June 4, 2011

White dog dashed in through the dog door looking distraught at the same time we heard Quinn's plaintive screams coming from the back of the yard.We leaped--me to the patio door and Steve to the kitchen--to get outside. YoYoMa had poor Quinn pinned on his back and was mouthing his exposed neck. Poor Quinn thrashed and cried and lost control of his bowels.

Steve shouldered YoYoMa out of the way and cradled the stunned gentle Quinn in his arms. YoYoMa crashed through the dog door and pressed up against my legs panting heavily. While Steve check over and calmed TOWD who was shaking with fear, I worked to calm YAWD, the aggressor, who was confused and in his blindness pushing hard to find some kind of reassurance. White Dog sat on the bed and softly growled at YoYo; Puff and Nuka stood at Quinn's side as Steve lead him in.

The boys have had moments in the past where there has been some bumping and shoving and trash talking but this is the first time we have experienced a full out fight. Neither of us has ever owned male dogs and this was a frightening moment.

The advice on line was all over the place...we should let them work it out and not interfere...we should exercise the aggressive one more...we should keep the 2 dogs separated. We understand that the new boy is just trying to find his place but the problem is that Quinn refuses to make a stand...to defend himself OR to put YoYoMa in his place. Basically TOWD just falls into the victim role the minute he is pushed but he is not content to be a subordinate dog...after each challenge he hides and refuses to interact and gets more and more withdrawn. There is not room in our small house to draw a dividing line.

We made every attempt to reinforce Quinn's position by feeding him before YoYo and by making YoYoMa wait for attention as Quinn is recognized. Usually things are passable, the two are not friends but they coexist in peace. For the most part these moments seem to take place when Steve is home and we suspect that dad jealousy might play some role but usually the fights do not break out over Steve or in his presence.

Right now the White Dog Army is shunning YoYoMa and I can see him laying forlorn on the floor down the hall. Quinn is hidden deep in the closet where he slept when he first came to us over 1-1/2 years ago and he refuses even Steve's gentle coaxing. Steve is frazzled and worried about what happens if we can't get the boys to respect each other. And White Dog and I just keep telling our pack over and over to have a little faith that things will settle into place...after all we have love on our side.

Suggestions? Advice? and maybe some Encouragement, too?