Background: Adopted Shy, female sheltie mix, at two years old. A year later added Rotten, female rottweiler, eight weeks old. Seven years later added Boomer, male pit mix, eight weeks old. A year and a half later added Wylie, male lab, five years old.
All are altered, Shy and Wylie at unknown ages, Boomer and Rotten at six months old.
Shy and Rotten never really accepted Boomer into their pack. They get along, and play together, but it's 'them' and 'him'.
Wylie has been here three weeks and most of that has been on crate rest since surgery on a broken leg. Introductions, when they were allowed, went well with Shy and Boomer. Wylie immediately submitted to Shy - never challenged her at all. Wylie did posture towards Boomer but Boomer submitted and they now get along great. In fact, I'd say those two are a pack of their own.
Wylie and the others were introduced on as neutral of ground as I could manage - the front yard (that my dogs never spend time in). He came to me with the broken leg and wasn't up for walks in the park.
Problem: Wylie and Rotten never postured - never seemed to challenge each other - but just went to, for lack of a better word, HATING each other. They did some growling and snapping leading up to the other night when Rotten walked by Wylie and he lunged at her. They fought and both had blood drawn, Rotten significantly worse than Wylie. Since then Rotten ignores him but, if allowed, he stalks her. He'll try to follow her every move and occasionally snap at her. She just acts like he's not there.
I have several theories, up to and including the fact that we may not be seeing Wylie's 'real' personality yet, since he's been settling in and been in pain much of the time he's been here.
I welcome any of your thoughts about what is going on here and how to best keep peace and harmony in the house.
Additional information: (added after less-than-helpful posts from another board) In order to keep this from being more of a novel then it already is I'm just giving the bare basics here. I am not allowing my rottweiler to be terrorized. The dogs are separated the majority of the time. At this point I am not willing to consider re-homing the lab. He's only been here three weeks and he's been in pain the majority of the time. The other two introductions went well. FWIW, I practice NILIF with all the dogs and they are fed, in no particular order, out-of-sight of each other.
Please, any advice about the best way to proceed from here would be welcome.
All are altered, Shy and Wylie at unknown ages, Boomer and Rotten at six months old.
Shy and Rotten never really accepted Boomer into their pack. They get along, and play together, but it's 'them' and 'him'.
Wylie has been here three weeks and most of that has been on crate rest since surgery on a broken leg. Introductions, when they were allowed, went well with Shy and Boomer. Wylie immediately submitted to Shy - never challenged her at all. Wylie did posture towards Boomer but Boomer submitted and they now get along great. In fact, I'd say those two are a pack of their own.
Wylie and the others were introduced on as neutral of ground as I could manage - the front yard (that my dogs never spend time in). He came to me with the broken leg and wasn't up for walks in the park.
Problem: Wylie and Rotten never postured - never seemed to challenge each other - but just went to, for lack of a better word, HATING each other. They did some growling and snapping leading up to the other night when Rotten walked by Wylie and he lunged at her. They fought and both had blood drawn, Rotten significantly worse than Wylie. Since then Rotten ignores him but, if allowed, he stalks her. He'll try to follow her every move and occasionally snap at her. She just acts like he's not there.
I have several theories, up to and including the fact that we may not be seeing Wylie's 'real' personality yet, since he's been settling in and been in pain much of the time he's been here.
I welcome any of your thoughts about what is going on here and how to best keep peace and harmony in the house.
Additional information: (added after less-than-helpful posts from another board) In order to keep this from being more of a novel then it already is I'm just giving the bare basics here. I am not allowing my rottweiler to be terrorized. The dogs are separated the majority of the time. At this point I am not willing to consider re-homing the lab. He's only been here three weeks and he's been in pain the majority of the time. The other two introductions went well. FWIW, I practice NILIF with all the dogs and they are fed, in no particular order, out-of-sight of each other.
Please, any advice about the best way to proceed from here would be welcome.
