Advice needed please...have bitten off more than I can chew I think

[WheelyCote]

I adopted two rescues about 5 months ago from Spain. Long story won't get into it.
They were in shelter for many years. Always together.

One has definately had a home at some point....there's some evidence of socialisation. Very laid back.

The other, wheekybigone I'm guessing has not. Institutionalised, very anxious. Terrified to be without *wheelylittleone.
*

Neither of them have a bad none in their bodies. No chewing, barking, social anxiety problems....house trained 99% of the time.


Two big issues that I'm not sure how to solve despite having had a trainer.

1. Bigone won't eat unless littleone eats first. Unfortunately littleone luurvvessss food.

Bigone wont eat without littleone around. We've tried various things. All that's happened is littleone is overweight and advised by the vet she needs to loose some and bigone is now a nice weight. She was underweight before.

1. Socialisation with little dogs....chiuahas, sausage dogs etc. They were only ever housed with dogs of medium build. They're not sure what to make of them....the breed is a hunting breed and I wonder if they see them as prey almost.

Nothing has ever happened but bigone runs upto them at full speed then runs away, then goes back and so on. Yesterday she bopped a sausage dog on its back with her nose. It's the closest she's ever been. I'm always very conscious of where I walk them and when I let them off a lead. I don't know if she was trying to play or if she sees as prey. I won't be letting her off the lead again until I get this resolved.

Sausage dog was absolutely fine if a little bemused...the owner was understandably cross. I would've been too

Any advice please

[Vallahalagonebutnotforgotten]

What has your trainer suggested for these issues?

[AvocadosBeforeMortgages]

With the have you tried feeding next to each other but separate eg each side of a baby gate, or perhaps putting big dog's bowl at a height little dog can't reach but big dog can?

[Lucisky]

When we had two dogs I used to shut them in separate rooms to feed, out of sight of each other. This was to stop them eating their own extremely fast and then trying to pinch the others food. Slightly different to you, but would something like this work?

[Bluebell9]

Do you have any friends with little dogs that you could socialise with? It sounds like the big one is trying to play but doesnt know how to play with a little dog.

[RatherBeRiding]

Either side of a stair gate is a great idea - the big one can eat within sight and sound the little one, but little one can't get at the other's food!

I suspect that if they are hunting dogs and have never been used to small dogs they probably are confused - are they prey? Are they really the same as me but smaller?

I think you need to find some very laid back small dogs owned by friends and let yours get used to them in a controlled environment. And in the meantime keep on a lead until they are guaranteed not to over-react.

[WheelyCote]

Thanks for your reply's.

I will give the stair gate between two rooms ago.
I have tried the two rooms with a door shut but bigone still won't eat.

I don't know anyone with little dogs unfortunately. There are loads at the nearby park. I avoid the park.

I might go near the park and walk around the outskirts that way bigone will see them coming and going but not in the mix with them. I'll see how that goes if I can get her to be relaxed and trained doing this then next I'll start doing a circuit of the inside of the park and so on.


The trainer isnt back for a few weeks and we we've been focusing on confidence building and lead walking.