Tackling aggressive behaviour in our pack of dogs
Posted by Fiona Nevile in Min Pin dogs | 13 comments
Over the past weeks since Daisy Beatyl died we have been having problems with Inca. She is determined to be top dog and if there’s a fight she always wins. She is slightly heavier than the stag red Min Pins and has a much more dominant personality.
When Great Aunty Daisy B was alive, Inca used to test the domination boundaries with our Senior Dog. GADB was patient with the pup but finally would turn into a snapping, scary beast that had Inca backing off immediately. Beatyl’s jaws were large.
The stag red Min Pins are much quieter and more laid back than the black and tan Min Pins. I had tussles with Fly through his life and in the end we called a truce. Looking back, I reckon that we both believed that we were the dominant one and that’s how we rubbed along. He could extend a huff into a week or so of not speaking. Inca displays the same characteristics. I hate to admit this but I always crack before she does. Perhaps this is part of the problem.
Nowadays, Dr Quito loves Inca and is happy to comply with her wishes, up to a point. The Contessa puts up much more of a fight so the tussles between two female Min Pins standing their ground over a toy, biscuit or Dr Q is a daily ritual. Although they can also be very sweet together, licking each other and preening together. Any red flag possibilities of a fall out has to be catered for – feeding is supervised diligently. No one really wins indoors but when a red paw crosses the back door step into the garden, it is into a war zone as far as Inca is concerned and ahe is wearing her ‘enemy’ hat.
Inca is small enough to hide behind a large garden pot and sturdy enough to successfully ambush the redheads as they trot by. Her adoptive siblings are easy targets, almost inviting attack as they stand on the outdoor step to sniff the air. In the end, with the prospect of bullying and nips, the redheads started not to want to go out into the garden at all. As this is the place where they relieve themselves it could have become a real problem. And why should they have to put up with this aggressive behaviour? It’s their home too after all.
I decided to accompany them on their forays into the garden. A minder with a two inch water pistol. Inca ignored our posse until the redheads gained confidence and ventured off alone. Indoors, I was top dog and Inca obeyed me. Outdoors it was a different territory altogether. If I got angry with Inca all Min Pins shot into the kitchen. If I remained calm and firm the small black dog ran rings around us all.
Finally I decided that we needed to invest in a giant water pistol. We needed one with firepower of at least 15-20 feet. A weapon that held a decent amount of water so that attacks could be sustained. I’m stubborn but compared to a Min Pin…
It took us some time to find the water reservoir and arm the beast. Today I discovered that if you squeeze the water reservoir along with the trigger you have more than a short sharp shock in your hands. I haven’t needed to test this feature. On the first afternoon I scored a couple of gentle bulls’ eyes. Inca, like all Min Pins, hates water so backed off and got on with her own solo projects.
Now she just doesn’t seem interested in dominating the other dogs when she sees me standing beside the back door garishly armed. The pistol lies on the top of the hedge beside dog flap in the back door. An easy to grab reminder that I’m sure that the redheads would love to be able to use themselves.
Leave a reply
Hi Fiona,
Well, the pecking order at my house;
a border collie,
a chesapeak bay retriever,
a australian sheep dog,
and a labrador retriever.
All female, and all slipped into their places without a major fight. Minor tussle, yes, but no major fights.
My secret? All fixed at the youngest age the vet would do them at.
And god bless squirt guns, how else would I shut off my “furry door bells”?
A glance at the little water pistol in hand is enough to send most of the cats running, the dog slinks away with tail between her legs! We very rarely need to use it these days 😉
I agree with Pam, I have two young Golden Retrievers and have always used Jan Fennells techniques which work well. I have all her books and still occasionally refer to them should an issue with the dogs arise, she always makes sense.
I’m a great fan of Cesar Milan, the Dog Whisperer, who seems to be able to sort out dominance issues very quickly. Presumably you leave the MinPins alone together during the day when you are working so there is hope for a happy pack of dogs when the pecking order is sorted out.
All this strategic manoevering for top dog status is highly entertaining!
We’re a no-dog household, but rying to ‘herd’ two cats is a whole other story…
Celia 🙂
Have you read any of Jan Fennell’s books? She is the Dog Listener and she is just fantastic talking about being the Alpha Leader of your pack. I have been to her home on a course and it is wonderful to see how all the dogs there know their place. She explains all dog behaviour – from the point of view of the dog – then it makes much more sense.
(Great site !)
We have two dogs from the same litter and their scraps used to be really scary. It was tempting to step in particularly as one is the runt. However, they are now fine even over bones. So, I’m with Sharon J on this one.
BTW I used a water pistol on the larger dog for bad behaviour together with a verbal command – now just the verbal command is enough as he associates it with a soaking.
Tell us how it goes.
Bitches are the most difficult dogs to keep together and will, at times, fight to the death.
I don’t think your water pistol will work in the long run other than to enforce your own position as top dog – when you’re not around, the problem’s bound to persist as THEY still haven’t any real pecking order below you.
Unfortunately, there are only two real solutions. One is to let them get on with it (with supervision) until they’ve sorted their pecking order or, if things get too bad between them, to keep them separated when they’re outdoors.
Good luck.
I have three boys two terriers aged 6 and a puppy Italian Spinone aged 7 mths and weighing 5.5 stone. In the end the two terriers who are brothers were taken to the vet and lost some precious assets which has calmed them down a great deal and we have not had a major fight since.
They terrorise the puppy despite his size but they do keep him in line if he gets silly. I do hope that his very gentle temprement means that he will not make a play for the dominant possition as he grows up as he would do some serious damage if he were to attack the smaller dogs.
Well, MinPins are much the same as Dachshunds in this. Dominance issues between females can be serious and can erupt over nothing at all — at least from our perspective.
I had my one and only hammer and tongs fight outdoors with two females on leads — both with ideas about the same squirrel. One of them is a little handicapped. It was a cold winter day and both were wearing coats, which avoided serious injury. I was very shocked and shaken by it, and it hasn’t happened since, perhaps because I am on the watch for trouble.
My advice is to continue to keep an eye on it and, if necessary seperate the females when you are out, if they are still eyeing each other.
Philippa