Firstly let me say congratulations to you an Augie - what a sweet story - the best of luck to you both and I wish you every happiness now and for a long and bright future together.

Now to the dogs.

I'm sorry to say that your dogs are showing major signs of stress and anxiety. The last few months have been hard on them and they are struggling to adjust. The problems are compounded by the way they are coping with the stress as this is stressing you and Augie out and making the dogs worry even more.

Don't Panic! It is fixable.

Maddie and Lexi have been a team for some time and, while it seems that Maddie is keen to accept a new member into the pack, she will continue to be unsettled by Lexi's attitude to Hooch.
Hooch is happy to have a playmate in Maddie and happy to ignore Lexi's attitude. By doing this he is seeking Maddie's support and showing Lexi that he considers himself top dog around the place. Why shouldn't he? It's his place, his garden, his house etc. etc. Poor Maddie is confused, she is responding to Hooch well but is torn by Lexi also trying to act tough and stamp her authority on the situation. Lexi is in turmoil - not only can she see her boss human being "taken over" by another boss human but her little pack is also under threat from a big strong boss dog. She doesn't know what to do or how to cope with her life falling apart. The two dogs feed off the stress shown by each other and are trying to re-establish their places, emotionally and physically.

( I will carry on with this in about ten minutes or so.......)