Agressiveness-male dogs

Question
Hi,

We have 3 dogs in our household.  One is a male lab/hound mix-Columbo (2 yrs. old), a female golden retriever-Maggie (4 yrs. old), and our newest addition, a beagle mix-Eli (1 yr.).  We've had Eli now for about a month.  Everyone seemed to get along fine but lately Eli and Columbo have been fighting.  They are both males.  The other night Columbo bit Eli's ear.  I noticed a lot of times it is over food or toys.  Sometimes Eli is just aggressive.  I will see Columbo trying to back off, and Eli keeps coming at him.  We have never seen an agressive side in Columbo. We are afraid that bringing Eli into the picture is going to make Columbo agressive.  Eli's history is vague.  Before I got him, he was in a foster home with 5 other dogs.  I volunteer for a no kill organization so we were thinking about placing Eli up for adoption.  Can you explain this behavior?  Any information would be helpful.

Thank you!

Missy

Answer
Well first of all, are your dogs neutered? If not that could definitly have something to do with it. Aggression is often hormonal and can be greatly reduced if both dogs are altered. Dogs are animals that live in packs. In a pack there is always a leader. Your dogs may be fighting for dominance. This is a normal behavior. There is really nothing you can do. Once dominance is established, you can help by doing little things like when you get home, pet the dominant dog first, feeding him first, putting him on the leash first. Things like that. By feeling sorry for the submissive dog and giving him more attention, you will actually create more problems by him because the other dog will try to put him in his place. If I were you I would give it more time and let them find their places in the pack. It takes time for dogs to get used to each other. And unless they are seriously hurting each other, I wouldn't worry too much. It's natural. Ask your veterinarian for more tips on aggression. Even if he will have a quick phone chat with you, it might be of help. Well, I hope I helped some. Have a great night Missy.