.. (Major still likes to tug at Dukes feet and ears and just be puppy annoying....

)
Now my female..she wont take any crap off of Major at all...not even when he was a very young pup... When the other dogs would let the puppy major crawl all over them and bite their ears..she would turn around and snap at him...and hed sit right down and behave...

God...i hope i never have a dog fight between a Saint Bernard and an English Mastiff... god help me...

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
You know, one time when we were at the breeders, they let two young male pups (maybe 4 - 5 months old) out with the sire. Those pups were all about aggravating their sire - jumping all over him, tugging on his tail - and he just stood there and let them until he'd had enough. Then he gave them "a look" and the pups found better things to do with their time. Then they let Jax's dam out. She tolerated none of their puppy nonsense. I noticed both pups licking at both the sire and dam's mouths. Kane does the same thing to Jax and I know that's a sign of submission, even if Kane does try to act like he's the boss the rest of the time.

 

[redhen]

See...must be a female thing..weird. I know i dont have much patience...

Daisy must be the same..

 

[StupidBird]

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His food, Jax's food. He even convinced the cats to knock their bowl down once in awhile. If it's on the floor and smells anything like food it's history.
He didn't however help himself to the hamburgers last night. That was allllll Jax.

- love this post -
I agree with all. Consistent discipline. I had the impeccable timing of getting our Doberman puppy and becoming pregnant the same time.

Unable to bend late in the pregnancy, "Molly, Cleanup", was so ingrained in that dogs brain, that no matter what was going on, if I hollered that, she would come. (god, I miss that dog)

 

[Jamie_Dog_Trainer]

Quote:
I agree with you, if an older dog is correcting a puppy I don't interfere. I WILL intefere if the pup is displaying a behavior that I find unacceptable in conjuntion with the adult dog not doing anything about it. For example puppy constantly tries to interefere with attention I give to other older dog, or at treat time the pup will try and steal from older dog without said older dog trying to keep it from happening. There is always a time to step in and a time to let things go.

 

[walkswithdog]

I have kept and continue to keep over six dogs, some of both sexes, together 24/7. When I leave some of the time I segment groups into different rooms. Two in the bedroom four in the main room, puppies in their crates, two in the kitchen, all gated. Shepherds and a pit bull, herder mixes and LGDs, and the weird little frenchbulldog/chihuahua. Only the bullchit and the pit bull ever got into it and it's the little bullchit who's starting it out of his history of fear of pits. I placed the Pit. But if a pack is really, a pack and things are actually worked out in the pack - then a pack can and does live together well. Rescues I'm uncertain of are crated. It's true I would not have Rotts out together and unsupervised, they've a history of spatting with each other or worse as a breed. That's okay, it's their nature and people should understand that.

But NO dog is ever allowed to hump anyone or anything here ever. It may be natural behavior but I don't like it, just like I don't like peeing on my furniture, eating my furniture, or digging in my couch. So it doesn't happen. I've seen a dog that takes it too far, too often start fights in the past and it's not necessary. So not on my watch. And I've seen a dog that grew up somewhere else learn to do it all the time - people, pillows, bedding and other dogs, and do it to a strange dog and get their heads handed to them on a plate. It's NOT polite doggy behavior. I do a ton of rescue, most people who adopt don't like it, strange dogs don't tolerate it, and dogs are dumped in shelters when it becomes excessive or leads to fights, it's undesireable. They also dig where I tell them they can and stop barking when I say to. Those are also natural and undesireable in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Much of which dogs can be packed together and tolerate each other is individual and by breed tolerance for it. It's not common in large bunches of shepherds who are often same sex aggressive - but not all are, it's not common for same sex rotts to be able to form large packs, but individuals also vary. I happen to have kept 6-8 shepherds of both sexes together successfully for the duration of their lives, mother, father, two sons and two daughters and a late addition female. I'm down to a brother/sister and the additional girl, and my rescued weirdnesses, acd/jrt, bullchit, two female pyrs, sigh one leaving Friday to foster then adoption, and lol okay the rescue pups but they're only here for three weeks. They're not mixed in with the group often. But I add in PYRS and other LGDs each month for a week or three, full grown, mid growth or puppy. I rarely have a problem. And with the Pyrs it's usually impressive sounding but little in the way of damage.

Depends on your breed, your time, the individuals and knowing the dogs you do have.