Stanley Jealous For Attention?

[Guest StanleyR]

I have had my grey Stanley for a year and a half. He has had some issues we worked through. Last year I posted about an incident where he bit another dog over food. We have learned a lot since then and are very careful with him around food and other dogs.

 

A month ago we adopted our second greyhound, Delilah. There has been some growling here and there but nothing too serious until this weekend. Delilah was laying on the couch and I was sitting next to her. Stan came and put his head on my lap. I was petting both of them. When I reached back to touch Delilah's head, Stan jumped over me, onto the couch and started barking and growling in Delilah's face. I immediately pulled him off and screamed "no!" No one was hurt. I assume if he wanted to bite her he would have.

 

Since the incident I have avoided having both of them next to me for affection. I simply walk away if Stan or Delilah approach while I am with the other dog. I am not sure how else to handle this situation.

 

Is this part of the adjustment period? My husband thinks that Stan was anxious because I had my shoes on and this may have triggered his reaction. I just don't know.

 

We adopted Delilah as a companion for Stan. It seems that they just tolerate each other. Stan growls at her if she chases the ball with him (she now has stopped running in the backyard), he growls if she gets too close to him while when he is laying down, etc. I know some of this is normal but can I still hope they will become friends, get along and maybe even play together?

 

Appreciate any advice. Thank you.

[TheFullHouse]

There is hope, you have my Valentino there. In my experience, and this was just my experience, my Valentino like your Stan, needed to be first in everything! He was very competitive at everything, whether it be toys, food, attention what ever, he had to be first. He would push his way through my dogs, knocking them sideways to get to me if they were all around me. I started correcting him every time he exhibited a behavior I didn't like. If I saw him trying to push another hound around, say growling and snarling, he was corrected immediately and told to go lay down. If he pushed his way to the front of the pack to get to the door and then snarled at anyone close to him, I would move him to the back and make him go last. I basically taught him that he was not the boss in this house, I was and every time I corrected him, he seemed to learn. He is now the sweetest, calmest dog on the planet. He doesn't growl or snarl or push everyone around the way he did when he first came here.

 

Now this took a long time with him, but I made sure I was consistent and it worked for me. Others may have better suggestions, I just know what worked for me.

 

Stan is basically showing Delilah that he thinks he is over her in the pack standing. You can wait and see if one of these days Delilah will have her fill and come back at him. Some times that's what it takes for these bossy guys, another grey to put them in their place.

[Guest PiagetsMom]

No advice on the snarkiness, I've been very lucky in that I've never had that problem with my two. However, Judy's got lots of practice with multiple hounds and I'd sure give her advice a listen!

 

As for companionship between the two, I brought Mirage home as a companion to Piaget and I'd probably describe them as "ambivalent" companions, at least as far as you can usually tell with Piaget. Piaget can absolutely do without Mirage, but when you find them together its because Mirage will seek her out whenever he's not with me......he really doesn't like to be alone, and when I'm busy, he goes looking for her.

 

It took a long while before they actually played together, but it's infrequent, and they more often play by themselves.....together. Each has their own toy, each does their own thing. So, maybe your pups will end up being great playmates, or maybe not.

 

What I can say is that we've recently had the pups away at the vet for proceedures at separate times, and it was a looooong day for the pup who was here at home and wondering where the other was - they definitely miss the other when they're separated and may be more bonded than you might think.

 

Good luck with Stanley

 

edited b/c I meant to say ambivalent, not benevolent

Edited July 27, 2010 by PiagetsMom

[Guest StanleyR]

Thanks so much for the advice. I have hope.

[Guest Tokolos]

I wonder how Sprinkles would react if we got another grey. Right now, we have 2 daughters, and if I'm spending a lot of time with them, he'll walk over and physically stand between me and the girls until I acknowledge him. He never growls or says anyone, it's just like this "don't forget about me!" moment.