Labrador Retriever Dog Gifts : Articles : Lab Life : Sibling Rivalry
Labrador Retriever Canine Sibling Rivalry
YOUR OWN BACKYARD HIERARCHIAL TREE
By Shannon K. Steffen
Every household with more than one child experiences some form of sibling rivalry. As humans, we automatically try to even the playing field and do everything in our power to ensure that all children in the house are seen and treated as equal. This is human conditioning and, unfortunately, most humans take this same approach with dog sibling rivalry. The problem is - they are not human and do not follow by the same "everyone is equal" rules.
The Pack Order
Labrador Retrievers, like all dogs, are social animals whose evolutionary history makes them willing and able to live in groups. Within this group lay a social structure in which each dog is either a leader and dominant, or subordinate and submissive in relation to certain other pack members. It is called dominance hierarchy and this is the main difference between the social rules of dogs and that of humans.
The pack leader, otherwise known as the alpha dog, has access to everything is wants or needs first and foremost. This includes the pack's food, sleeping spaces, mates, territory, and possessions. The ensure their pack dominance through facial expressions, body postures, and actions they take with not only their pack but others that come in contact with their pack.
To a Lab, the family is their pack and they need to know where their social standing lay within this pack. Aggression, in even the mildest of forms, can be shown between two dogs within a family or even between dog and human. This is why it is important for the family leader and other humans in the family to illustrate their dominance over the Labs at a very early stage of the relationship. If the Lab is unsure where their place is within the pack, they may become too aggressive or too submissive with the other dogs and family members.
Changes in Pack Order
Between 12 and 36 months is when most social status aggression occurs due to social maturity. Fights between Labs will most often occur between dogs that are the same status or same gender. Such fights can be rough play or more severe, depending determination of the dog to secure its place within the pack. Commons situations when hierarchy may become an issue:
- When a new dog enters the family
- When one dog reaches social maturity
- When one dog becomes old in the eyes of the other
- When one dog's health is compromised
When humans see two dogs fighting or pushing each other out of the way to gain access to a person or possession, they tend to try and treat the dogs as equals. trying to treat two Labs as equals will only serve to counter the natural tendency towards a hierarchy. The dog that is the more dominant in the relationship needs to be supported in its position and the most subordinate must be taught to accept the relationship. Now we have come to a problem. What if the more dominant Lab is not the one you want to be more dominant in the pack? What if the more dominant Lab is a new Lab to the family or even a much younger Lab? Unfortunately, tough luck! The dominant dog is the dominant dog no matter how much the owner wants it to be otherwise. If the more dominant dog is disciplined for being dominant, or it is pulled away and the owner has supported or favored the more submissive dog, the dispute will be prolonged and may even become worse between the dogs. The only time a human should intervene is when there is the potential for injury to either dog or humans in the area. Please keep in mind that when a human intervenes in a dog fight, they have a chance of being injured as well due to redirected aggression.
Frequency
During a recent poll of 32 Labrador Retriever owners, 53.13% stated that sibling rivalry between dogs in their house does exist and they are currently working on it. Out of those owners, 9.38% stated that although it is a problem, they are letting it go away on its own.
Online poll. The Labrador Retriever Chat Board. August 2006.
Although 25% of the owners only had one dog, this illustrates that three-quarters of the households have had some form of dog sibling rivalry at one time. As demonstrated by this poll, the frequency of sibling rivalry is quite common in families with more than one dog.
Human Supportive Role
To ensure that the sibling rivalry doesn't get to a more aggressive fight, the owner needs to begin training their Labs as soon as possible. The human should be the true alpha or pack leader in the family and needs to maintain controls of all dogs in their household through the use of verbal commands. Dominant dogs within the house should be identified and supported in their role.
- Alpha dogs must be allowed to take toys away from subordinate dogs, to push in to receive attention from the owner, to control favorite sleeping places, food, and other valuable resources. Support the alpha dogs status by allowing this to occur.
- Do not undermine their hierarchy by attempting to treat the dogs equally and democratic, or by preventing the alpha dog from asserting his position.
- Do not stop the expressing of signals and ritualized behaviors that establish dominance, like snarling, growling or snapping. For us humans it looks and sounds worse than it is. They only do it to impress the other dog, to get its respect.
- Do not protect the subordinate dog, because he is younger or smaller.
- Always, without exception, the alpha dog gets the preferential treatment. He gets his food first, you pet him first, he goes into the car first, with him, you play first, and he is groomed first…
- Never, attempt to break up a fight between dogs.
These rules are valid not only in your house, but also in the park, at the beach, at the vet. Whenever two dogs approach, open the leash let them sniff each other, and try not to hinder their communication.
Agression�Prevention
Humans will help prevent serious aggression problems through:
- Proper puppy socialization and identification of temperament tendencies in the Lab.
- Exercise to help refocus aggression and energy.
- Obedience training to create a foundation of the human as pack leader.
- Make the Labs work for everything. Dogs should follow a simple command of sit, stay, or lie down before receiving food, affection, toys, or treats.
These all help the Lab owner to remain in control of their pups no matter how old they are or how much sibling rivalry is expressed.
If aggression becomes more serious, an animal behaviorist may need to be brought in to work with the dogs. Occasionally, a veterinarian will recommend drugs for one or both of the dogs. Usually though, medication should be a last resort, as it fails to fix the underlying cause - household dynamics. In more aggressive sibling rivalry, until the problem is solved, these dogs should be separated. This is not only for their own safety but also that of the human family members.
References
Any health care links and information in this article should NOT to replace a veterinarian visit or advice; please take your Lab to a vet immediately at any sign of odd behavior, such as fighting, or any symptoms of illness or injury.
