I though I'd cracked it

[Pawsitive Thinking]

Thanks both - you have confirmed what I had been thinking.

Although he is the youngest and "newest" member of the pack Archie appears to be the more dominant. I have to get my head round that and the fact that Tobey is happy in his role too.

You have given me something very concrete to work from.

[chocolatepuppy]

My Lacey and RB Mandy used to go at each other if the neighbors little dogs came running up to our fence. I always heard it was called redirected or displaced aggression. Sort of like they couldn't get at the other dogs, so they turned on each other. I'm no expert, just something I've read.

[Pawsitive Thinking]

My Lacey and RB Mandy used to go at each other if the neighbors little dogs came running up to our fence. I always heard it was called redirected or displaced aggression. Sort of like they couldn't get at the other dogs, so they turned on each other. I'm no expert, just something I've read.

Something else to look into - thank you

[carrie]

Exactly, also the younger dog is more usually the problem - as the toddler or teenager can often upset the balance of a home, a pup will often bring it's own view of life into a household and needs to learn where its own view of life fits in with everyone elses!

[VTJess03]

When I used to have Belle and Maggie out together, they would be more like a 'pack' in behavior...they would gang up on a strange dog or be friends with it, but would agree together on which behavior it would be; they would herd/hunt/chase a strange cat, rabbit, bird, etc, at least they would try, since I kept control of the leashes). If I took either one out by herself or when they were inside, they acted more individual and we could see that Belle was nearly always the dominant. Our cats were also part of the 'pack' as far as the dogs were concerned (and the cats had higher pack status than the dogs). I don't know how they knew which cats were allowed and which weren't, but they would only bark at the strays and not ours when viewed through the glass door. Now that I only have Belle (Maggie stayed with my ex when we separated), I try to get her to a group class situation as much as I can so that she stays socialized, so her behavior there is more like the individual behavior she used to have, focused more on me than the other dogs (finally!).