[minka]

Hi I need some advice. My great dane minka is 4 years old and has always done well with other animals. We recently brought a friend home for her a 10 month old deaf great dane bianca. minka and bianca hit it off well, but now a month of having bianca she is trying to be dominate over minka. minka has always been so submissive ever since a pup. she is not used to another dog growling and biting at her when she gets to close to bianca chewing a bone. minka is now showing signs of being scared of bianca and i think she is having nightmares in her sleep now. she cries really loud and i went to go comfort her and when i touched her she screamed and was shaking. i checked her over and made sure she wasnt hurting anywhere and that she was fine. i am going to take the bones away but is there any other advice. i feed minka first and i do make bianca sit and wait for her food. bianca lets us take food and bones from her mouth without a problem. thank you for your help

[Josh Smith]

I have a feeling you're treating Bianca specially because she's deaf. Watch your actions.

Do not comfort Minka. This is only telling her that her actions are OK.

When Bianca nips at Minka, by doing nothing within a 1 second time period, you are condoning that behavior.

That said, if the only time Bianca does this to Minka is when Bianca has food, it's normal behavior. A dog will not readily give up a bone to a subordinate or an equal without a fight.

These are not children; they are animals, and there must be a hierarchy.

Sounds like one is being established.

It's normal. The one thing you can do is make sure both get exercised. Walk them together. That will build a bond between all of you.

Josh

[Lunareclipse]

Originally Posted by Josh Smith

I have a feeling you're treating Bianca specially because she's deaf. Watch your actions.

Do not comfort Minka. This is only telling her that her actions are OK.

When Bianca nips at Minka, by doing nothing within a 1 second time period, you are condoning that behavior.

That said, if the only time Bianca does this to Minka is when Bianca has food, it's normal behavior. A dog will not readily give up a bone to a subordinate or an equal without a fight.

These are not children; they are animals, and there must be a hierarchy.

Sounds like one is being established.

It's normal. The one thing you can do is make sure both get exercised. Walk them together. That will build a bond between all of you.

Josh

As the owner, you need to make sure that they understand YOU are the boss. I have large breeds myself (saint bernards) and I understand if a problem isn't nipped in the bud the moment I see it, them I will have problems bigger tham my dogs.