Old dog question

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chestnut cob

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Well, not exactly old dog question as younger dog having a problem with old dog...

We've got two dogs, both dalmatians. The older boy is 13 and the bitch is 8 (I think). We've had both since a few weeks old and they usually get on brilliantly. However, the older dog has got quite "old" in the last few months, if that makes sense. He is still well in himself and enjoying life; still goes for a 4 mile walk every morning, spends all day out in the garden in the summer etc, but is just older, a bit stiff and iffy eyesight. None of this is a problem, just make extra allowances for him and be aware that sometimes he is a bit slower. While he's still dying to go for a walk in the morning we figure he's still ok
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The problem we have is with the bitch. The dog used to be the boss and she always knew she was bottom of their little pack of two. Now that he's older she has really started to get quite nasty. If he walks past her she will growl and snap at him, even when he's just walking past her to get somewhere else. She's fine when they're out walking or active, but she's getting very territorial over things like beds. Someone also has to stay with them when they are fed now as she will try to take his food away/get into his bowl.

I was really just wondering if anyone had any advice on how to handle this? I'm sure it's natural for a younger dog to behave like this towards an older dog but how do we handle this in the house? The dog is by no means at the end of his time but I think she is starting to scare him a bit, as she really can be quite nasty. She's never bitten and generally she's not a nasty dog
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I know this happens with cats too, as the older one gets weaker the younger one gets top dog/cat position and they can turn quite nasty. It's their version of wild behaviour and in the wild the weaker one would probably be killed.

I think I've seen advice on here before that said the owner needs to take top dog place very firmly so both dogs are 'underdogs'with no particular one above the other.
 
I had a problem similar to this with my 2 bitches. Sage got to 2 and started attacking Matty who was 8. She literally laid into her for no apparent reason. We also have a dog rottie who did not get involved. In our case we think Sage was reaching maturity and pushing Mat off top spot but poor old Matty never retaliated and ended up at the vets twice for stitches. I now have a remote training collar on Sage, it is her last chance, if this doesn't stop her she will have to be muzzled which she hates. So far it is working and I have used it only once. Also I do step in if I see the warning signs and they both get a telling off.
 
Totally agree, with OOTP, the reason my dogs treat my old bitch like royalty..........ME.......they know they would be in big trouble if they over stepped the mark this way.......they would get a good cesar style dig from me.......if I ever caught them so much look at her in the wrong way, or attempt to go near her food bowl,they would have me to answer to, not her.

It's a simple pack technique, she feels it's her time to rein.........but that is your job.
 
Thanks CALA. Please don't misunderstand, she isn't allowed to get away with it and she does get told off for it but we can't be next to her all of the time. She isn't like it all of the time either, just tries her luck. It seems to be more when she is lying on a bed and he walks past, as if to say "it's mine".

I think I was more just wondering if there was anything else we could be doing, or is it just a case of telling off when she does it?
 
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I had a problem similar to this with my 2 bitches. Sage got to 2 and started attacking Matty who was 8. She literally laid into her for no apparent reason. We also have a dog rottie who did not get involved. In our case we think Sage was reaching maturity and pushing Mat off top spot but poor old Matty never retaliated and ended up at the vets twice for stitches. I now have a remote training collar on Sage, it is her last chance, if this doesn't stop her she will have to be muzzled which she hates. So far it is working and I have used it only once. Also I do step in if I see the warning signs and they both get a telling off.

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Thankfully it's never got to that stage. He's 13 now and I think she's just sensing that he's an old dog. When he was younger (in fact probably up until about 12 months ago), she wouldn't have dared look at him sideways because he would have put her in her place. She has always been very submissive to him generally; tried it on a few times but was put straight back in her place by the dog. Now that he's weaker she's getting mouthy, for want of a better word.
 
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I know this happens with cats too, as the older one gets weaker the younger one gets top dog/cat position and they can turn quite nasty. It's their version of wild behaviour and in the wild the weaker one would probably be killed.

I think I've seen advice on here before that said the owner needs to take top dog place very firmly so both dogs are 'underdogs'with no particular one above the other.

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That's what I would have thought too but we've been given other advice from someone who does a lot of dog showing and has working dogs, who says when she does it she should be ignored and a fuss made of the older dog. Also suggested the dog is fed first etc to reinforce her position at the bottom of the "pack".
 
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This technique does not always work......certainly not making a fuss, this can actually lead to more jelousy and aggression.

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I wondered about that.

So I guess the way forward is just that whenever she does it, she just gets a sound telling off and otherwise just keep treating them equally?
 
Yep, very firm, my whippey x grey, she is 15 does sleep in my room and gets to lie in the rug in front of the fire, and the other have to make their own space and they sleep on beds in kitchen, so she does get privelages, but I don't make a huge physical fuss of her infront of the other dogs. are all equal, but they respect her, even though she is not physically capable of defending herself, if a fight broke out, but I never leave her with any young boisterous dogs or ones that may challenge her when im not there, she is in the living room, or in my bed
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They
 
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