This wasn't a situation where the Shelties cornered the Collie in an aggressive manner. Rather, on occasion, the three would vocalize their displeasure, in unison, if the one wandered into what they construed as their turf. We were and are always present when the dogs merged, providing the alpha guidance that has noticably become less and less necessary. But were the antics we saw wrong? Should we have expected something different from our Shelties when the Collie puppy was aded to the pack?
Dogs need to learn a certain etiquette (a.k.a., a set of "rules" to obey) when they meet other dogs. For instance, when one dog bears its teeth at another, it's a sign of displeasure. When a dog looks at another in the eye, one of them must look away or a fight will ensue. If this dog had remained in its original "family," that is, with its birth mother & perhaps some other dogs in that den, it will be taught the rules on how to get along with the other pack members. Take the dog from its birth family & introduce it to another pack of dogs and you may then see how it can be difficult for a puppy to learn acceptable behaviors. Enter Douglas into his new family of three Shelties, and so begins our responsibility to teach and sometimes referee the lessons on being a member of
our pack in
our den.
Last Saturday evening we were present when Declan, the uncrowned
alpha dog in our pack (after all, WE are alpha!), instructed the other two Shelties in the fine art of chewie ownership. Earlier that day, we went to a dog show & purchased chewies for the pack. After dinner & clean up, we retired to the family room where we presented our dogs with their treats. Declan chewed on his for a while, then left it to seek out some other item of interest. The other two Shelties remained occupied with their prizes, but when one of them decided to see if the chewie Declan left was any better than the one they had been given, Declan elicited a behavior we hadn't seen before from him-he eyed the other dog & growled in a menacing manner.
Having been pre-occupied with a DVD we had rented, at first we didn't know why Declan was acting so strangely. Then, we realized that he was informing the other pack members that the chewie he had left was HIS, & they had better not touch it or even go anywhere near it. This behavior may eventually turn into a mere "look," where he'll merely have to eye the dog who tries to sniff/take what he construes is his. We note this because he used to growl whenever food was present, since as self-crowned alpha he has to eat and drink first so he can be strong protect his pack when required. When we expressed our displeasure at growling at his family, he eventually learned to merely show his teeth in a silent manner, something we didn't even notice until we happned to glance in his direction one day when, once again, food was in his presence. Smart little bugger, eh?
Although this is merely one behavior, you might imagine all the other rules, responsibilities & nuances the dogs expect from each other as members of a pack. Our canine friends must learn to live harmoniously in an environment where speech is not dominant. They make their feelings, displeasures, etc. known to each other via growling, teeth showing and body language mannerisms. Messages must be delivered to puppies so they understand the rules of the game. Lessons learned are life-long and will eventually be passed on to future members of our pack.
In our own family, we socialize our dogs so they learn to get along with one another and since they're starting to romp & play together recognize that Douglas will eventually be accepted as part of the pack. But it's our responsibility to temper the lessons he's taught by the other dogs. No free-for-alls are allowed in our den!
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