Doggy social dynamics can be fascinating to watch in your home, but they can also make you a nervous wreck. If you've ever had an older and younger dog at odds over who should be the Top Dog in your home, then you know that it can be a difficult situation.
If you've ever brought home a cute, adorable little puppy, you probably never imagined that one day he would be challenging your big, tough older dog to see who would be the boss. But that situation comes up all the time in two-dog homes. Your older dog may be the boss for years but there will come a time when he gets a little older and the younger dog will start to feel that he should be in charge.
To make matters worse, both dogs love you and want your attention. They're probably very jealous over you. That means that the older dog sees you as his mom or dad and he resents the younger dog for even coming to live with the two of you. The younger dog may be the baby of the house and he thinks you're his mom or dad. He'd like nothing better than for the older dog to get lost so you can be all his.
Of course, the two dogs may get along just fine most of the time. You may be able to feed them together. They may lie beside each other without any problems. They may even play with the same toys. But underneath it all there are tensions. Give them something to fight about and WWIII can break out. Older dog wants younger dog gone; and younger dog wants to take over.
You may be tempted to take sides from time to time. Chances are that you may think that the older dog is picking on the younger dog sometimes. This is because, in the canine social order, the older dog outranks the younger dog. Your older dog is the so-called Alpha dog in your little pack. Regardless of his size, your older dog is, well, older. He's more mature. He was, simply speaking, in your house first. He has the stronger claim to you and your family. That means that he has higher status. He is supposed to get first call on treats, toys, food and all of the other goodies in the house.
When you show favoritism to the younger dog you are mixing up the signals for your dogs. If you give the younger dog the toys and treats first, you are elevating him in status above the older dog. In other words, you are giving the younger dog ideas above his station. You are sending him the signal that it's okay to ignore the older dog's special position as top dog. You're undermining the older dog's authority. What you're really doing is promoting a fight between the two dogs because the younger dog will think its okay to attack the older dog, and the older dog will think that he has to defend his position.
If you have an older dog and a younger dog and you want to keep peace in your household the best thing to do is to respect the older dog's position as top dog. Offer him treats and toys first. Feed him first. There will come a time when your older dog can no longer keep his position as top dog but he should always be treated with respect. You can set that example for the younger dog. When your older dog is too old to be top dog anymore the younger dog will gradually take over and it most likely won't involve any fights. For the time being you should avoid sending mixed signals to your dogs. Stick with the canine pack hierarchy.
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