Dog Separation

Question
I recently got a 7-8 year old neutered male Doberman/Rottweiler mix from the shelter about a week and a half ago. I also have a 7 year old terrier/black lab mix spayed female and a 12-13 year old neutered male border collie/lab (?) mix.

The female and the border collie male have been home mates for  6 1/2 years and get along very well. I had a  14-15 female spayed golden retreiver that passed away last month of a severe stroke. They all 3 got along except for a few fights between the females which eventually stopped after 3 years thankfully. But upsetting just the same.

The new male and my older male already had one fight over a bone even though there are several bones and toys available so I started putting the new male "Charley" into the house in the kitchen when I go to work and the older male and female in the backyard as usual. I give Charlie and Eliot each a toy and then when I come home, I take the toys away from them and let Charlie out with Eliot and Nora.

I don't feel comfortable leaving Charlie and Eliot together unsupervised as the one fight they had seemed much more viscious than the two females fighting had been, mainly because Nora would attack Cyndi and Cyndi would submit.  In this case, Eliot begins the fight and Charlie does not submit.

I feel that I can only allow them together when I am there so that's why I have been separating them. They all sleep very well together in the kitchen at night so that's not a problem. And they are feed separately.

My question is this: Is this cruel to Charlie to put him in the kitchen during the day (almost 7 days a week as I work 6-7 days a week) and/or am I putting the wrong dog inside? I'm not sure which male I am supposed to allow to be dominanant over the other without fighting.

Thanks for any help you can give me.

Answer
Ok, here goes.
Charlie is the new kid on the block, and Eliot wants to be the Alpha, and charlie won't go for it.
I don't allow any of my dogs to be dominate, unless they do it in a way that is not going to bring harm, or be unfair to the others.
My English Setter is, I guess the dominate one. She is the oldest, and very much a lady, so she doesn't put up with silliness. When the others go too far, she growls and snaps, or just barks in their face like she is chewing them out.
They mind and behave. She has never nipped or certainly not brought blood. They are free with their loving, and smooch each other a lot.
I am the Alpha, and they understand that right off the bar. I make the rules, and that's just the way it is. They can have their little inner circles of play alpha, but it is MOM that has the last word, and she doesn't allow fights. That buys you a good chewing out, and a time out session.
Put the offender in punsihment.
I don't let my dogs outside when I go away from the house, whether it is for a couple of hours or all day.
I had one Irish Setter and my son's little mixed breed, stollen out of our back yard, years ago, and I am paranoid about them being stollen.
I think you are wise to not chance the two of them fighting when you are gone. That could have tragic consequences.
There are good classes at Petsmart and Petco stores, on weekends. Basic obedience classes would help, and might solve the problem.
There is also another form of training, that I have had a great deal of success with. It is the Tellington Touch method of animal massage.
I bought the video, that demonstrates how to do the different massages to get the desired results.
Besides modifying behavior such as aggressiveness, excessive barking, etc, I have had good results relieving pain from arthritis and post surgery.
Go to this site and check it out.
www.lindatellington-jones.com
I can'r say enough about this method of massage. I can get an arthritic dog that is in pain and pretty stove up, moving much easier in about 30 minutes.
I have cured several dogs of fear of thunderstorms with a 5 minute massage , and had them lie down and sleep through the rest of the storm.
My English Setter was terrified of thunder and lighteniong.
One 5 minute massage calmed her so she went to sleepl and has not been afraid of it since.
Some obedience classea would help, an the maddages, but a lot of dominance from you will help a lot. Be very firm. Come down on them like the house has fallen on them. Use the angriest voice you have, and fairly chew their heads off. Say " I DON'T TOLLERATE THAT!"
But, still keep the separated until you are sure it is safe to leave them alone together.
Over all, it sounds like you are a pretty dogs' mommy, avoiding giving them toys you know may prompt a fight.
I want too, to comp[liment you and thank you for taking in older dogs from shelters. You are a very rare breed, and we need more of people like you.
Call the shelter you go this new kid from. They may have weekend classes you could get in on, many shelters and rescue groups do, as well as humane society chapters.
They don't cost a lot or take a lot of time, and they are a tremendous help. You gain an immeasurable lot of experience from them.
Write any time you feel I can help.
Charlotte