Some Advice Please Dogs Last Chance

[DSL]

hi I have a five year old male dane who is not desexed but soon to be

how ever we are having troubles with him i got him as his last owner could not keep him as he had chased some sheep.

when he arrived he seemed fine getting along with the other dogs and loving the kids

about a month later he started getting all huffy with one of my males around meal times and would pick on him all the time when it was close to feed time and even after feed time even with no food in sight.

he wasnt worried about my cat or the sheep in my paddock.

anyway i sent him to his lat owner who then siad again he had to go due to sheep

that was fine ia sent him to my brother who siad he was getting along fine with his two dogs and then three weeks later the same thing with the other male dog.

so now i have him back and my dogs have now cracked the poops with me and are all picking on each other .

ive never had this all my dogs males females pups and older dogs have always gotten along maybe a bithc here and there but nothing like this .

ive tried alot of different ways to get this fellow to get along but now it is beyond me on what to do now.

any advice would be great.

[KOE]

Desex him and find him a suitable home as a one only dog or a bitch to live with.

[Steve K9Pro]

K9: I wouldnt go try to cure pack & behaviour problems with surgery, but thats just me... I dont really like rehoming dogs with problems either, seems to be just passing the problem on...

Where are you located? You need to see a behaviourist in your area & get this sorted fast.

[MarkS]

It appears the Dane has upset the dynamics of the pack that was already established. In regards to fixing this problem, it honestly comes down to LEADERSHIP, you need to be this dogs leader, you need to set rules and bounderies! Appears from your post this dog after settling into the pack is now asserting himself for position. YOU maybe contributing to this by not having the correct relationship with your dogs.

You really do need to have a professional behaviourist come around and assess the situation and the relationship you have with your dogs, and how they view you in relation to the structure of the pack. A good packleader maintains control of a pack. You must see yourself in this role, and more importantly your dogs need to see you as a trusting and assertive leader.

This is quite a common problem and can in most instances be corrected fairly quickly with the right methods.

In regards to the Dane chasing the sheep.. If your friend really wanted to stop this behaviour, it can quite easily be very quickly modified by doing some avoidance training with the Dane.

[DSL]

I live in victoria and I have a booking with a trainer to try and help with him.

as for packleader all the dogs even the dane know me as packleader it is when no one is in the yard and well you can sit in the back room or the yard 24-7. at the moment ive got it under control by putting him in a different area before,during and after meals .after the meals i am now waiting one hour before bringing him in with the other.

so far so good.

k9 force I agree with you trying to fix the problem with desexing and then rehoming is not a way to go.

I have to fix his problems first then think about it .

as he has alot of hates and not many likes. lol.

[MarkS]

it is when no one is in the yard and well you can sit in the back room or the yard 24-7. at the moment ive got it under control by putting him in a different area before,during and after meals .after the meals i am now waiting one hour before bringing him in with the other.

so far so good.

Ahh... (Sorry re-read OP). Are you there when they are feeding? Packleader controls all the resources. In the past did you indicate to your Labs that food was coming and lets all get excited? Did your male lab show assertive body language when he knew food was coming? When you have 2 male dogs wanting to control resources such as food, then you have problems. Do your dogs or the Dane claim the food as soon as you put the bowl down, or do you make them wait and in a relaxed calm stated looking at you? Could you inadvertantly be building up their social aggression by allowing the dogs to claim the food?

it is when no one is in the yard

I am confused though....do the dogs live together when nobody is home? As you say it only happens when in the yard alone?

I would desex him..and as you said that is happening soon.

Edited January 24, 2008 by MarkS

[DSL]

hi marks

no at feed time all dogs are seperated and are all made to sit and wiat till i tell them it is ok to eat.it is at the time of getting ready to seperate that it happens most of the dogs are very placid.

all the dogs live together inside and outside and play out in the yard no probs.never any aggresion from any of them.

its when it gets to the feeding hour as they have a routine and they all know when it is close to fee time as they can here us in the kitchen preparing it all for them, that is when he starts .

but yes he is getting desexed next week I have him booked in for wednesday.

thanks for the advice too.

it shows me that im trying to do the right thing by him and the others but still having that outside advice helps

hope all that makes sense