new pog/duppy (7 month old) and bossy first dog

[Robindianne]

So our 4 year old shiba Gizmo is bossing around our new 7 month old submissive as heck labby mutt Lucy. Is this OK? Is it normal? No biting, no fighting, but Gizmo barks and curls his lip, while herding Lucy around. Lucy drops to her belly, crawls on it, and then rolls over on her back and tries to lick Gizmo's face. Gizmo is our 2nd dog (had our first one 9 years, then got shiba, then first baby Sadie died last month) so it's not like he had us to himself and didn't want to share.

Can you experienced dog owners give me your perspective? Lucy doesn't seem to mind but if feels mean and bossy to me.

Thanks for the help.

 

[simba928]

That is absolutely normal. Gizmo is establishing that he is top dog and Lucy is saying "ok, you can be top dog." Dogs need to know the ranking for the pack. Let them establish that amongst themselves, as long as nobody gets hurt. If they turn physical (more than a growl or quick snap), then you may need to step in, but it sounds like they are agreeing on the pack order and all is well.

You just have to remember that dogs aren't people. A person saying "I'm bigger and better than you and I'm in charge" is rude and mean. Dogs, on the other hand, need to know who is in charge and are more comfortable knowing their place in the pack.

 

[Robindianne]

Thank you so much! I don't want Gizmo to feel displaced but I also don't want Lucy to be sad in her new house.

 

[pyrxtc]

yup, perfectly normal and it seems that Gizmo is accepting Lucy and they are just working out who the boss is. Lucy's lick is saying okay and that she likes Gizmo and Gizmo is just letting her knows the rules.

 

[MushyMushy]

I don't let mine get away with that. I'M the boss, not either one of them. When we first got my younger dog, I'd snap my finger and yell "hey" when the older one would show her teeth. They still try to do that with each other occasionally, and they have spats once in a while, but they're pretty much equal despite the age difference and size difference.

If it works with your dogs and they don't fight or get upset about it, then I wouldn't try to change it, but it's just not something I'd want to let mine get away with.

 

[Hannathy]

Yep absolutely normal! and exactly how nature planned it.

At least yours is being bossed around by a dog mine is bossed by the cat. We always laugh and say the cat was the strictest trainer in the house. We would cave at times (I know bad but I'm a softy) but the cat had his rules and the dog listened every time or she got her ears boxed! The cat used to hit her so hard on the head that I would swear she would get a concussion. but she learned and the cat is definitely ahead of the dog in the pack. If you put food down and the cat wants to eat it the dog sits and waits until the cat walks away. It is so funny she will look at us and whine but she doesn't bother the cat until he walks away-slowly of course!

Oh the puppy who started out weighing less than the cat now weighs 60 some pounds but still knows she is below the cat.

 

[Robindianne]

Thank you for all the great replies! I sure appreciate them. I am a wannabe dog person. I love love love dogs but am just learning everything.