HELP!Need advice how to intro new rescue to alpha one ASAP!

[Ail]

HELP! I am receiving a new rescue dog in a couple days, and we are worried our alpha bitch will kill her! They are BOTH 8 pound purebred Pekingese spays, but we know the one we have is aggressive to new dogs, since we tried with 2 others before, and she attacked them so badly, we had to rehome them. I just couldn't resist the new one, who was a breeder reject kept in a cage her WHOLE LIFE (5 years!) and bred to death!
There is another dog, but he loves EVERYONE and is 13 pounds, 10+ years, blind and deaf, and they get along almost always...but he was here before the alpha bitch.

How do I introduce them?

Please help ASAP!

[Adjour]

Hi

Keep in mind, that "alphas" or "leaders" are not violent. Your dog attacks the other because she is insecure, or intimitated by the new dog, shes trying to make the scary thing leave, not dominate it. If you believe in pack theory, this would make her a middle ranking dog, or a low ranking dog.


They need to be separated and slowly desensitized/counterconditioned to each other, this will take time, are you willing to put a decent amount of work/time into this? Are you willing to hire a trainer or behaviorist to work with you? Theres not a quick "better by tomorrow solution" unfortunately and I'd hate to type out half a novel only for it to be discarded

[StarfishSaving]

Adjour said it but it bears repeating: your dog does not attack others because she is "alpha." She is either downright dog aggressive or (more likely) is unsocialized, fearful, and insecure. I am not criticizing you, but I am concerned about this situation. Please do not bring a new dog into your home without getting the already-present issue under control with your bitch. Bringing a new dog into your home will stress out your girl, possibly endanger both of them (or your 10yo male) and could cause significant emotional trauma to all of them, especially the one who has confidence problems to begin with or this new baby who has had a troubled life already.

The fact that this has failed twice and you've rehomed the other dogs tells me that you haven't been prepared for this commitment of time, energy and training in the past. Really ask yourself if something major has changed and whether or not you'll be able to put the time, expense and training into it now. Please seek a behaviorist or experienced trainer to help you understand where your dog is coming from and how to work with her. This isn't about you and what you want, this needs to be about the safety of your family (and any potential member.)

The bottom line is that while you have the best of intentions for adopting a dog who has lived a difficult life so far, she is a highly adoptable breed and should have no trouble finding a home elsewhere. I really commend your choice to help a rescued dog in need, but would suggest that perhaps now is not the best of times and that the priority should be helping the dog you're already committed to.

If I can't sway your decision to bring home this new dog, Isuggest using crate and rotate methods (http://www.pbrc.net/rotate.html) and investing in a good muzzle to keep everyone safe until you can have a professional evaluate your dog.

[Ail]

Well, I was asking for help, not sarcasm. I am/was a Vet Tech, and I am a cat expert, not dog, so I came here for friendly advice pending the dogs arrival. Not to be told I know nothing, and I am a quitter and shouldn't adopt her at all!

And I had the what I thought was an "alpha bitch" trained at Petsmart (I know, not a real pro but better than nothing) and she said that she was a highly fearful dog, and on the last day of training she said she was better, then on the way out, she went after a Fox Terrier (she's a Peke) so I was very discouraged and obviously upset. She does always pick the fights, so I assumed she was alpha.
You have broken my heart and ruined my joy over getting her (today infact)! I was close to crying. Of COURSE I didn't adopt out the other 2 without trying for MONTHS to socialize them! One was for 4 and one was 6 of rotating and other methods I had read about. The male Peke tore all his hair off, and the female Peke peed submissively all the time. So there. I DID TRY! So, I came here for some advice, and what do I get...this! I think I will leave now. Some help you guys are...

[echoica]

i hardly think anyone was trying to insult you or be sarcastic. you have gotten really good advice above...you really should take it a bit more seriously. would you rather hear the truth or just excuses to help you justify what is going on to make YOU feel better?

you really shouldn't be bringing another dog into the household until you get what you have under control. it's not fair for the newcomer or the resident dogs...it has more to do with what YOU want than anything else. that is not intended to be insulting...just truthful.

there is nothing wrong with PetSmart training. some locations have excellent trainers and their program is very well thought-out...so don't be embarrassed by that but i think for your particular problem you need a more specialized approach with a behaviourist - some one that has a lot more training and a better ability to deal with the issues you have mentioned. you can't get that from a basic obedience trainer.

good luck!

[Adjour]

????


no one was sarcastic with you, I did see a bit of truth that needed to be said. Its very important that you understand shes not being mean or bossy or "alpha" because people tend to REACT inapropriately to the dog when they are under that impression which makes the problem worse



If your still there, I highly suggest you hire a trainer/behaviorist.

http://www.iaabc.org/

once again, just fair warning, this means alot of work ahead of you, and a behaviorist will cost quite a bit more $ than a petsmart trainer (well worth it, so don't be sticker shocked) and if you are not up for it, you need to rehome som'one.


Edit: I must be blind, the dog isn't even in the home yet? I would hold off personally then, the rules for getting more dogs is make sure your existing dogs are where you want training/behavior wise first

[StarfishSaving]

What did I do?? Sarcasm?

I am trying to HELP you make the BEST decision for the dogs involved. It might not be the kind of advice that you want to hear, but I would be a really crappy dog rescuer if I didn't say something about the endangerment you're talking about here.

[Tori's mom]

It's been quite a while since I posted here, but I really want to try to offer a view from a different perspective. I have very carefully read the above posts and honestly see only good, heartfelt advice worded in such a way to be as delicate as possible while still being relistic.
HOWEVER I also understand how hard it is to realize that you may not be able to rescue a dog you really want to help- and come to terms that your help could actually endanger the dog. After fostering many dogs over the last 5 years one of my girls has become dog agressive with strange dogs. She has now attacked several dogs, and while there have been no injuries its only because I was right on top of the situation each time. It took me some time to admit there was an issue... and even longer to quit trying to rationalize it away. Tori is 4 yers old. There will be no more fosters, no doggie play dates, no off leash walks at the park for a very long time for her and I. She is DA. She is unpredictable about it. It is irresponsible for me to endanger other dogs, to stress her out, and expect her to deal with it for my sake. But she's my girl, and she deserves the best, so for her lifetime I'll adjust to keep her safe.
I'm not saying this is the case for you, but go see a behaviorist and focus on your girl for now! When you bring home a new family member your girl can be happy and well adjusted- not stressed and miserable, and you will be able to focus on helping the new dog adjust and overcome any issues. Make a plan, work hard, have fun, and help your girl overcome her insecurities! Worst case senario you don't add a furry family member for a while, but get a happy, more confidant dog in the meantime and build your relationship.
Wishing you the best,
Tori's mom