Raising sibling puppies successfully is possible, although there are no guarantees things will always work out as one may hope. There are several variables and factors though that may help raise the chances for success. Only time will ultimately tell whether the relationship will work out considering that many issues start raising their ugly head once the pups mature. Following are several tipes for raising sibling puppies successfully. These tips though are for mild cases only, usually involving young pups (under 6 months) with no history of injuries as a result of their squabbles. These tips should also not to be used as a replacement for professional behavior advice following an in-person evaluation by a reputale dog behavior professional.
Tips for Raising Sibling Puppies Successfully
These are just some general tips to help manage the situation of sibling puppies fighting. Again, they are not to be used as a replacement for a professional assessment and behavior modification protocol instituted by a behavior professional (preferably veterinary behaviorist or a certified applied animal behaviorist).
If your puppies are fighting and causing injury or emotional distress to one another, please seek the help of a professional.
Opposite Sex Works Better
Generally, male and female combinations of sibling puppies have a better chance of getting along. Although this combo may still turn out quite problematic for various reasons, it appears that things are a bit more manageable due to male dogs being a bit more lenient in getting the females “get away with things.”
However, this is not a general rule of thumb, there are cases where even male-female combos don’t work out and this again is probably due to the amount of work and dedication needed in raising sibling puppies successfully. It is my experience, based on dog owners seeking assistance with this matter, that the most problematic combinations are female-female, followed by male-male and then female-male.
Breed Does Matter
Dog breeds and genetics play a role in whether things may work out. Some dog breeds may be very challenging when it comes to raising littermates, especially the same-sex combinations. For instance, raising two female or two male pitbull puppies is something that can be particularly challenging and things can get ugly quickly as they mature.
On the other hand, sibling pups belonging to some dog breeds used to working in packs such as hounds or other breeds that are particularly mellow may be easier to raise together.
Double the Work
To prevent the issue of overbonding and developing “half-puppy” syndrome as outlined in the previous article on sibling puppies fighting, it’s important to encourage independent activities as much as possible. This means keeping each puppy in separate sleeping areas (this can be done gradually), having each puppy trained separetely (this means also separate training classes, by the way), walking each puppy separately and socializing each puppy separately.
All this obviously takes quite an amount of work as it means doubling everything that must be done, hence why dedicated, determined owners with lots of time on hand are more likely to succeed compared to those with little time and determination.
Limited Play Sessions
While it’s great to observe the puppies play together, it would be best to limit play and always monitor for signs of trouble. Many puppy owners purposely get two puppies “so they can play together and keep each other company” but in reality, this is the perfect recipe for over bonding and the associated problems noted above.
It is also important to supervise the interactions among the pups. Sometimes it may seem as the pups are just playing, when in reality one is bullying the other. Often, minor squabbles are noted in the first weeks and months, but then, as the puppies mature into adolescents starting at 6 months of age, things start exacerbating and getting more serious. The minor squabbles now start looking more and more like real fights.
Preventing Rehearsal
Practice makes perfect goes the saying, and dogs seem to take this philosophy in stride. In other words, the more a puppy engages in bullying behavior, the more this behavior strenghtens and endures with time. Yes, because bullying is a behavior that is ultimately reinforcing to the bully.
If every time Mr. Bully growls when the other pup approaches a toy and the other pup moves away from the toy, you can bet that Mr. Bully will keep on behaving this way in future similar circumstances. Then, one day when the other pup grows a bit more confident and has had enough of the bullying and decides to react, the little squabbles of the past give leeway to a big fight if the circumstances are right and the dogs are predisposed to this kind of fighting.
Bullying may take place as well with owner’s attention. As you pet one puppy, Mr. Bullly wiggles his way in between pushing the other puppy away or starts placing a paw on the other pup’s shoulders and tries nipping. What may look like an invitation to play in reality is Mr. Bully moving the pup out of the way. In such a case, it’s important not to reward the bully pup with attention.
Training That Patience Pays
Bully pups need to learn to wait their turn for both attention and getting treats. I see many behavior professionals state that it is best if the bully pup is always pet first and given food first so to avoid conflict, but they miss an important step: changing the bully dog’s emotional response.
You can practice “patience pays” initially by having bully pup sit and stay with the leash on with a helper at a distance, while you pet your other dog. Have your helper feed bully pup several treats in a row right when you start petting the other pup so to reward him for displaying a calm, appropriate behavior. When the petting stops, the continuous flow of treat delivery stops as well. Then, gradually decrease distance and practice this some more until bully pup learns that waiting is rewarding. Should bully pup act pushy, then treat delivery (and petting the other dog) ends abruptly.
As Bully pup forms positive associations with the act of petting the other pup, his emotional reponse should change from dreading seeing you pet the other pup, to looking forward to it. Criteria is then further increased by having the pups closer while helper is delivering treats every now and then to bully pup (versus a continuous flow) as the other puppy is being pet. Finally, bully pup is trained to keep a nice sit stay, waiting his turn politely to be pet and is rewarded every now and then for being patient.
Same goes with giving treats, bully pup needs to learn to be patient and not interfere. Have bully pup sit with the leash on with a helper at a distance, while you you give your non-bully pup a treat. Have your helper feed bully pup a treat as well at the same time. Then, progress, to giving bully pup the treat a second after the other non-bully dog gets it. The goal is to reward bully pup for displaying calm, appropriate behavior.
Then, gradually decrease distance and practice this some more until bully pup learns that waiting is rewarding. Your goal is to have both pups sitting next to each other, and bully pup learns that right after your other pup gets a treat it’ll be his turn right next. This helps to teach positive associations that “every time Rover is given a treat, it is great because next it’s my turn!” If at any though time bully pup pushes or gets in the way, say “oops” or “too bad” and retract the treat quickly. Soon, bully pup may learn to look forward to the other pup getting treats or attention.
To reduce post-training competition (that is, one pup attacking the other pup after being trained or walked) it is best to put bully pup in a crate with something tasty to keep him busy in the meanwhile. Soon, bully pup may learn to look forward to the other pup being trained because he’ll associate it with his “fun time” in the crate. If this doesn’t work and conflict still erupts once bully pup is released from the crate, it’s best to distract both dogs. After non-bully pup is trained and bully pup has been released from being crated, immediately take both dogs out for a walk.
While the above tips may work for some cases, it’s important to recognize that it might not work for all. Some pups may remain so fixated in fighting because the reward of fighting beats any other type of rewards. Generally, you know behavior modification is working when you see a reduction in the problem behavior. Caution is needed though for correct implementation as this is often a major cause for failure. Always best to implement behavior modification under the guidance of a behavior professional for safety and correct implementation.
Avoid “Coming to the Aid”
While it’s wrong to provide attention to a bully dog who pushes the other pup aside, it is also wrong encouraging the bullied pup to tak more control of certain situations. For instance, if Mr. Bully steals the toy from the other pup, it would be risky to come to the aid and encourage the other pup to go get it back the moment Mr. Bully is distracted just to make life “fair.”Doing so can put the bullied pup in peril as Mr. Bully retailiates, maybe not right away, but one day when enough tension has built up.
Bullied puppies often know how to behave around their bullies. They are very cautious in avoiding situations that may put them into conflict. They sort of “walk on their tip-toes ” or “on eggshells” as the saying goes. However, when dog owners are near and encourage them, these dogs may do things they would never really do left to their own devices. This is often a reason why many dog fights erupt in the presence of their owners, owners may unknowingly be encouraging certain unnatural interactions.
Avoid Aversive Techniques
Aversive behavior modification (alpha rolls, grabbing the pups by the scruff, tapping their noses to stop them from biting, shock collars, punishment-based corrections etc) entails techniques which, may appear like an appealing option to stop a behavior in its tracks, but these lead to more trouble down the road.
Aversive dog behavior modification may lead to more stress and anxiety which can trigger more fights and prompt the dogs to react defensively when dog owners apply certain corrections. Dogs quickly learn to perceive their owners as being unpredictable which may fuel more anxiety and fear. This creates a cascading chain of events since anxious dogs are also more likely to fight as they lack stability and feel threatened.
On top of this, it’s important to avoid scolding the bully dog when he is growling or utilizing other form of ritualized aggression. Doing so suppresses the dog’s communication, which may lead to bites with no warning.
Redirect Promptly as Needed
Although pups may get into minor squabbles or they may just be play fighting, times may come where it is best to redirect them and be encouraged to do something else. This should be done by using a positive reinforcement program. Both dogs can be redirected using a sound or verbal cue that grabs their attention promptly and has them coming to you for further directions. If the pups don’t respond, then it’s important refreshing their response, first training them on their own and then with the distraction of them being together. It might be best to avoid calling the bullied dog specifically as he may be attacked as he moves towards the owner.
When owning more than one dog, it’s very important that the owner has complete control over both dogs before things escalate. Although positive methods are always used, positive doesn’t mean permissive. Each pup needs to learn how to settle on cue no matter what.
Train the Bullied Dog to Retreat
Many dog -to-dog interactions go well when there is a bully dog and the other dog learns to avoid confrontations. Sometimes it helps to train the bullied dog how to retreat from a sticky situation. For instance, if bully dog has a resource and the dog prone to being “bullied” is getting too near evoking some growling, it may help to tell the train him to “go to his mat.”
Consult With a Professional
The above are only tips on managing mild situations in young puppies and preventing them from becoming worse. After the age of 5- 6 months, things may start getting more challenging. Because the interactions among dogs may be contextual or triggered by some specific dynamics, it’s important to have an in-person assessment conducted by a veterinary behaviorist (DACVB) or Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB) to evaluate the level of threat and for safe implementation of behavior modification.
Disclaimer: Behavior modification comes with risks. This article is not meant to be used as a substitute for professional behavior advice. Separating fighting dogs may lead to redirected bites. It is always important to use the upmost caution when dealing with fighting dogs even if they appear as minor squabbles. Although some minor cases of sibling rivalry (when caught early and without a history of causing injury) can be tackled, sometimes re-homing one dog may be the best choice for owner safety and the dog’s physical and emotional wellbeing.