Very bossy shiba inu!!!!
Help! I have a three-year-old female Shiba Inu. She is a wonderful dog, but she is very bossy! My two older dogs of eleven years have been bit, chased, and made crazy by her. I recently acquired two golden retriever/ Yellow lab pups. They are six months old male and female. My female pup, Chloe and Arcadia, my Shiba Inu, are constantly bickering. The only time this happens is when I show affection towards any of my other dogs especially Chloe. Recently both dogs got into such a fight my husband was bit on the hand and shoulder by my Shiba Inu, while trying to subdue her. I myself was bit on the hand last week by her when she tried to bite Chloe. Arcadia is very gentle to all of us and does play fine with all of the dogs outside. It’s as soon as one of the dogs wants me to pet them the trouble starts. This does not happen to any of the other family members, only me. Can someone give me some advice? I do not wish to give her away. It has been difficult trying to maintain peace between her and the other dogs for the past three years. She has settled down somewhat as she has gotten older which is why I took the other two puppies, but it seems the two females are really having a hard time getting along. I also have eight cats and at times she will chase a couple of them, but it never gets serious. I give all of them plenty affection and spend quality time with all of them. I am the animal lover in the house and they all do revolve around me, so I can understand that at times she gets jealous. I just don’t know what to do anymore. HELP!
Thanks,
Kain
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Arcadia sounds like a very alpha (dominant) personality, and alpha personalities often have strong and ongoing conflicts with other pack members, esp. those of their own gender. Two alpha females are often more likely to seriously injure each other in violent fights than are two alpha males. That’s why it’s never a good idea to have two alpha females (or two alpha males) in the same household.
If Chloe also has an alpha personality, it will only express itself more strongly in her behavior and in her conflicts with Arcadia as she matures. If that’s the case, you may never have peace in your household, and you may, indeed, have seriously bloody battles in which any member of your household - two or four legged - may get injured in the crossfire.
Taking both Arcadia and Chloe (separately) through obedience classes would certainly help you establish yourself as alpha in your household, which is something it sounds like you desperately need to do. However, even obedience classes won’t change the way the dogs interact with each other when you’re not in the room. They will continue to fight and put your family at risk. It’s in the alpha nature, and it’s not something you’re going to be able to change.
I have a very old alpha female. In her younger days, she was a very pushy, very dominant dog with the other family canines, esp. the females. Fortunately, neither of our other females were at all alpha, so they instantly backed down when Moonie laid down the law. Moonie did a lot of snapping and growling, but there was never a single fight because none of the other dogs ever challenged her authority. If they had, I could have intervened and stopped any conflict that arose in my presence. However, I know I never could have left Moonie alone with another alpha female without them trying to kill each other.
Now, Moonie is an extremely old lady who can not even rise to her feet without assistance. Her eyesight and hearing are both poor. Even in her frail state, Moonie remains the undisputed alpha dog in our household.
We do now have a young adult female with a very alpha personality. We adopted Tasha as a young puppy, and Moonie let her know immediately who was boss. Surprisingly, Tasha defers to Moonie and will flop down on her back across Moonie’s paws when the Queen Dog barks at her. But I don’t believe things would be nearly so peaceful between them if Moonie were still mobile. If Moonie were able to push Tasha around the way she did the others when she was younger, I think this house would be a bloody battlefield. Our current peaceful state is due to Moonie’s inability to challenge Tasha’s alpha behavior toward everyone else.
I wish I could be more encouraging about your situation, but I believe your only hope of reasonable coexistence is if Chloe decides to acquiesce to Arcadia’s domination, and it doesn’t sound like that’s going to happen. You may have to do what another internet acquaintance of mine has had to do in her household - split the house in two and give each dog their half, never being allowed in the same space together. That’s a tough way to manage a family.
Good luck,
Tempest