Ww 3

[Mike De Marco]

Hello to all, I have two boys Troopert 3yrs. and Napoloen 1 yr. both are nurtured. Here is my dilemma;yesterday at breakfast W.W.3 broke out between the boys. I place their bowls at least 12 ft. apart to make sure there is enough D.M.Z. between them. I know how posseive “porky� are about their food. This went 3 rounds before they calmed down. Scared the doggie doo out of the wife kids. My question is; has anybody else experienced this? And did I make a BIG mistake in getting another male? Napoleon seems to be the aggressor, before this they got along like two peas in a pod…

[Michael Romanos]

Hi Mike DeMarco
Go Corgi has broached the very subjects you mentioned.
A/ Corgis will fight over food - more than anything else. It is definitely best to feed them their meals in completely different rooms or inside/outside. No matter how well they get on with each other.
B/ In my experience two males or more can get along just dandy but it depends on the disciplines imposed by the owners and in giving each Corgi their time and space on occasions eg separate walks, plays, cuddles, outings. In other words don't always treat them as an extension of each other.
If they get along with each other so well as you say they do: there is no real problem and the situation is excellent. Just introduce some separation aspects and let them enjoy their own meals without feeling they have to guard their food and be under some kind of threat.

[Chip's Mom]

My dogs are fed separately, but when there is treats involved, for example, steak cut up in small bites, my dogs all are told to sit and each get a treat when it is their turn. They do learn to share. I have had one incident with fighting over food and the food was removed and both dogs were scolded and that was many years ago. Chip and Jasmine do eat together sometimes but do not fight. Chip would curl up in the dog dish when he was little and Jasmine ate around him. I also free feed so there is always food available. (some people disagree with this) I would be concerned with a child getting in the way and getting hurt if this was not corrected.

[glencorgi]

Originally Posted by Mike De Marco

Hello to all, I have two boys Troopert 3yrs. and Napoloen 1 yr. both are nurtured. Here is my dilemma;yesterday at breakfast W.W.3 broke out between the boys. I place their bowls at least 12 ft. apart to make sure there is enough D.M.Z. between them. I know how posseive “porky� are about their food.

I recommend feeding them in separate rooms or in their crates. They've crossed a line which they may continue to test and with children in the equation, it is just better to err on the side of caution. They might be fine from now on, but just in case they decide to squabble again. Not worth the risk.

This went 3 rounds before they calmed down. Scared the doggie doo out of the wife kids.

It is very scary, but what I've found with the males is that they are more noise and bluster. Just be glad you didn't have two girls, they will go for the kill.

My question is; has anybody else experienced this?

Heavens yes, I'll admit to having had altercations over food.

And did I make a BIG mistake in getting another male? Napoleon seems to be the aggressor, before this they got along like two peas in a pod…

No, two males can get along fine and in placing rescues, I am far more prone to place two males together (if the backgrounds of the males indicate they are likely to get along) than I will two females. Age wise, Napoleon is hitting the adolescence stage of flexing him muscles and testing his place in the pack. He may also be trying to take over top dog. This is something that humans really can't decide, the dogs do this, but the humans are going to have make sure that both of them know the humans are the pack leaders and absolute "top dogs." Just make sure to keep an eye on situations where rivalry could occur. It may be necessary to end games of fetch for example before you would have in the past, to avoid potential altercations plus send the message that you are the one that is really in charge.

Get some training books and get the children involved in working with the dogs too. (I've known 3 year olds who could put their parent's dogs through their obedience paces <G>) Making the boys sit and wait for treats will help establish leadership position, plus being able to show off the tricks their dogs can do is a lot of fun for children. Dog Training for Dummies is pretty good. One we send home with our rescues is called Second Hand Dog by Carol Lea Benjamin. While oriented towards rescues, the second part of the book is a basic training manual and done with really cute cartoon type illustrations - so it is fun and easily understandable for children (of all ages ).

That they are both nutured, is a big plus. Keep us posted!

Debbie