In desperate need of some advice!! I have 2 male french bulldog puppies, I had Wilson first, Wesley 2 months later, they’re both still under 10 months old, and now been living together for 2-3 months. Wilson is the lively one, Wesley is very quiet and needy. They both get on fine in the evening and sleep in a bed together with no fuss and are very loving towards each other. Then daylight comes and they fight over food, treats, toys and me! Now I separate them for eating, I’ve even bought them separate pens (not put up yet) and have them in a room with practically nothing to prevent any fights! I have to be constantly watching their every move in case they start to show signs they’re about to attack. It’s literally taking over my life and I’m wondering if it’s me doing something wrong!?
That's teenage boys for you! It's a bit late to say that when adding a second dog, you are usually better going for the opposite sex, and yes, I do understand why you might not have wanted to do that. I'm guessing that Wilson is the main trouble causer, and would suggest that you sign them both up for some positive methodology puppy training classes. This is mainly to teach them to be more responsive to your commands, but also to give the tools to handle these jealous outbursts when they do happen. It would also mean that you had a trainer who was able to give you one to one advice when you needed it. I don't think splitting these boys is a permanent answer, in my experience, the situation can become even heightened when they do meet. They have to learn to co-exist if possible, and the chances are that this is just a developmental phase. I would remove any high value toys that they might be tempted to fight over, and would continue to feed them in separate rooms for the time being. I would not give them any bones or long lasting chews, ( my two can still fight over bones at 8 and 9 years old), or cuddle or favour either puppy until this situation has resolved itself.
Thank you Carole, Surprisingly it’s not Wilson that starts the fights, it’s the quiet one Wesley who is very protective over me and food! I will definitely be taking up training classes for further help. I did forget to mention that I am Wesley’s second owner in just 5 months, he was given back to the breeder as the owner had too many work commitments. He seems to have been very mollycoddled which is why I think he’s so protective when Wilson comes near me. We had Wilson first and he always slept in the kitchen alone with no wining or neediness. I just hope it’s not too late stop this behaviour now
When you have two young dogs of similar age its important to give them lots of individual attention, training/walks. Play times should be closely supervised, as soon as you see signs of trouble give the command ‘pack it in’ and remove toys/bones ect: don't wait for fights to happen. At feeding times I never separated my dogs they were fed in the kitchen in separate corners myself in the middle and they were not allowed to interfere with each other, soon as they were finished dishes were picked up.
It can take a while for a newcomer dog to relax and find their own place in a family. Exercising your Frenchies together on neutral ground is a good way of getting them to bond, and to get rid of some pent-up energy too. I realise that Wesley is a little young for long walks, but a walk combined with some free scampering shouldn't do any harm. Sofa-sitting is something else that can often cause problems. Dogs seem to regard being in this elevated human space as a position to be jealously guarded, so both dogs are better remaining on the floor - at least for the time being. I have a breed that is very prone to food aggression, and many Beagles end up in welfare for just this reason. The first week after Merry was rehomed to us, we had two nasty food fights, and both were started by her. Eddie got a puncture on his foot, and she ended up with a pierced ear. We began by splitting them up at mealtimes, one in the kitchen, and one in the hall, but within a couple of weeks we were able to relax this by stages, at first by opening the door but with my OH acting as a road block, then just the open door, and then in separate corners of the kitchen. They now eat at each side of my feet, so I can prevent the bowls from rolling round the kitchen - Beagles are nothing if not voracious feeders. Merry is a bossy madam, and would still steal from him if she was given the opportunity, but the chances are that these days Eddie would just let her do it. At all other times they behave as a mini-pack, and do everything together. I hope you soon start to see the beginnings of your own mini-pack.
How are the boys getting on now you’ve had a few days with lots of advice I’m hoping there has been some progress Philippa
Stability takes time to kick in for a dog that has had to readjust to a new home, time is probably your greatest asset here. You could hook them together when you walk them, then they must do stuff together at the same time. Use cable ties and attach their harnesses like a mini sled team, and walk them together round the yard. Do all your sit and stay stuff and no treats unless "both" are doing whatever you ask. Might instill a little brotherly love if they feel 'physically' connected for an hour a day. If they do ok in the yard, try a bit of jogging together, teamwork might help them. If its an urgent thing that needs rectifying, there is a spray can you can get at some pet stores, its just compressed air and has some kind of calming scent or something similar in it. The "ssSST" sound that comes out of it is designed to be fiercely loud, and it is. No matter the dog, it scares the crap out of it. You'll have to wait like a sniper for the right time though. The idea is that they stop what they are doing and correlate the sound to the angry play, and/or in your case, if both of them are scared at the exact same time, then they might stay close to one another out of pack instinct. Don't let them see the can either, it has to come from the gods in their minds. So don't go waving in their faces like dirty harry, the threat would obviously work, but if they know its the little orange can they fear, what happens when you don't have it with you? Its best it always remain a mystery to them. Then the "ssST" sound you make in the future for correction, is already understood in the memory as a firm "no". If you separate them, they will resent each other, if you always favor the weaker dog from these altercations, they will resent each other. Giving either their dinner first or second is probably a big deal for these dogs, to them its a daily test of "who does she think is the best dog today?" A hard situation no doubt, this breed is known for being super stubborn. Good Luck.
