Thanks everyone for everything, all the kind words, and especially the advice...Ill take any of it!
Now...here is another update. Last nite went pretty well. We are feeding Grace seperately...plus I am trying to use some bonding tips from The Dog Listener...basically the ones to teach me how to make all three dogs know that Im the Alpha and they dont need to worry about it between eachother, because they are all on the same level. Its a tough one, but the experiences in the book are amazing, so its worth a harder try. One of the main things Im going to start doing is with feeding...how you should take the dog dishes, and make it look like you are eating some out of it...So I am just leaving a package of crackers for me on the counter, set her dish up there...and enjoy my crackers, infront of her while she is watching, making it look like I am taking them out of her bowl...so she thinks I am getting my share of her food. (Like the book suggests...how it would be in a real pack, the leaders eat first, then the rest...) So I make it look like Im eating first, then I give her what I "dont want"...and ya know what, she only worried about her dish, and didnt walk off from it until it was gone. So I was glad about that. Another point that Im going to start to implement is that when the dogs walk away from their dishes, I pick up the food immediately and finish meal time. It sounds mean, but the book suggests that they will pick up very quickly and will learn to eat their own meals, not worrying about eachothers meals. This morning we did it...Grace ate all her food, walked away from her empty dish, and we picked it up...I called Grace into the bedroom with me because she was going to go to Max's dish...so I kept her with me while Max and Har ate their food. And Max ate his whole bowl (always does...
) and when Max got done with his, Harlie left her bowl (had a few bites left in it) to go check out Maxs bowl...so we picked them both up...she sorta looked around a bit...but then went to go play...I felt mean, but at the same time, we think she is already learning to eat her food, because before we got Grace, Harlie would never finish a whole bowl of food, most of the time not even half...she would take a few bites, then bug Max, wanting whats in his bowl...and since we have had Grace, I think Harlie realizes if she doesnt eat her food right away, Grace will...so she has been eating more...maybe this whole transition will even put a few pounds on Har. Im hoping everything starts working out...
Last nite we had a little bit of a test with the dogs. A test on us really...Grace has been really getting in on Harlie alot and Harlie wont back down...we had to break up a fight last nite...neither of them got hurt...
I got bit though. Im fine though...I didnt get hurt or anything, which I am fortunate...I just want them to get along. Its my fault really...when they had come inside from going potty, I gave them all a treat, like I have always done with Har and Max, Max ate his, dropped a crumb on the floor, and Grace swooped down and stole it...Max didnt mind this...Graces treat was already gone...by her of course..
. Well, Har was done with her treat, and I think Grace thought she had more, and went after her...I was yelling at them to stop and calm down...there was no treat to fight over...so I grabbed Harlie and picked her up, they were both trying to bite eachother, I dont know which one actually bit me...I shouldnt have even got in the middle...but Im new at this and I didnt really know what to do...Josh came in and got Grace and put her in her crate...We scolded Har and made her lay down on her bed. After about 20 minutes we let them both back out to play and they played fine for a while. I just think that I am not going to be able to give them treats togehter...we also had to take all bones away too...as its just a huge fight everytime Har gets a bone, it ends up being the one that Grace wants. I think she is really picking on Harlie a lot, Im not real sure why...I think its the female/female thing...because Grace doesnt "attack" Max hardly at all...and when she does, he backs down to her, and she is happy...I just wish Har would back down so it would be calm and quiet in our house. We are working on it all...hopefully it all pans out alright in the next few weeks. We are really praising the heck out of her when she is nice to Harlie...
We are working with her on the cats too. Last nite she actually did try to get Gab...I was holding on to Gab, so when she tried to get her I just picked Gab up and put her on the table...I think Grace is very interested in them, I dont know if she would hurt them or not, I dont want to take a chance though, so when they are in the room, I put her leash on so I have control of how close to them she goes. I put the baby gate up too so that if she does go at them, they have an escape route. Its just weird...because sometimes we will all be in the room, and Gabby will walk through and Grace wont even care, then the next minute she will be staring her down like a peice of steak...so I dont know whats going through her little head...but I wish I did...
.
There is so much going on at my house right now...its like a madhouse. I just cant wait until everything calms down...Im sure it will with a lot of patience on mine and Joshs part, and a lot of rigid training on the dogs part. I am willing to do anything to make them all just get along.
Ok well thats the drama for last nite...me and Josh are learning a lot...no treats...no bones...
. It will be nice when we get this down pat.
They will learn it now that I am the boss...there will be no killing "siblings" in my home. I am going to do everything that I can to make these two live peaceable together. Gracie is our responsibility now...she will learn that we are a happy loving family and want her to be with us...she doesnt have to fight to stay with us.