[8]

Sorry for writing a novel but I needed to present a clear picture of the problem

Okay we have two dogs. A 1 year old toy poodle and an 8 month old Jack russell Terrier mix.

Now we got our girl the Jrt mix when our boy our poodle was 8 months old.

They have been getting along great the whole time with the occaisional altercation until now.

Now when the Jrt mix came to live with us she was smaller than the poodle who is roughly 7 pounds...she is now 22 pounds and plays rough, but our poodle gives as good as he gets.

Well they aren't crated at night anymore, this started 2 weeks ago. But for some reason at night the poodle would sleep under our bed instead of on his pillow bed. Well the last 2 nights he has been getting up and sleeping at the end of our bed. Which is good because if they got into it at night he is safer on the bed where she can't jump up to. The jrt mix doesn't jump well, where our poodle is an amazing jumper.

Well last night she got all tempermental when he got up on the bed and she couldn't. (She is just too big to sleep in our bed with us)

Well today she has been extremely rough and mean to him. She is grabbing him by his collar and pulling him and throwing him. Corning him back into the corner of the wall and smacking him with her paws and trying to bite him. And he isn't doing anything back so I'm sure it isn't play.

I may be humanzing them too much but its just strange that after he stayed in the big bed that she is treating him so awful.

Today he is very clingy and won't let me put him down with out crying and barking, and won't let me out of his sight.

That is really out of Character for him since he loves to be alone and is a very independent spirit.

Is he afraid of her?

What is with the sudden change?

We have addressed the issue about her behavior and we are taking steps to curb it.

But this is out of character for her as well.


They've both been through obedience training and we work with them everyday

I just don't get it. They usually get along so well. This is so out of character for both of them.. Our JRT mix is such a loving girl and I don't get it. Plus our poodle is always so stand offish.

 

[melgrj7]

I wouldn't let him sleep in the bed if that is what caused the issue.

 

[TooneyDogs]

A couple of things you might want to consider: Crating both of them at night...neither one gets the 'better' sleeping spot. She doesn't get to 'discipline' him...that's your job...not hers and that's what she needs to learn. The hard part of the training is observing what the real issue is (a toy, food, a challenging look, possession of space, possession of you, Rank (I get to go 1st!), etc.

 

[8]

Turns out the bed thing wasn't the issue. My husband had had a few days off and I think they were acting out because he was at work, because when he got home they straightened up and have been acting perfect ever since

 

[klip]

While it is very likely that the true reason for them being uncertain and needing to act out is your husbands absence, its also very likely that for that very reason, your dogs are more likely to act out about issues such as who gets to sleep in the best spot. It might have been any other thing that either of them perceives as a threat to their importance in the family. So the more "triggers" you can remove the better.

What I'm trying to say is - who knows what will make them feel insecure next time, and its best to remove all things which may cause them to wish to assert their "importance" in this way. Does that make sense?

 

[pugmom]

Also you dogs are young ....some dogs go thought what people call the "teenage" phase.....bratty behavior and what not, and dogs just like people as they grow up their personality can change somewhat.

 

[8]

While it is very likely that the true reason for them being uncertain and needing to act out is your husbands absence, its also very likely that for that very reason, your dogs are more likely to act out about issues such as who gets to sleep in the best spot. It might have been any other thing that either of them perceives as a threat to their importance in the family. So the more "triggers" you can remove the better.

What I'm trying to say is - who knows what will make them feel insecure next time, and its best to remove all things which may cause them to wish to assert their "importance" in this way. Does that make sense?

Yep the bed thing turns out had nothing to do with it. But the fact that their routine had been messed up. I do know they tend to get ouchie if their routine is interrupted.

The bed thing had nothing to do with it, but we will not change that. my husband has wanted Zack to sleep at the end of the bed the whole time we've had him. and now he is finally wanting too. Before he would sleep under the bed. Besides Zack is the older dog so if he wants to sleep on the bed he can. and Sasha seems fine on the floor with her giant pillow bed. No love lost there. And they actually sleep at night now which is wonderful because the whole time they were crated at night every little noise they would start barking their heads off. Now they don't


They are doing much better today now that they are getting back into their routine


My husband feels if the bed thing is an issue, they will just have to get over it. He is a little poodle and fits on the bed. She however is too big so she has to sleep in her bed. We don't control him getting up there he waits until after we are asleep and we don't bother putting him back down because we have wanted him to do this forever, its the only time he actually wants to be near us. He is a very independent dog. He only likes to be loved on when tired

 

[klip]

Y

My husband feels if the bed thing is an issue, they will just have to get over it. He is a little poodle and fits on the bed.

I would agree with that - so long as you know what's going on and what's causing it. It sounds as though this is a good arrangement that works for you.

 

[8]

I would agree with that - so long as you know what's going on and what's causing it. It sounds as though this is a good arrangement that works for you.

Yeah you see our girl Sasha loves to be loved on but when she is tired or trying to sleep she doesn't want anyone near her, so I don't think its upsetting her. She did sleep with us at first when she was a little puppy but she got too big, well we let her sleep in the bed not that long ago but there wasn't enough room for all of us. So we bought 2 big doggie pillow beds and she was happy to graduate to a bigger sleeping area. So I don't think that is causing it.

She is a daddy's girl though and when he went back to work it threw her for a loop. They are back into their routine and best friends again. Its just weird.

Now we are settled into the routine again and she is happy. I never realized how important it is to keep a routine with an animal