Sibling Rivalry A Troublesome Thought

Posted: June 19, 2009

Dear Miss Fifi.

Hi Fifi. We have a 1 year old Beagle, George. We got him from a breeder at 3 months old and for the past 9 months, he has been our 'only child'. Just yesterday, we adopted a 1 year old shepherd mix, Remy, and she is very sweet and loving. Before bringing her into the home, we introduced them twice and they had play dates and all seemed to go well. Last night, when we made her move official, George seemed to be very territorial and borderline aggressive with her ... biting her legs and tail relentlessly for hours and even into the overnight. He loves to play and gets along with other dogs. He's very social, so we cannot tell if this is play behavior or dominant behavior. Despite Remy's attempts to tell George that she doesn't want to play so roughly and/or that she doesn't want him biting her, he continues on. And even into the morning.

Also, when Remy picks up chew toys that George has never touched EVER, George barks at her until she drops it and then starts chewing. Interesting since prior to her coming, he didn't want anything to do with those chew toys. Even when we give them both a chew toy, he won't touch his and will go over and harasses Remy until she released hers. We need help knowing whether or not this is 'normal' and what the typical length of the 'transition period' is for these types of situations. We understand that George will display some dominance as he's been the only dog in the house his entire life, but we are fearful that this behavior will not subside. And how do we deal with it until it does? Any tips or guidance would be so helpful.

- Kristin O'Connor

~~~

Dear Kristin:

Oh dear, dear. Sibling rivalry is always troublesome, particularly when it's so unexpected. Miss Fifi is an only dog, and my feline assistant Dilettante Dilly doesn't count in the same regard, so I would guess that talking with your vet would be the best suggestion. It most definitely sounds like George is having trouble adjusting to Remy's permanence in the family, especially since he's showing interest in items he previously poo-poohed. Unfortunately, I think each dog responds differently to new situations, so I don't think there's any standard timing on transition periods. Poor Remy ...

You could also try consulting a pet behavior specialist; WRAL.com has a fine listing and you'll likely be able to find one in your area.

Good luck. Woof!

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Sounds like my two also. Buddy (male) came a few days before Little Bit (female) and Little Bit is the one who tries to dominate. They rough house and bite and growl but it's all in fun (otherwise I think I'd have been cleaning up a lot of blood and fur). She still insists on taking the object he is playing with at the time. He just seems to grin and bear it. So I would say it's play and dominance and they should become best buds like my two. Good luck!

cbarnett
June 19, 2009 4:24 p.m.

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You need to give them time, however long it takes to adjust. If I give our two dogs the same treat/bone, our younger one (who has been with us 5 years) will put hers down and harass the other one until he drops it then steals his. Sometimes he will pick hers up then, other times she will take both and we take one away and give it to him, then he doesn't want it. She is just showing dominance and they rarely get into it, but on occasion they do. You have to show both lots of attention, and let them know you are the boss. If one really gets snappy or nasty, he/she gets told to stop and is ignored for a while - they do NOT like that! They crave attention!