# Not getting along all of a sudden



## stmcfred (Aug 13, 2013)

Lola has been fighting with Connor for about a week or two now. I'm not sure what to do. They get along fine one moment then the next all heck breaks out and I have to pull them apart. 

Lola is the more dominant one and is always the one that starts it. 

For instance, today I was doing some stretching. Lola was laying in the corner of the room (not too far away) and Connor came in the room and up to me. Lola quickly gets up and then I have to pull them apart. I told Lola no and put her in the crate. 

Earlier today it was because Connor had a toy she wanted. I did go through the house and put away ALL toys, bones, etc.. I had been giving them treats and bully sticks while they are separated for a while now because of that. 

Yesterday, it was because Connor took a drink out of her bowl. And several other times, where I'm not even sure what happened. I ended up crating Lola for a while because they just kept at it.

I really need to fix this issue, but I don't know how. I know Lola doesn't care of other dogs but her and Connor have always played well together until recently. 

Oh, and it's only in the house. Outside they play awesome together. 

Lola is 7 months old, unspayed. Connor is 9 years and neutered. He's a 90 pound mixed breed.


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## stmcfred (Aug 13, 2013)

Anyone?


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## Baillif (Jun 26, 2013)

I'd either manage them separately unless I was around to monitor them or start punishing (think physical punishment not time outs) Lola for starting stuff or messing with Connor or a combination of the two.


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## Blanketback (Apr 27, 2012)

I wonder if she's acting like this because she's going into heat? That's something I don't know anything about. I do know that if you want to stop this behavior, you have to intervene long before it gets to the point of pulling them apart. Don't give her a chance to even try! As already mentioned, separate them - or if she's the sole instigator, then tether her when you can't intercept before it happens.


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## stmcfred (Aug 13, 2013)

I've been trying to manage them separately. It's hard because they are both my dogs and always want to be around me. When Lola isn't crated, she's at my side. Connor isn't always by me, but I'd say about 90% of the time he is. 

What do you mean by physical punishment? I don't keep her prong on her unless we are training, and I don't want to hit her. 



Baillif said:


> I'd either manage them separately unless I was around to monitor them or start punishing (think physical punishment not time outs) Lola for starting stuff or messing with Connor or a combination of the two.


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## Baillif (Jun 26, 2013)

Start keeping the prong on her then or get an e collar and use that. Sometimes training isnt sits downs and stays sometimes its dont be a jerk to my other dog.


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## Cheyanna (Aug 18, 2012)

It is likely she is about to go into heat. Fiona and her sister have been fighting for the last few weeks. They are both in heat now. We use the prong and keep them on a leash. Yesterday when they started growling at each other through the fence. I pulled Fiona's leash, made her go in a down and then rolled her on her side. I held her there until she calmed down. When you cannot supervise them, keep them separate.


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## stmcfred (Aug 13, 2013)

I never thought of that since she's 7 months. I don't know anything about females in heat as I've never had one. 

I don't know how to intervene long before it starts, because one moment they are the best of friends and it happens in such a split second. I do get them separated pretty quickly. She has growled a few times and I was able to get her calmed down before anything happened.

I can tether her to me, which I have before. But then anytime my other dog comes close to me she gets mad. 







Blanketback said:


> I wonder if she's acting like this because she's going into heat? That's something I don't know anything about. I do know that if you want to stop this behavior, you have to intervene long before it gets to the point of pulling them apart. Don't give her a chance to even try! As already mentioned, separate them - or if she's the sole instigator, then tether her when you can't intercept before it happens.


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## stmcfred (Aug 13, 2013)

I will keep the prong on her then. 



Baillif said:


> Start keeping the prong on her then or get an e collar and use that. Sometimes training isnt sits downs and stays sometimes its dont be a jerk to my other dog.


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## stmcfred (Aug 13, 2013)

I hope that's all it is. I do put her in a down/stay. I'll try rolling her over on her side next time. And she'll have a prong on.



Cheyanna said:


> It is likely she is about to go into heat. Fiona and her sister have been fighting for the last few weeks. They are both in heat now. We use the prong and keep them on a leash. Yesterday when they started growling at each other through the fence. I pulled Fiona's leash, made her go in a down and then rolled her on her side. I held her there until she calmed down. When you cannot supervise them, keep them separate.


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

Prongs and e-collars on a pup? Why not reward her good behavior in the presence of the other dog and body blocking her from him when she gives the first look, instead of creating a war zone and increasing the hatred for each other?


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## gsdsar (May 21, 2002)

Honestly it sounds like resource guarding. I would treat it as such. She needs strong NILF. It's your house and she does not get to decide where the other dogs or sees or gets petted by. 


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## Blanketback (Apr 27, 2012)

If selzer doesn't see this thread, then send her a pm and ask about the heat issue. She's very helpful and has lots of experience there, so she can shed some light onto things. I have zero experience with this, but I've seen other threads where this has come up as a possible reason for sudden onset behavioral problems. 

If your pup is getting possessive over your personal space when she's tethered to you, then you need to reclaim this space. Tether her to a door handle, some furniture, or a couple of cinderblocks if you have to - but don't let her get away with this, it's unacceptable. 

I'm wondering how you got her settled down after her growling episodes. Unless you put your foot down, and told her this was unacceptable, she might have it in her cute little head that she's not doing anything wrong. 

You need to pay very close attention to both of them and try to figure out what's provoking this. Aside from guarding your space and hogging your attention, it could be that your older make is starting something too. It's pretty easy to tell when poop will hit the fan if you really watch their posture and facial expressions.

ETA: I don't recommend a prong correction and flipping her over unless you know for a fact, without a shadow of a doubt, that she's the instigator. Otherwise, you're going to be in the middle of something that has the potential to go very wrong. Even then, there are better ways to handle it.


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## stmcfred (Aug 13, 2013)

I'm open to any suggestions (well, besides hitting her and a e collar) I do praise her when they play nicely. And when they are both with me and no fighting. 

I don't want to make it where she's afraid to go near him, I want them to get along. Which they do sometimes. I haven't had any problems with them until recently. 



wolfy dog said:


> Prongs and e-collars on a pup? Why not reward her good behavior in the presence of the other dog and body blocking her from him when she gives the first look, instead of creating a war zone and increasing the hatred for each other?


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## stmcfred (Aug 13, 2013)

I said "No, enough" in a very firm tone and grab (not too hard) the fur on the back of her neck (she did not have a prong collar on). It did take a couple times of saying No, but she did stop growling and I then had her down. Then I praised her but didn't release the down. I had her stay there for a few minutes and she was fine after that. 



Blanketback said:


> I'm wondering how you got her settled down after her growling episodes. Unless you put your foot down, and told her this was unacceptable, she might have it in her cute little head that she's not doing anything wrong.


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## stmcfred (Aug 13, 2013)

Blanketback said:


> You need to pay very close attention to both of them and try to figure out what's provoking this. Aside from guarding your space and hogging your attention, it could be that your older make is starting something too. It's pretty easy to tell when poop will hit the fan if you really watch their posture and facial expressions.
> 
> ETA: I don't recommend a prong correction and flipping her over unless you know for a fact, without a shadow of a doubt, that she's the instigator. Otherwise, you're going to be in the middle of something that has the potential to go very wrong. Even then, there are better ways to handle it.



I am 100% sure it is Lola. Connor can be doing nothing but sitting by me and Lola will come up and start in on him.


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## stmcfred (Aug 13, 2013)

It does sound like it. I will check it out now.




gsdsar said:


> Honestly it sounds like resource guarding. I would treat it as such. She needs strong NILF. It's your house and she does not get to decide where the other dogs or sees or gets petted by.
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## Blanketback (Apr 27, 2012)

Yeah, that sounds good - I do that too. The only trouble with it is that sometimes the pups think that this attention is perfectly fine too, and then it can be reinforcing. I'd follow up with some crate time, or a long down/stay on a bed, and then also ignore the pup for a while. Show no mercy, lol. Without actual beatings, of course


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

gsdsar said:


> Honestly it sounds like resource guarding. I would treat it as such. She needs strong NILF. It's your house and she does not get to decide where the other dogs or sees or gets petted by.


I agree with this. I'd step up her obedience and really show her that she has to defer to you. Even if it is a heat cycle beginning, you don't want this behavior to continue. I noticed when Onyx was that age she started to control/herd my senior female Clover. She won the crate anytime she started in. When the seniors start failing, some younger dogs take that opportunity to be a bully.


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## Harry and Lola (Oct 26, 2013)

I've been through this is younger Harry and older Lola. 

To manage, I try and see what happened first because older Lola may have instigated a reaction from Harry or given him a hard nip and all I see and hear is the end of it. So if I can't work out what happened to make Harry act like an ejit, then I discipline both by making them sit on their mats, or put a lead on both of them at home and wander around with them on lead. 

I basically take control and make them perform some basic obedience.

Just remember, your Lola might be like my Harry - quite vocal! And sometimes we just don't see what happened to cause the reaction, so treat them both equally and discipline both together.


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## stmcfred (Aug 13, 2013)

Thanks. I work with her daily on obedience. I'll kick it up a notch though. 





onyx'girl said:


> I agree with this. I'd step up her obedience and really show her that she has to defer to you. Even if it is a heat cycle beginning, you don't want this behavior to continue. I noticed when Onyx was that age she started to control/herd my senior female Clover. She won the crate anytime she started in. When the seniors start failing, some younger dogs take that opportunity to be a bully.


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## gsdsar (May 21, 2002)

stmcfred said:


> Thanks. I work with her daily on obedience. I'll kick it up a notch though.



Not just obedience, though that will help. Deference. Sitting on command before feeding, staying in down while watching TV, moving out if your way as you walk, not demanding attention, that's what's gong to help. She needs to realize she does not get an opinion. Her age, heat imminent, she is going to push. You gotta push back. 


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## stmcfred (Aug 13, 2013)

Both my dogs are usually in the same room as I am. It's very rare that I am somewhere without a dog by my feet. Unless Lola is crated she is always by me. If I leave the room, she follows. So it makes it easy to figure out who starts it. 

The last several times something happened it was only because Connor approached me. I've taken away any toys and bones that had originally caused problems and that helped. 


When they do get into it, Lola is more vocal but Connor does bark back. Then he acts like the wounded victim. 

It did seem better today. Only one instance from this morning. I even had both dogs laying beside me peacefully today too.




Harry and Lola said:


> I've been through this is younger Harry and older Lola.
> 
> To manage, I try and see what happened first because older Lola may have instigated a reaction from Harry or given him a hard nip and all I see and hear is the end of it. So if I can't work out what happened to make Harry act like an ejit, then I discipline both by making them sit on their mats, or put a lead on both of them at home and wander around with them on lead.
> 
> ...


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## stmcfred (Aug 13, 2013)

I've always had her sit and wait for food, going out/in doors, etc.. I usually put her in a long down stay once a day. Either while I'm watching tv or working on the computer. I do really need to work on the demand attention thing. I need to work with Connor on that as well. 





gsdsar said:


> Not just obedience, though that will help. Deference. Sitting on command before feeding, staying in down while watching TV, moving out if your way as you walk, not demanding attention, that's what's gong to help. She needs to realize she does not get an opinion. Her age, heat imminent, she is going to push. You gotta push back.
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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