Behaviour question

Hi,

I was reading that very interesting posting on growling and pups being taught respect by the older dogs, which was very informative and accurate in my experience.

I was wondering if anyone else has come across the following behaviour -
Gizmo (Bleinheim male) is 17 months and Charlie (terrier cross female) is 5 months .. when they play or when Gizmo is lying down chewing on his toys, Charlie has a habit of standing over him so he's literally under her belly .. It's very cute to see and Gizmo loves it as he'll usually turn over onto his back and start playing with her .....

I just have never seen something like that before ....

When they were both minded a couple of weeks ago the lady, told us that they are very close.... they got separated in different areas of the garden and couldn't find each other and apparently started crying until they heard one another. They have been separated before for vaccinations / neutering and I was wondering if it's ok that they are this close, or if we should try and make them more independant?

Awww I think it's lovely that they are so close. It's like children who are siblings. Sometimes they love each other, sometimes they don't :lol:

It sounds to me like they are having a great time together. My sis-in-law had two dogs like that but sadly lost Dex a couple of months ago. She thought Gramby would pine to death but he's been fine and accepted it. :flwr:

That would be our one and only worry and hopefully it's a LONG way off yet .... it would be devasting to lose one , without losing the two .....

I would work to 1) give each dog its own training and walking time each week with you; 2) work to enable each dog to be left on its own while the other is out of the house. Obviously 1 will help with 2. There are times when the dogs need to be on their own anyway and it can be very difficult to have two who absolutely cannot stand to be apart. I sometimes take one dog with me somewhere and leave the other at home alone. I keep my dogs in a single room when I am out as it is I think a more secure feeling for them -- they know the routine of being in the single room and don;t wander thru the house looking for me once I go out. They always get a treat in that room before I go out so even if I take out a treat, they all run upstrairs to the room! So it has a good association for them.

Jaspar will howl briefly when I leave him and Leo finds this very distressing if he is the one coming with me. He'll run back upstairs to the door of the room and if he hears him from outside the house he gets very anxious to go back to the front door. Needless to say Jaspar doesn't react in the same way to whining from Leo. :roll: He's happy to be off for a walk on his own or whatever and Leo can bark away as far as he is concerned. Both are fine on their own, once they are settled and it is always quiet within a few minutes. I think it is important that they be able to settle without the other one there.

We have already started to take them for individual walks and exactly what you said has happened - ie, those going for the walk are fine and the one left behind is upset (although it is decreasing SLOWLY!!)

They love going into their house and even when playing in the garden and it's left open they play in there too, although generally they come into the main house to sit by us when they get tired (or lie on us and snore!!)

They get a treat when we leave them in their house and we usually check on them (we have webcam on them) before we go out.

Thanks for the advice ....