dog aggression in the home

Question
I am sure you hear this all the time. My 14 year old (very Alpha) Bichon is attacking my 1.5 year old Maltese sometimes for no reason. Sometimes he will give the Malt a mean stare which causes the Malt (who knows the Bichon is the boss) to growl, then the Bichon barks at him, then they start fighting. Which of course I break them up and seperate them for a short while. Once I put them back together, I make them happy together. They still play and chase each other, but sometimes the bichon just snaps. I seperate them when I am not home of course. They are both good dogs, but something must be done. I don't want to neuter the Maltese because he would make a great stud, perfect in size, and personality. The Bichon should have been fixed years ago, we believe he was from a puppy mill which we found out after we had him, so he has always been a bit bossy, spoiled, and very vocal when he wants something.  
I do give treats to the oldest first, and always give him the most attention to help the situation.
Need Help!

Answer
Hi Carla, Please clarify for me. Is the Bichon neutered or not?  You say he should have been, but not if he is or is not neutered. Either way, you must gain control as the pack leader so neither of the dogs feels the need to control the pack. At 14 your dog may beginning to show signs of dementia. So I would also like to know if this is a new behavior, or if he has always been aggressive to other dogs, especially males. Since he is alpha, you must be sure that you are alpha in his mind at all times. Take away his need to feel in control of the pack, and he will lead a healthier , and happier life. The Malese is so young, you should not have any problems establishing the pack order with him. Please follow-up and leave me some feedback with more details if you need further explanation. I would be more than happy to go into detail for you. Thanks. Regards, Susan