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Problems in a multi dog house
- Susie Aga
We were contacted by a listener, Katarina Anthony, with a problem with her three dogs. You can see the text of her email below.
Her German Shepherd, Bismark is constantly trying to be top dog, and Katarina is beginning to despair of her dogs ever living in peace. For help with this difficult problem, I turned to aggression specialist, Susie Aga.
Susie always gives great insights into canine thinking, and this interview is no exception. She has advice for Katarina on establishing which of her dogs is really the alpha dog.
She also has tips on how to handle life - particularly those flashpoints like dinner time - to ensure the dogs avoid situations that set off competition between them.
Susie Aga is a Certified Canine Behavior & Training Specialist who received her certification from Triple Crown Academy, a world leader in pet education. She has 20 years experience with dogs and is recommended by over 45 Veterinarians in the Metro Atlanta area. Susie was chosen by Turner Broadcasting to be their featured "Pet Expert". Susie is also the "Pet Expert" for- Pet Doctor Online. She is interviewed by veterinarians regarding many behavioral issues and their solutions. The discussions are directed towards behavioral problems such as separation anxiety, cage aggression and other hard to define issues facing many owners and their dogs. The shows are also archived for your convenience. She has six rescue dogs of her own and donates much of her time and services to Rescue Organizations. You can truly say her life has gone to the dogs and that is just the way SHE WANTS IT!
You can find out more about her at her website.
swapping bones for broccoli?
- Emma Holyer
Did you know that many owners are swapping bones for broccoli in their dog's diet?
Many of us are trying to improve our own diet at this time of year, so it makes sense to overhaul what our dog is eating too. Do you give your dog vegetables? Or vitamin supplements?
We talk to Emma Holyer from Liverpool Victoria about some research they carried out on canine cuisine. Their results may not be quite what you expected.
News
In the DogCast Radio News, Princess Beatrice's dog Max went missing over Christmas, her uncle Prince Edward has been investigated by the RSPCA after allegations he hit his Labradors, and we hear about puppies who made the journey from Atlanta to Florida to find new homes.
Fiction
Our fiction feature is Be Careful What You Wish For. It's written by Kate Coldham and read by Nick Coldham.
New Music
It's a New Year, and we have new opening music for DogCast Radio. Is it change for the better or the worse? Let us know what you think.
It's still the same great mix of dog related interviews, news and more - so start 2009 as you mean to go on, and listen to DogCast Radio.
Katarina's email
Here is the text of Katarina's email discussed above:
I have been listening to your podcast and have really enjoyed the advice and information that you have been sharing. In particular, I liked your recent show on separation anxiety - a problem we have experienced in the extreme with our German Shepherd, Bismarck. It took about a year for him to get the point where we were able to get out of the house without anything being destroyed - he is significantly better in this respect at least, but we still have problems with him in other areas.
First of all, let me say that our Bismarck is wonderfully behaved when he is by himself. However, we have two other dogs - a Belgian shepherd and a Great Dane/German shepherd cross. He is constantly struggling to gain more power in the pack - but with little success. Hercules, our Great Dane mix, is the primary recipient of a Bismarck's aggression. Every single time we let the dogs into the garden, there is a - sometimes violent - struggle as to who goes first. Usually, Bismarck barks incessantly while I sneak the other two dogs out. This happens five or six times a day, and the neighbors have started to complain about the barking. Unfortunately, Hercules does not challenge Bismarck over who goes out the door - which he doesn't seem to think is very important. However, with food, Hercules is constantly dominating Bismarck - and doing so successfully. Whenever they get into a fight, which sometimes can last up to an hour with bloody injuries to treat afterwards, Hercules comes out the winner. But our German Shepherd continues to believe he has a shot at the number one place.
My question to your team is this: is there a way to deal with dog-dog aggression/fights for dominance that we do not know of? We consistently make sure to reward Hercules first, to let him out first, to give him the extra treat, to take him in the car instead of Bismarck - but message is just not getting through. We are at a loss, and at the moment I am considering taking Bismarck with me to London while I study in order to remove him from the equation. But it really would not be fair to him, as he needs to have a garden.