Living with multiple dogs can be a blessing, but it is not always easy.  Dogs have their own way when establishing rank in the household.  There is no way around it:  one dog will end up dominating the other.  Sometimes, though, the established rank gets blurry and an aggressive situation can arise.  You should make sure that you and your family are recognized as the leaders of the household, and then work on ways to ease the aggression.

Aggressive situations are easier to handle when you know what is going on.  Having a general understanding of how and why dogs establish rank can help you understand the root of the conflict.  Basically, dogs are pack animals.  Out in the wild, one of the pack members will establish himself as the leader.  The other dogs will respect that position, but sometimes challenges do arise.  In your home, your dogs will also establish one as the leader.  Their competitions for leadership include certain body postures, verbal communication, and dominant or submissive actions, such as mounting or rolling over.  These leadership-establishment actions normally do not end in aggressive behavior.  Instead, the dogs will accept their position.  It’s fairly easy to tell which of your dogs is dominant; just watch the way they interact.  In general, the dominant dog will have control over certain toys, or he may always be the first to be petted.

Problems with leadership and rank may arise for a number of reasons.  Bringing a new dog into the home is a sure way to shake up the ranks.  That is why there is in-depth literature about how to introduce a new dog to an existing one.  Read up; the information will definitely help!  Other shakes in the ranks include a dog passing away or leaving the home, a puppy maturing into the “challenge” phase, a previous animal being reintroduced into the home, or an animal becoming sick and relinquishing his position.

When you have a multi-dog household, you sometimes have to be more careful when it comes to “playing fair.”  The dogs have their rank:  one may control certain toys, while the other controls a certain area of the home.  With multiple dogs, it is important that you provide each dog his own food and water bowl, bed, and toys.  They may exchange belongings, but each should be provided with his own things.  When your dogs claim certain toys or areas of the home, it is important that you respect what they are doing.  Unless one pup is suffering or at a serious disadvantage, then you should let the dogs work things out.  Interfering with their “ownership” over certain belongings will only escalate the aggression.

Establishing rank is natural; the problems arise when the system is shaken.  An aggressive situation is serious, and it may require the help of a behavioral expert.  Never step between your dogs, because it is highly likely that you will get bitten.  If your dogs are “about” to quarrel, then take them outside where they cannot hurt themselves or anyone else in the household.  If a fight has already begun, use a water gun or a container to pour water over the dogs.  Don’t shout or yell, but do try to get their attention.  Having a whistle or noise maker handy always helps.  If your dogs are not spayed or neutered, then have this procedure done; it will help with the aggression.  A few small disputes are natural, but obvious aggression and fighting may require the help of a specialist.  

No matter which dog is the “top dog,” you should rank even higher on the list.  As long as you establish dominance early on, both dogs will respect you as the leader.  Encourage other members of the household to also gain dominance by participating in training routines.  You and your family must be the leaders in order to prevent a truly dominating pooch.

When you have multiple dogs, you should expect a few squabbles.  At times they squabble for fun, while other times they squabble for position in their ranks.  Problems arise when their hierarchy is shaken up; sometimes aggressive fighting may occur.  As an owner, it is important that you establish yourself and your family members at the top of the hierarchy from the second you bring home the first pooch.  You should be able to recognize aggression as opposed to natural disputing.  An aggressive situation should be handled by a specialist before anyone or any animal gets hurt.

 This article was written by pet-super-store.com an online pet store featuring dog carriers and dog strollers.