Addition of another dog

Question
I have a 2 year old bichon frise called Daisy Four months ago I adopted my friends 3 year old bicjon called Angel As the two dogs haver always played together I though thins would be ok and for the first 3 months they were For the past few weeks Daisy has spells of being very aggressive towards Angel Especially when I call them to put their leads on or call them to eat If Angel does not come immediately then Daisy first barks at her and then attacks her. I have tried not calling them just going to them to put the leads on but as soon as Daisy sees the lead or food she starts, Five minutes later she will in the same bed with her nuzzling her and most of the time they get on well but this is becoming a problem and I am not sure what to do about it I have tried giving Daisy extra attention and also scolding her nothing seems to work She has not drawn blood yet but has given bllod yet but has given Angel a small bite on her neck  I would apreciate your adive  

Answer

Hi Carole,

I can't tell from your dogs names, if they are both females, that could part of this problem. It more common to have aggression issues between two female dogs, than it is when a home has two neutered males, or a neutered male and spayed female dog. It doesn't matter if both of the females have been spayed.

You shouldn't be feeding your dogs in the same room. Take one dog into a room, put down her food, then go back to where your other dog is, and lay down it's food. Keep them separated until both dogs are done eating. Some dogs never get over food aggression, so if you know it's a problem time you need to take preventative measures.

Dog on dog aggression is a serious issue that often ends up with one of the dogs being re-homed. You should seek the help of a certified dog behaviorist who can evaluate your dogs, and work with you to end (or at least control) the aggression. Ask your veterinarian or local boarding kennel for a referral to a dog behaviorist.

Best of luck,
Patti