About Marwan Husseini Expertise I am a dog lover, and I can answer questions about training and dog behavior and what king of dog (breed) you have. I can`t answer questions about health, although I will try my best to help you.
Experience A dog lover, dog adopter for years, and I watch a lot of programs about dogs. I can help you with specific questions about the boxer , basenji, Great Dane and the miniature pinscher breeds. also i could help you with puppy and dog care, knowing if a puppy is ready to leave his old home, and general knowledge questions...
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 I don;t think putting a dog in a closed room that long is a good idea. You will not have to do this anymore once you appoint a dominant dog, and the other submits to it. I can't help you choose the dominant dog, but I can tell you the dominant dog is usually the stronger one. If both dogs are both equal in strength, then you should pick the one that has been in your home the most; However, it seems as if the Doberman/Rottweiler one is stronger according to his breed.
Good luck...
