Tappy4me wrote:The newbie they have though, Rosco the Dutch mix-about 2 years old, neutered-and Rufus are both very dominant.
RAVEN wrote:Everyone in the dog world states that true dominant dogs are rare.
If that's the case, the likelihood of two aligning in the same house would be rare.
So the advice given has been given as preventative measures for two non-dominant dogs, yes?
Excellent point, and I would say "yes" because a majority of the time dogs are labeled dominant when they are really a bit insecure about the situation and are reacting to the pressure of said situation, not dominant per-se, because the behaviors are viewed by humans as dominant ones.
Cases in point...
Tyson is not a dominant dog. However, if another dog stares at him for too long, he exhibits behaviors that most would deem as "dominant" (tail high, raised hackles, etc). Tyson is a dog that needs space and dog introductions need to be managed appropriately. Staring is an invasion of space. The raised tail and hackles are a warning ("don't come any closer - I'm not ready"...not dominance. This goes back to knowing the subtleties of your own dog's body language.
Snickers is not a dominant dog, but he does resource guard. Many people attribute resource-guarding to dominance...it's not.
RAVEN wrote:Would the same advice be given putting two true dominant dogs together?
That is a good question. I guess it all depends on each dog and how they respond to pressure. I would say that it
could be done to some degree depending on the dogs, but would have to be evaluated and trained by an experienced trainer.
And honestly, depending on the level of situational insecurity in non-dominant dogs, the training can be just as intense and questionable. The key in either personality situation is determining how each dog handles and reacts to pressure and being able to manage that pressure. But that is just my
And sometimes 2 dogs just flat out don't like each other and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it except manage it. And if that is the case, the humans are in charge of managing life. For the record...Tyson and Snickers despise each other, but have learned (through OB and Base - which is place + relative space and relaxation) to co-exist. However, that does not mean that I let my guard down because each one will still try to seize certain opportunities. In the past when I've gotten too comfortable, I've looked up only to see Snickers hanging off of Tyson's side like a cancerous growth giving the death shake for all it's worth. And also in the past, I've had to rush Snickers to the vet to have a piece of his neck stitched back on.