CockersOnline Forum
Cocker Specific Discussion => Behaviour & Training => Topic started by: Stacey on February 11, 2008, 02:04:58 PM
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I have two cockers - Archie will be 2 in July and 1yr old Tia - both have been "done". Tia has been fighting/bullying Archie for the last 6 months to the point i can't take it anymore! I take them to a behaviourist everyweek for months but no improvement. Tia has huge jealously issues and thinks everyone/thing is hers. Archie has now had his ear ripped twice and is miserable :'(. What am i doing wrong? I feed them seperately to stop some of the fighting as well as walking and training them seperately.
Yesterday i went in to stop them fighting and Tia turned and bit me (not the first time either). Archie is like a poor henpecked husband - he just lays there cowering and screaming until i pull her off him.
Apart from this Tia is a perfect dog and is fine with other dogs - Archie just seems to bring out the worst in her and i don't know what to do other than rehome her. I want both of my dogs to be interactive with the rest of the family but at the moment im finding it hard.
Advice greatly needed.
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find another behaviourist... what advice have they given you???
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I've seen three! One said she was trying to be "top dog" over Archie and thats were the feeding seperately and walking seperatetly started. That works fine but Tia always finds something else to get the hump over! At the weekend my daughter dropped a tissue on the floor - Archie only looked up but in a flash Tia saw and thought he wanted it and went for the tissue and my daughter who was about to pick it up :-\
The other said it was jealously and guarding and said she needed boundarys. Also with the food aggression to trade one for the other etc - but didn't help with the Archie problems.
The third is my friend who breeds and trains gundogs and has helped sooooo much with various issues with both of them except unable to crack this problem.
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Does Tia still have cataracts? if she can't see very well maybe that has something to do with it :-\.
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Yep but they have reduced in size and she has full vision.
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Yep but they have reduced in size and she has full vision.
That's good then but I can't think of what it might be.
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I'm not an expert, as my two have not had this battle - but it sounds to me as if there are two difference, but related issues going on.
Tia may well have matured and be challenging Archie for "top dog" position.......the fact that they are fighting suggests that Archie isn't prepared to defer to her without a fight ph34r Alongside this, there may be resource guarding issue, that led to the bite that your daughter received fro Tia.......the problem is that if the dogs are fighting regularly, then Tia's adrenaline levels will be heightened most of the time and so she is more likely to be reactive to triggers and less likely to respond to training :-\
Some dogs just don't get on; and even though they are different sexes, they are very close together in age, and so both may be competing for the dominant position :-\
As I say, that it just my thoughts from reading your post.......but if you have not had any success with the techniques recommended by the behaviourist, have you been back to them? Sometimes, a technique won't suit a particular circumstance, and another can be tried with more success ;)
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We've tried different techniques and Tia responds better to the gun dog style of training best. Archie couldn't care less about being top dog - he lays there and takes it while she rips him to shreds (Archie is a big softie). Once Tia sinks her teeth in she wont let go until we step in.
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so how quickly do you step in??? Mine don't get much opportunity to be bullies.
Have you got the space to give them time outs apart from each other so that your lad gets at least a little peace and time to be himself???
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Archie couldn't care less about being top dog - he lays there and takes it while she rips him to shreds (Archie is a big softie). Once Tia sinks her teeth in she wont let go until we step in.
I must have misunderstood - I thought they were fighting; perhaps Archie has let Tia get away with it as a puppy, and she hasn't learnt any boundaries :huh: Has Tia socialised with other dogs; how does she behave with them?
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Sorry to hear this Stacey. I hope you manage to sort it out.
Tyke is a similar age and went through a stage wth Dyllan but this seems to have settled down now.
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Both my dogs are exteremly well socialised with other dogs as i work at a kennels and the boss has 8 dogs (they've also done the KC Classes) so not a problem. As soon as Tia starts up we stop her but she really latches onto poor Archie. Tia also occasionaly accompanies me beating aswell.
Tia has tried to go for one of the bosses dogs but being a big male retriever he put her in her place asap and she has been fine with him since!
They have plenty of apart time (i have always done this as i never wanted them to be too dependant on each other). Archie comes to work with me on morning shifts and Tia comes on the pm shifts with me and they are walked and trained seperately.
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Sorry to hear this Stacey. I hope you manage to sort it out.
Tyke is a similar age and went through a stage wth Dyllan but this seems to have settled down now.
Thanks Sarah, we thought it was a phase but it's gone on for months now - we know she's fine when out with other dogs, i think she just hates Archie :'(
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Bless you it must be very difficult ph34r I am absolutely not an expert though I do understand how difficult it is when your dogs fight. >:( They enter the 'red' zone so when you try to split them up you are bound to get caught up in the cross fire. We had 2 Lhasas both boys who would fight from time to time (we had them until they were old men) - this improved after they were neutered (before that it was getting constant once they reached puberty) it never fully resolved and could happen in an instant though it wasn't as bad as your problem by any means. :-\ I read on here another post about TTouch training with great interest which according to the information I have read is a non-confrontational method :angel: and can help with various behavioural issues by helping the dog to become more relaxed about life :005:. As I say I am no expert but wonder whether this might be worth exploring? Others on here who know a lot more than me may be able to advise. Best of luck - I hope all settles down soon for you. :blink:
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Bless you it must be very difficult ph34r I am absolutely not an expert though I do understand how difficult it is when your dogs fight. >:( They enter the 'red' zone so when you try to split them up you are bound to get caught up in the cross fire. We had 2 Lhasas both boys who would fight from time to time (we had them until they were old men) - this improved after they were neutered (before that it was getting constant once they reached puberty) it never fully resolved and could happen in an instant though it wasn't as bad as your problem by any means. :-\ I read on here another post about TTouch training with great interest which according to the information I have read is a non-confrontational method :angel: and can help with various behavioural issues by helping the dog to become more relaxed about life :005:. As I say I am no expert but wonder whether this might be worth exploring? Others on here who know a lot more than me may be able to advise. Best of luck - I hope all settles down soon for you. :blink:
Hi, i will definitely look into into it and give it a try! She's been fine the last couple of days - she must of been reading this thread :005: