As a Columbus Dog Trainer it’s beyond frustrating when dog family members do not get along. It’s like you just want to keep singing that lyric over and over: “Why can’t we be friends, why can’t we be friends…”
With dogs living together in the same home, sometimes the relationship isn’t as close as owners would anticipate. Maybe it’s a relationship simply based on tolerance, with occasional affection and acknowledgement. I have seen deep, wonderful relationships between canine siblings, even with the brotherly/sisterly setbacks and “arguments” they might have.
But what if these setbacks go farther, when aggression and violence enters the picture? Can anything be done or fixed when siblings, including ones that were initially just fine together, are now fighting constantly, leaving literal scars on the other?
These two boys pictured here, Bentley and Brinkley, are one of the many examples that show that behavioral change IS possible, even when it comes to aggression cases. These two brothers were at one point, the best of friends. Both around the same age, Bentley and Brinkley came into their home together at six months, and a friendship formed instantly. They would play together, walk together, and even share a bed together.
Suddenly though, about eight months later, Brinkley was starting to show more dominance and aggression toward his brother. The playful interactions became more violent, where playful nipping became outright biting. The final straw was when Brinkley lunged at Bentley when his brother’s only crime was walking by Brinkley as he ate his food. That was when I got the call to get these brothers back on civil terms.
It is normal with siblings to try to work out some type of hierarchy within the canine family. There have been plenty of times where I see one dog being the more “alpha” dog, compared to the other. Still, even if a dominant role has been established, or if there is still some doggy bickering over it, there is still no reason for it to escalate to bloodshed. Dogs are very willful creatures and they shouldn’t have their free will taken away from them. However, in Bentley and Brinkley’s situation, it needed to be communicated that this level of dominance was unacceptable.
Sibling rivalry is typical, but it’s no excuse for aggression. With Bentley and Brinkley, the owners and I worked together on each individual dog, creating a controlled environment where neither dog could cause mischief. Both dogs may be confused on which one of them is the alpha dog, but they also needed to be reminded on who was actually head of the pack – the owners. The sibling aggression went against the owner, the actual alpha of the pack, and this needed to be addressed and demonstrated.
By teaching Bentley and Brinkley, we reaffirmed the leadership role in the house, and began setting them up in a reward-based environment. Once we instilled a solid foundation of obedience, recall and focus, we then reintroduced the dogs, as they served as a trigger to each other. Now more prepared and equipped to deal with such stressful situations, such as overcoming the food aggression that had developed. It took some baby steps, but we are all seeing the trust and respect coming back into Bentley and Brinkley’s relationship!
Sometimes the biggest problem (aggression and violence) can gradually be eliminated by taking the smallest steps (reestablishing leadership, consistent focus exercises, a stable environment where success is the only option). If you need help with some fur-children that are taking their arguments to the next level, hurry and give me a call at 614.347.9127! Don’t lose hope, even if aggression is involved. We can make a long-lasting positive change for your family!