Need Advice

[Chip's Mom]

Sorry I posted this.

[Jespah]

Eating side-by-side is different than a treat - that has a higher value. I can't give either of mine something the other isn't given, and even then I stay with them while they chew or eat it.

Also, Dale is a baby, he doesn't quite know where he fits in the pack, so he may be innocently trying to take something, or the others could take advantage of his age and take something away from him.

You may have just learned that you need to watch them when one of them has something "special".

Deb

[LittlePonzo]

That's a shame, but I hate to say...What's done is done. You can't really do anything about it now because like you said you don't know who did what or started what. I guess just give them their separate treats when they go in their crate or when they will definitely be alone until the puppy gets a little bigger. But, what do I know I have one dog, so take my advise with a grain of salt I could be way off but I just thought I'd try to help.

[Peggy]

Originally Posted by Chip's Mom

TI was on the phone to hubby when the worst racket broke out growling etc and I started hollering Maybelle and hung up on my hubby. The puppy was crying and whining. Then Dale came running out of the bedroom and hid under the dining room table.

You can't punish anyone now it's too late and you don't know exactly what happened.

Here they get treats like that in their crates. And I feed mine in crates too. That way they don't have the opportunity to fight over chewies, treats or food.

I'd confine them to their crates in the future with the chewies and make sure the chewies stay in the crates. Which means you might have to pick them up if you leave crates open during the day.

Peggy

[Dillydoodle]

I agree with Peggy and with Deb in that treats and bones have higher value and you really should only give treats if you give each one their very own - especially if you are not there to watch. If you dont treat each and every dog equally, that can cause jealousy and fighting between the dogs. I also like the idea of giving a special treat to each one in their crate so they know it is for them only and prevent fighting. I am a one dog owner right now but have done a lot of reading and watched a lot of Dog whisperer ( not to start THAT debate again, just commenting that i have done a bit of research on the matter as i will soon be in that multiple dog situation).

Also , side note, watch the puppy very carefully with rawhide in the begining, Dillon nearly choked twice on it before we banned it from this house...and if we hadn't been right there he might have choked to death. Thank God my husband was right there pulling it from his throat.
Emilie

[CorgiMum]

Originally Posted by Dillydoodle

I agree with Peggy and with Deb in that treats and bones have higher value and you really should only give treats if you give each one their very own - especially if you are not there to watch.

I agree too, mine are 12 & 9 yrs old & I still keep an eye on them, with meals and especially treats. We've never had a problem, but I've always felt if there was one, I would need to be right there to nip it in the bud, especially choking.

Originally Posted by Dillydoodle

Also , side note, watch the puppy very carefully with rawhide in the begining, Dillon nearly choked twice on it before we banned it from this house...and if we hadn't been right there he might have choked to death. Thank God my husband was right there pulling it from his throat.
Emilie

Monty's breeder warned us to never give her rawhide for that very reason, it has never even been in my house. There are so many other treats available, and they like real marrow bones too.

Bonnie, don't beat yourself up over it, it happens, you will be prepared next time so that it does not happen again.

[corgimom]

Bonnie,

I only have one dog, but I probably would have given each one a special treat; much like little kids - you wouldn't hand out something special to just one and expect the others not to complain I would crate them with their treats as Peggy suggested; it just makes sense.

[glencorgi]

I am beating myself up over it because I have issues with Maybelle and now I trust her even less.

Bonnie, take a breath and calm down. You made a mistake, it's still early in having Dale around and remembering to do the doggie shuffle. All the mechanics and should haves/shouldn't haves have been covered. Without seeing the scuffle, you don't know how serious it was or wasn't. I can tell you since having all the puppies around here lately, that more often than not "scuffles/scoldings/mine" sound a lot worse than they are and puppies can do a retreat with the wits scared out of them and never have been touched. Everybody is okay, don't beat yourself up anymore and don't take it out on Maybelle. Take it as a lesson learned (had one of those myownself just today and yep, it's a bitter pill to swallow) and this incident will just help to keep you on your toes and more aware from now on.

Debbie

[Chip's Mom]

Debbie:

First of all, when I gave Chip the rawhide, Maybelle was outside. Secondly Dale was in his pen so I did not give one a special treat to eat in front of the others. I simply wanted to keep Chip occupied while I paid for the gravel that I had delivered. Then I simply forgot that I had given it to him and let Maybelle in the house. My main concern is that if she did this once over something she has, then she may do it again. I also know that rawhides are not the best thing in the world to give to your dog. I was looking for input on Maybelle doing a repeat not being condemned for giving Chip a rawhide or depriving my other dogs.

[corgimom]

Bonnie,

I apologize for what I posted - I didn't mean to criticize you intentionally and I must have read your story wrong - I thought you had said you gave Chip a rawhide with the other two around ,then he dropped it and then Maybelle picked it up while you were on the phone with your husband and then the fight occured. Sorry that I misunderstood and I was just comparing the dogs to kids in a way and how kids(mine included) will make it known if one gets something and the other doesn't, but I see that wasn't the case here.

[glencorgi]

Originally Posted by Chip's Mom

Debbie:

I was looking for input on Maybelle doing a repeat not being condemned for giving Chip a rawhide or depriving my other dogs.

Bonnie, I got the chain of events and believe me I understand and can empathize with the heart in the throat you experienced. I've also watched similiar type things unfold right before my eyes with Munchee and Jesse when Munchee was a puppy, and now with Munchee an adolescent, and Berry and her siblings that have been staying with me. I've watched the baby puppies react the same as Dale did when I accidentally dropped a pot or dog bowl and it landed with a loud crash.

Reality is Maybelle could do it again. Reality is, a similiar or identical incident could occur between Chip and Dale - wait until Dale hits that teenage stage and tests Chip - there will be scuffles between them over objects and over nothing - it happens. You, however, do have the background and knowledge to nip things in the bud. Look what T-gal just went through with Emma and Chloe and how she is turning that around.

Life happens and accidents are a part of life. Don't take it for any more or less than what it was.

Debbie

[Dillydoodle]

Bonnie,
I know you are upset over what happened with the dogs, but I dont think anyone was saying anything out of order, people were offering you advice and suggestions on how to lessen the potential for this kind of thing to happen again. My added comment about rawhide was not to condem you, it was out of concern as I personally have a dog that nearly choked twice on them. I was only saying that Dale is so new there and there is a learning curve with any new dog to see how they react to things. Other dogs in Dillon's family lines can eat rawhide no problem but he cannot...so there are individual differences between dogs. Chip might be fine with rawhide but you are still learning about Dale. I was only trying to be helpful, not condemming you.

Emilie

[Jespah]

Bonnie - I certainly never meant to criticize you for what happened - no one could. Dogs are dogs and are never 100% predictible. I gave mine rawhides occassionally for years, then Jemma had a problem with one and now I don't. There's nothing wrong with giving one dog something that the others aren't getting.

You are a great dog Mom - not just Chip's Mom - so please don't take these posts the wrong way.

Deb

[pmavrich]

Bonnie -

I had the same issues with Molsen and Miller when we first got them. Ours ended with the puppy (Miller) getting stitches. It is not your fault ... It is just their way of showing dominance. During Puppy Kindergarden, our instructor was explaining to us that to keep this from happening, all those little treats or special items need to be limited and the dogs need to be observed when having any treats together until they assume an order in the house. I swear I have three alpha males living in my house Molsen, Miller, and my husband Jon. The Boys are much better now ... They even sleep together. I still have to make sure that if I give one a treat the other one has one also...