by Sambo Sikobe
(Nairobi,Kenya)
My cousin has left for Nakuru today and brought his rottweiler(female) to spend here for about a week…the problem is that she seems not to get along with ours(also female) but gets along with us well…..
Both are of four months and are sisters…making a lot of noise..barking uncontrollably..
please how should I make them relax and co-exist with each other?
Hi Sambo
Two dogs of the same sex are more likely to squabble than two of opposite sexes, however at only 4 months old these two should be able to work it out between them without any serious problems.
Dogs don’t recognize brothers and sisters (or even parents) the way we humans do and they have no ‘sisterly affection’! Often the interaction is more aggressive when there is a human around, or involved, as the resident dog (yours) will be jealous of the other one and try to ‘protect’ you by keeping the other away.
I’d recommend letting them interact freely in a fenced yard with any humans outside the perimeter or inside the home, and give them a chance to come to an agreement to get along. One pup will be more dominant than the other and normally the less dominant one will quickly accept the fact, that the other is ‘in charge’. When one, or both pups are on a leash, in a crate or restrained in any way, they will tend to react more aggressively towards another dog in the vicinity. Letting them sniff each other and posture a bit may take the edge off their animosity.
However, Rottweilers are big and strong, even at 4 months old, and if they decide to fight in a serious way then one of them (or even both) are going to get hurt. Some barking, growling and even nipping are normal, and it often sounds much worse than it really is! But if they draw blood on each other or are really ‘going at it’ then you will need two humans to step in and separate them. If that happens I’d simply recommend keeping them separated for the week the second pup is staying with you.
Best of luck, hope they manage to get along.
