sharing

Question
Hi we have a 2 1/2 male mini schnauzer that we have had since he was 8 weeks old. He has been an only dog until recently when we adopted a 1 year old schnauzer mix female. Our male is more then willing to share us and his toys and is very laid back. The female who is new the house however is not. She is getting possessive over the toys, but only when we are playing with him with them. She will take them away and bite him on the shoulder. He has now become afraid to play with any of his toys. Also when we are petting him she will come over and nudge her way in between and be very impolite. I understand that she is probably insecure in her spot in the family since she is new, but it is getting to the point that our male is afraid to  come to us when we call him.. instead he goes and hides. We treat the male as if he is dominate because he was here first. But we don't know what to do. We don't want him to be pushed out of his spot in the family. Please help. She has had little training and we are working with her everyday on listening. Just getting frustrated.

Answer
Honestly? Dogs form their own relationships, and its not always the human's ideal situation. It's pretty common for the girl dogs to boss the boys around and take stuff away from them. Depending on the personalities of the two dogs involved, you may be making it extra hard on your male by insisting that he needs to be "dominant" for whatever that's worth. He may not want to be dominant. It may not be his nature, and by supporting him in something he doesn't really want or have the ability to hold on to, you may be creating more problems for him and escalating her behavior. Give each dog individual time and training. And make sure that your male has access to you, even if it means putting the female away so he can have your undivided attention. She also needs to be rewarded when she is not being pushy, and get a "time out" when she is being overbearing. But understand that she may be an ambitious dog and he may be okay with being bossed around a bit. Also, training and good solid household rules will help. Less need for the new girl to throw her weight around if she sees a strong, benevolent leader in you. Sandy Case MEd CPDT www.positivelycanine.com