How to deal with sibling rivalry in multi-dog households

[bigdoglover]

Inside Bay Area

By Lisa Simmons



AT THE RISK of going down the anthropomorphizing trail a bit, when it comes to dogs it really is amazing how human-like their behavior can be. This can be especially evident when you have more than one dog in the family and the "sibling" rivalry begins.

If you have a multi-dog home and start to notice things don't seem to be going as smoothly as they once were — they are starting to have spats when they had none before, they suddenly have a problem "sharing" when they had no problem before — sibling rivalry is starting to rear its ugly head.

But don't despair; even though you can't sit them down and give them a lecture, if you're on the lookout for the signs you can take appropriate action to keep your home happy.


Dogs have a very strict social hierarchy, and once they have established the rules for their hierarchy they usually live rather peaceful and harmonious lives. Sure, they'll have the occasional tiff, but for the most part things will be just fine.

Sibling rivalry occurs when dogs start to have problems with their perceived place in their "pack" — your family. If you have one dog and you bring another into the mix who is pretty much on the same level as your current dog — such as the same sex (especially from the same litter), age or breed — problems will often arise because the animals are so similar. They are vying for the same position with neither willing to back down.

Some common signs of rivalry that dogs display are prolonged eye contact with each other, body stiffening and attempts to place their paws over the rival's shoulders. Accompanying vocalizations can range from high-pitched yips and whines to growling like a grizzly bear.

When you see signs of sibling rivalry with the canines in your family, be careful that you are not causing or increasing it. Humans tend to be more compassionate toward the "underdog," and we can make things worse when we start protecting or showing favoritism toward one dog.

One of the worst things we can do is to interfere with the hierarchy the dogs are establishing. An interesting thing about their hierarchy is that it can be different for different things, and it can change over periods of time. One of your



dogs may be top dog when it comes to choosing who sleeps where, while the other is top dog at dinnertime. Or one of your dogs may be top dog all the time.

Try to determine which of your dogs is the dominant dog by observing their personalities, and if they are a particular breed do some research on breed characteristics. Top dogs will almost always be first in line for petting, eating, treats or going in and out of doors.


The best thing you can do to avoid sibling rivalry in multi-dog homes is to help prevent it from starting by making sure that your dog is well socialized. Most trainers today realize the importance of socialization and offer puppy classes to help get them started off on the right paw.

Spaying or neutering your dogs is also important. This not only helps with the pet overpopulation problem, it can also help reduce some hormonally fueled domination tendencies.

Make sure that your dogs receive lots of exercise, and if you have older dogs it is never too late to take them to obedience classes, too. In some more difficult cases (your dogs' rivalry is escalating into full-blown and frequent fighting) consult a behaviorist to assess the dynamics problem and to help you and your dogs reach an amicable ar-


rangement. Whatever you do, don't punish either dog; you will only make things worse.

Living with multiple dogs is wonderful, but it can have its trying moments. Learning as much as we can about their behavior and how to appropriately interact with them will ensure that everyone knows their place in the family and feels happy and secure in that knowledge.



Lisa Simmons is executive director of Pets In Need, the first no-kill animal rescue and adoption shelter serving the Peninsula and Silicon Valley. Founded in 1965, Pets In Need receives no federal, state or local government support. Write to Info@PetsInNeed.org or visit http://www.PetsInNeed.org.

[nitag]

i also recommend "feeling outnumbered? how to manage and enjoy your multi-dog household" by Karen London and Patricia McConnell (who also authored "the other end of the leash"