In a family of five dogs, the daily contest is who gets to announce the arrival of a car in the driveway first.
The most sensitive dog is usually the initiator of the in-house alarm system. But not by barking to herald incoming traffic…by tucking tail and trotting off discretely to the nearest room.
As if she knows that it is best to keep a low profile.
The middle three dogs begin to twirl and meld their sharp barks and yips into a cacophony of frenetic signals: “A car! A car is coming! Alert the media!”
The group congregates at the sliding glass door to watch the advancing vehicle, jostling for position, snipping at each others’ faces, the occasional snarl and gasp of potential altercation rising above them.
The pushiest dog, of course, takes exception to any sibling who even rustles in anticipation of said car.
The sound of the car door opening infuses the air with added tension. As the door slams a dog – it’s difficult to pinpoint which one, gets too close to another, and a full-on fight commences.
These are not Labradors or Pitbulls or even Cairn Terriers fighting.
These are Maltipoos and Bichons and Pomeranians.
Two small well-groomed dogs puncturing each others’ tender flesh with shark-like intensity.
At least one will end up at the veterinary emergency clinic – again – for stitches and antibiotics and a purse-throbbing vet bill.
The owners of these dogs are used to intervening, separating the fighters and isolating them to designated corners. They intervene – but too late.
As always, prevention is the better course of action, and less physical, than cleaning up the aftermath. It IS possible to stop the dogs before they escalate.
The warning signs are there.
If you strongly suspect that a fight will occur when certain planets align (such as the arrival of a car, a visitor at the door, the rattle of the mailbox, food dropped on the floor) be ready.
Practice getting your dogs to Sit and Stay at a distance from the sliding glass door.
Praise the dogs when they do this successfully.
Then, ask a friend to drive to your house so you can practice for real.
If the dogs can’t Sit and Stay as a group, work with each one individually, then two together, and so on.
And by the way, here’s a concept that dogs understand but perhaps we humans don’t:
OWN the door.
Stand at the door as if you own it which, by the way, you do.
Calm, tall, confident.
Don’t add the sound of your voice or the distraction of arms or other body parts moving. This will only confuse your dogs.
Your dogs will be convinced that the door (and the driveway, and the house, and the yard….) is yours only when YOU are.
And that goes for whether you have one dog, or twenty.