My partner and I live sepreatley at our parents homes, after a dispute he needs to move in with me and my family and bring his two dogs with him. The only problem is I already have a dog (staffordshire bull terrior) that is very dominant and although he is not aggresive to other dogs he doesnt like them very much and hasnt been socialisd with ther dogs much. He has two springer spaniels that will play with other dogs, the bitch is not a problem, the dog is, he can be grumpy and i think the two dogs will clash. He can also be agressive with people, we got kicked out of a training class because he growled at the teacher! which is what we went there for help with!
We have tried to get them together before and nothing happened but it was tense. we are going to try and walk them together which i dont think will be mch of a problem. however when we do try to move them in i am worried it wont work.
Can anyone give me any tips that would really help? We need this to work and i would appreciate any advice

HI. Welcome to the forum.

Be prepared for things to be hard. If you do, then you won't feel let down!

I got my 3rd rescue in January and it took months for the fights to stop. The first 2 rescue's have problems, so I knew it wasn;t going to be easy. It didn't help that the third rescue was not neutered.

Home territory is always going to be the hardest.

Are all the dogs neutered?

Walking them together is the fastest way to create a pack. The more they walk together and do nice things together, then the better.

In my opinion the staff, not being great with other dogs, not being socialised well and having two playful springers is a potential problem. Even worse, if in particular the staff is not neutered.

You will need to keep the dogs seperate when you are out without a doubt. I would also not let them sleep together yet. I would allow them to eat together, because that is what a pack does. But you need to be aware, that this is a potential hotspot for problems.

I don't wish to sound all doom and gloom, but I speak from my own experience and also the fact that dogs can become quite territorial (especially un-neutered ones)

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Lilly, Max, Henry and Sammy. The joys of my life!

www.rescueremedies.co.uk
www.staffierescue.co.uk

On another note, I would be looking again at addressing the staffs problems. If you have had this dog since a pup, then it really should not be having the problems you have stated. A puppy is like a blank canvas, you create the end result.

Don't wish to sound hard, but find another class.

Where do you live?

__________________


Lilly, Max, Henry and Sammy. The joys of my life!

www.rescueremedies.co.uk
www.staffierescue.co.uk

Step 1. get both males neutered. It is unlikely 2 entire males with ever co- habitate happily unless from puppyhood, especially if you add a bitch into the mix.

Step 2. get the males to meet on the lead in neutral territory OUTSIDE and walk them slowly getting closer and closer until they can walk side by side. Give plenty of positive reinforcements; which can be a treat, a pat on the head, verbal praise or a toy. Practice practice practice this.

Step 3 Same as step 3 but introduce the bitch to the walks.

Step 4. Same as step 2 but Inside on Neutral terrtory

Step 5. Same as step 4 but bring the bitch along.

Step 6 get all dogs together for a walk and then return to the place they will all call home. Keep them on leads for a start.

Keep all food bowls off the floor except at meal times and feed in different areas of the house. Packs do not eat together at the same time, they eat one after the other depending on rank so mealtimes are a flashpoint. Keep the dogs out of the room when preparing food. Let the dogs sleep in separate rooms. Eveyone has their own bed. Make several water bowls available. Continue with positive reinfocement when they are all together in the same room. Make being together a good thing.

Do not leave them alone together until they have bonded as a pack.

If there are spats between the males muzzle them with humane basket muzzles until things calm down.


Good luck.

it was the male springer that was the one that got kicked out of the class. The staff is great with people just not socialised with dogs. We cant seem to find any other classes, we asked the vets but they keep telling us about the same one. He was moved about a bit when he was young and had to stay with someone else for a while which is when the problems started. both males are un- neutered but we have been considering neutering the springer.

Thanks for you help, We really appriciate it, we will start with the walking, maybe take it slow to be on the safe side

For starters your vet should be made aware that the class is advising is not up to the job, a bad trainer makes a bad behavior worse! If you take a dog to a class for growling you cannot be thrown out for showing the behavior the need to help you correct! What a waste of space of a trainer is that? A growling is a warning which says to you I don't want to bite you, really can you stop that... Find out what needs stopping in the human behavior. You need a behaviourist that understands dogs. Many travel the distance, or else study very close the patterns of the growls, keep a diary if you have to. You need to find the reason he does this... Sorry we have gone off topic, here and I should have put this on the other thread...

Walking all the dogs together is you best bet, start this before you all move in so they are acquainted. Some dogs take several separate leash walks before they are comfortable with each other, indoors they might still get at each other... the slower you take thing the sooner you are likely to succeed.

hey i know its been a while but i need a little help. we have been walking the dogs together for a while and had them in the garden together a couple of times still on the lead. the two dogs are getting along really well so far, the dog that growls doesnt do it much anymore, only when hes tired and a bit grumpy. even then he continues wagging his tail, never growls at the other dog. The Staffordshire bull terrior is happy to walk with them but in the garden keeps trying to hump the female (she has been spayed), he wont stop. she has growled a little to warn him away, that stops him for a few moments and he tries. hes even tried to hump the dog. we want to stop this without having to neuter him. any tips?

I would think that getting both males neutered is the best option. Why do you not want the staffy neutered? Heaalthwise it is best to neuter as to avoid some serious illnesses down the line. If you are wanting to have him as a sire - l would say just check the rescue homes out, as the majority of dogs that can't find homes are staffies. Any future pups from him could possibly end up in a shelter.
I'll apologise now if you have no intention of using him as a stud dog but so many dogs are needing homes, that breeding more is just aggravating the problem. I feel totally ashamed that l bought my dogs now, any in the future will be rescued as is all of my cats. So l am a bit of a kettle calling the pot black due to ignorance.

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xxx Kittysoo & The Mutts

Hello

Applause for all the time and hard work you have put into getting the dogs socialised

IMO the only way to stop the humping is neutering. Do you mind if I ask why you are against neutering?