Hello every one, I am new to this site and to blogging. I am also a novice clicker trainer although I'm not sure I am a cross over since I was never very good with other methods. If I did succeed it was usually by accident and frought with guilt. So I am quite relieved to have found this method.
I am seeking advice: I have 3 pugs. A male (Pablo), a female (Violet) and their daughter (Buttercup). The adults are 5 years old and Buttercup is 16 months old. Mom was spayed after the last litter and dad was recently neutered. Buttercup is not spayed. Pablo is very laid back, loves to please and obedient by most standards. The girls are another matter. Both very mental, they need thinking games and jobs to do. Butter has more energy then the retrievers I have lived with and more then most toddlers. She is a cutie and a crazy dog!
Here is my problem: Violet has always been the alpha female. As Buttercup matures she tests the waters and asserts her dominance. They have fought several times, spurred on by resource guarding food, or me, or my partner. I have stopped the fighting by pulling them (gently) apart. Lately, I have changed tactics, in hope that letting them go a little will help to work it out - I've been supervising until I find an opportunity for distraction. It does not take long, no more then a minute.They have never really hurt each other and my second method seems to avoid the grudge holding that the pulling apart seems to result in. I do not raise my voice, scold or add to the mele...I separate them and get them to focus,sit, often I step between in a way to block their eye contact. I really want to extinguish this behavior, any ideas would be helpful.
BTW: I try to respect Violet's staus by feeding her first, etc. Interesting, Pablo rarely shows aggression; on the rare occassion that he might growl over a bone the girls immediately back down.
