New "Bad" Behavior

[robinh]

This just started recently and has progressively gotten worse. Background - I have five dogs - three altered females, one altered male and one unaltered male.

Carly (5 yr old altered mixed) became the alpha female when Peach died. She has learned to like the role and does it very well (gentle but stern). Max (8 yr old unaltered dachshund) has always been the alpha male (he's just cranky). Over the last week, I have Molly (18 mo altered old yorkie) (don't know any other word for it) humping Muffin (9 mo old altered dachshund) and the other way around. They've both been doing it to Kirby (15 mo old altered bichon) as has he to them. Now I have Max doing it to Kirby and Kirby doing it to Max. Carly is the only one who is not involved in the whole mess. It's ridiculous!

I sternly separate them and say NO directly to them over and over again. I've tried separating them. I know it's a dominance thing, but what do I do?

[lv4dogs]

You have quite a few dogs at that teenager stage, they may be starting to challenge eachother for dominance.

this is a difficult behavior to change. I would keep sternly disciplining them.
Also make sure they are getting enough excersize (tired dogs = a calm house lol) and make sure they have stimulationg toys (kongs & buster cubes etc...)

Try to determain who is where in their pack (alpha and so on) and treat them by pecking order as well (feed them in order, let them outside in order etc..) Althpough this may be tough at their age as like i said before they are at that age when they want to be the dominant one.

I would speek w/ a behavorist if it causing problems & you can not control it.

[PUPGIRL]

Actually, I ahve two dachshunds myself, they hump each other too. If it doesn't seem to bother one another you could let it continue but if it bothers YOU then you could proboly get Max nuetered ( it's max the one thats unnuetered right).