Hi Deborah, Oh yes you have got a problem:-) Chessies are tough dogs and you and Henley are the visitors, this is not a long term arrangement so you must honour the house rules and fit in as best you can. I would not leave my male dog neutered or otherwise alone in the company of an established pack of three dogs. Either keep him crated or in a separate room when you and another person cannot be there to supervise them. If you leave them to work this out on their own fur will fly and injuries will happen. Just because the boys are neutered does not make them mellow pussycats. Boys raised together can tolerate and fix their pack order but a visiting adolescent male has to be "sorted" and this may not always be very nice! Don't let the dogs spoil your holiday with your sister, recognise that these two tolerate each other on a very limited basis and control the situation. If your sister is going to throw food treats on the way out of the house small wonder WW3 hasn't broken out but it's her house and her rules for her dogs. Keep Henley in your room at night or crated or make sure you're up and about when she leaves for work. On neutral ground like a park you and your sister could probably let them interact more freely but on Chessie's home turf he is to be King of the Hill. While it is essential to break up hostilities make sure you don't side with the loser as that will only make the leading dog feel he has to have this battle again. Remain calm and when trying the two dogs together leave their leashes attached to buckle collars so you and the other person can haul them apart if they get physical without risk of being bitten. Remember when dogs are angry with each other they are not remembering their human bite inhibition training and many an owner has got bitten by getting in the way. Berners are lovely dogs but very tenacious and not wilting flowers when a good punch up is happening, don't let those good looks fool you:-))
I live with twelve dogs and there are days when I'm worn out monitoring the in-pack dynamics. You should try a few Berner bitches all with PMS at the same time for some real fun!!:-)) Rose T.
