People with more than one dog -- is your corgi a bully?
I just had to yell at Simon, who is BARELY six months old, because he was being mean to my other dog, Josie. Josie is a pitbull mix, she's 10 years old, and even though she's older and bigger she's VERY shy and sensitive.
I posted last week about how he likes to 'trade' hooves with her when I give them hooves to chew.
Well, now he's just flat out TAKING them from her, and she's letting him. Three times in 30 minutes, she came running to me, crying, and there's Simon sitting there with TWO hooves. My mom was in the room watching, and said he just marched over to her, and she walked away and let him have her hoof.
So I took her in my room with her hoof, and she's in her bed chewing, and Simon has HIS hoof in the other room, and he comes marching into my room and starts barking like crazy at Josie, DEMANDING that she give him her hoof, even though he already has his OWN. She's in her bed, so she just sat there holding it with her paws, looking at me like she wants to cry.
I feel so sorry for her because she will NEVER stand up for herself. She didn't stand up for herself with my other dog, and she won't with Simon, either.
I just don't want him to bully her. Oh, and an update, now he's sitting here by ME looking all sad cause I yelled at him and he wants to make sure I still love him.
Anyone else have bullying corgis?
I posted last week about how he likes to 'trade' hooves with her when I give them hooves to chew.
Well, now he's just flat out TAKING them from her, and she's letting him. Three times in 30 minutes, she came running to me, crying, and there's Simon sitting there with TWO hooves. My mom was in the room watching, and said he just marched over to her, and she walked away and let him have her hoof.
So I took her in my room with her hoof, and she's in her bed chewing, and Simon has HIS hoof in the other room, and he comes marching into my room and starts barking like crazy at Josie, DEMANDING that she give him her hoof, even though he already has his OWN. She's in her bed, so she just sat there holding it with her paws, looking at me like she wants to cry.
I feel so sorry for her because she will NEVER stand up for herself. She didn't stand up for herself with my other dog, and she won't with Simon, either.
I just don't want him to bully her. Oh, and an update, now he's sitting here by ME looking all sad cause I yelled at him and he wants to make sure I still love him.
Anyone else have bullying corgis?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Derek on
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I think puppies are more bully than they mean to be. They are learning manners and how to act around other dogs. My corgi mutt has to be close to 6 months old and he wrestles had with my 2 1/2 year old corgi girl. I scold him when he gets too rough, but Miranda will also let him know when he is out of line. As long as you make sure the older dog is top dog I think you will be fine.
If you have to sepserate them so she has her treat then thats what you have to do. Morgan has learned that he is not allowed to steal food from Miranda, though he tries every now and then. Mostly he lies near her and wines pathetically at her. He can have 5 bones, but hers is always better. Just make sure he learns his place in the pecking order.
Try feeding her first, and make him have to sit and wait for you to put the bowl of food down. That has worked well for me. Miranda is always the first to get a treat, then Morgan.
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Permalink Reply by Valerie and Simon on
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Well, that's gonna be a problem cause Josie is NOT an alpha dog and has no desire to be. She's pretty much already turned over the alpha reins to Simon, and has done so willingly. She's VERY much a 'follower' and just doesn't have the personality to BE an alpha. She's been the 'bottom dog' her whole life (I had a Aussie shepherd mix that was 4 years older than her and HE was the big boss and she was content -- even HAPPY -- with that arrangement.) and at 10 years old I don't know that she even knows how to make the transition to 'top dog'. Simon does have an 'alpha' persona, and she's okay with that. But I really have to watch them with food, cause Simon is testing EVERYTHING to try and get her stuff.
I just hate that he's bullying her. Even though she doesn't mind him being alpha, I just don't think it's fair that she should have to give up all of her treats to him just because he says so. I hope it's just a 'teenage corgi' thing, cause he's at that age now and he wasn't THAT pushy with her till recently. I'm hoping once we're through the teen years he'll be less of a bully.
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Permalink Reply by Kyle, Megan and Loki on
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I wouldn't recommend yelling at him firstly, a stern voice yes, but yelling is both excessive, and can incite fear.
Loki isn't a bully, but he does retaliate if attacked. As with any unwanted behavior you have to be stern, consistent, and catch the act. When he tries to take the other hoof, get his attention quickly and tell him no firmly, and give him back his own hoof. When he chews on his own and removes the other, praise him. This will take a while of course, but you have to make him understand what he is doing is wrong, without changing his focus from hoof to being yelled at.
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I guess 'yelling' isn't the right word -- I just CALL it yelling, but really I just am very stern with him. I told him he was 'bad' and sent him back to his own hoof. I also shut the door to my room for 10 minutes, keeping him away from Josie, her hoof, AND me.
He did NOT like that.
I took the hooves away after that (I only let them have them for 30 minutes at a time, cause they get too stinky if chewed too long). Now they're playing really nice together. Go figure!
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Permalink Reply by Sky and Lyla on
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Simon is getting old enough that he is starting to test boundaries and figure out who is in charge, and if he could possibly be in charge. It sounds like given Josie's temperament, Simon will be the alpha dog. It is hard for people to understand, and sometimes painful for us to watch, but dogs have to figure out who is in charge among themselves. It causes a lot of unrest if they do not have a "pack order." While you as the owner should always be the "top dog" they have to to figure out #2 and #3. It sounds like they have. I think that just giving them the kinds of toys that Simon wants to dominate (like hooves) while they are apart or while you are watching them is probably a good idea, but don't ever expecting that any amount of discipline will stop one dog from being in a higher pack position that the other.
My Corgi puppy (who is 7 months) also seems to be more in control than my adult Aussie. While they are both normally pretty good about not taking each others toys, Lyla definitely has the upper hand. If she wants to go lick Sky's food bowl she does. If she wants to lay on the dog bed he's already on, she does. However, if her were to come over to the bed she was laying on, she will bear her teeth and growl at him. I let her "posture" but not attack him. (This has even been recommend by a dog trainer I go to. She said it is important for them to work it out, but don't let them get to the point of actually attacking. If they do, then separate the attacker into a "time out.") Good luck!
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I knew the 'teenage years' would be a challenge with Simon, but he's barely 6 months and he's already gung-ho into them, LOL!!!!! We've done puppy school, and he starts 'big boy' basic obedience on Friday, so hopefully that will solidfy MY 'alpha status' more with him.
Josie does 'posture' with Simon, but backs off VERY easily. She's actually a very good girl (pitbulls get SUCH a bad rep) and even though Simon irritates her she still loves him very much. There was only ONE time during play that she made him yelp, and she totally freaked out (more than HE did!!!) and ran to me all upset and shaking that she hurt the baby.
I know they have to determine the pecking order on their own, but I feel bad for Josie. She's never been very confident, and a corgi probably wasn't the best dog to get to build that up in her, LOL! But frankly, I think she'd be that way with ANY breed. She's just very shy and passive -- she just wants to look out the window and watch squirrels and not much else! :)
Incidentally, 20 minutes after the whole 'hoof' incident, Simon and Josie were playing nicely. When they were done, they both jumped on my bed and cuddled, and Simon was cleaning Josie's ears. So I guess it's just ME that has the problem!
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Permalink Reply by Linsey & Grissom on
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Grissom definately tests the limits with my shepherd mix, who is older than him. He often times tries to take the toys away from him, which Champ allows most of the time, and puts them out of his reach. (Champ is blocked out of the bedroom during the day to prevent him from getting on the bed when we're not home, but the gate has a smaller "doggy door" to let smaller pets through)
He also is very growely with champ when they play, and can sometimes sound mean, but knowing his body language, I know it is just play.
He does not, however, act like this with any of the dogs at the daycare I work at. There, he is very submissive and wouldn't dream of taking anyone's toy.
I am slightly concerned because we are bringing home a female Boxer puppy in December, and I am pretty sure he will bully her a little.
Keep in mind: dogs will be dogs, especially in a home where there are multiple pets. They form a pack mentality, and in a pack, there is ALWAYS a top dog. Whether you want him to be or not, Simon has asserted himself as the boss, and Josie has let him know she is okay with that. They've worked it out between themselves. As long as there aren't aggression problems, let dogs be dogs. You can give them hooves in seprate rooms on occasion, or give her treats when he's not around. With my dogs, the one who has been in the home the longest is the first to be fed, then down the line to the newest. It's my way of showing them that despite Grissom being the "top dog" in the pact, they're still just as important to me.
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Permalink Reply by Beth on
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The more confident dog will often try to steal food or high-value toys and horde them every time. The downside to a multi-dog household is the need to separate the dogs when these sorts of things are handed out, so each can enjoy its own in peace.
Our new Corgi, Maddie, inhales treats and then tries to steal Jack's. Jack is not much of a fighter and simply picks it up and leaves, but I want to avoid a squabble so I either crate her or play guard for Jack when treats are handed out, since she eats more quickly.
Despite her posturing (in my other threads) to be "top dog", the fact is that Jack is very possessive of his fleece pigs (de-squeaked). Maddie likes them too. If Jack has one and Maddie wants it, she makes a half-hearted pass and Jack just snatches it away and she gives up. If Maddie has one and Jack wants it, he simply steals it from her and she gives it up readily. So I need to play guard again if I want to let Maddie play with a fleece pig, or Jack ends up with two. LOL
Dogs really don't have a sense of "fair." In a feral pack of dogs, or wild pack of wolves, the most dominant dogs eat their fill and leave the dregs to the lower ranking members, who will sometimes starve to death in lean times. It is tough for our human sensibilities to watch the horder in action, but it's perfectly normal for the dogs. Still, it does tug at the heartstrings to see a dog you love get the short end of the stick. Hence the separation to let them both enjoy in peace.
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Permalink Reply by Cindy P on
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Is Simon neutered. This sometimes causes some dominance issues between dogs. But I agree with what's beemn said, dogs have to have their pack order for all to run smoothly. I have the same issue with my dogs. I do like you do and separate them for hoof time!!
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Simon JUST got neutered on Friday! He's actually behaving WORSE now than before, LOL!!!! I guess it's just a 'teenage' thing of seeing how much he can test Josie and what he can/can't get away with.
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Permalink Reply by Jennifer Markley on
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Kind of. Seanna will try to bully the others, and they may let her to an extent, but when they are sick of it they let her know it and she backs down. She does the same thing with toys--she always wants what the others have, but then won't do anything with it once she gets it.
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My Aussie mix used to DESTROY every toy that Josie loved. The minute he saw that she favored a particular toy, he was on a mission to rip it apart. He ONLY destroyed the toys that Josie seemed to favor, so I KNOW it was a deliberate thing.
Simon hasn't gotten to that level yet -- he just randomly destroys toys just to destroy them. (Except his 'Nemo' fish toy -- that's his favorite and I've never seen him do anything rough with that toy, he just walks around with it in his mouth.) I hope he doesn't get to the point where he seeks out Josie's favorite things just to mess with her, but I guess we shall see in time. He doesn't like Josie to 'play' with me, though. Anytime I try playing fetch with Josie, he interrupts. And if I put him in another room he has a screaming fit! So it's basically a no-win situation, LOL!
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