Additional staffie

Hi

I currently have a 9 year old male staffie (not neutered). We have had buster since he was a pup. He has never been aggressive with people or dogs, although only had opportunity to say hello. Occasionally tries to hump when we bend over but is pushed off and told o immediately and doesn't happen often.

A friend needed to rehome her 2 1/2 year old male staffie, she currently has female and male, which did mate and also female pup was kept, now friend has decided to rehome bill (the male). I agreed to having bill for the night to see how my male would be.

We let them both meet in our local park, me holding bill and my husband holding buster. They sniffed and licked, billed rolled over and let buster sniff his bum, was very submissive but then my buster tried to jump on his back. We walked them side by side for 10 mins then took them in, letting buster go in first.

We tried several times at home to let them play but my buster kept trying to hump bill, we put him away for time out. The next day we took them for a long walk together, they were fine, walking next to each other and mainly ignoring each other. Once we got home we sat with them on leads in garden for 30 mins and then tried to let them get close, 1st they would lick then bill would warn and bark at buster. we tried for 2 hours. I then put them inside, keeping them apart.

Later that day i let them both in front room, without leads (thought the leads may be causing anxiety). Bill immediately started to bark and buster and buster just stood there, then buster tried to mount bills back and bill growled and barked and a warning nip. I then pulled them apart separated them for an hour tried again but same thing happened.

I will be gutted to let bill go, he is so well behaved. Do you think they could every live together if i pay for dog trainer to give advise or am i fighting a lost cause. They don't seem to hate each other, just seems busters wanting to hump bill is coming between them.

I don't want to keep bill and try if this is never going to happen as i don't think it will be fair on either dog. esp as bill would need to go back to family who will rehome him.

Advice on this would be great, do i keep trying or is it unlikely they will ever get on and be able to sit in the same room?

Hi ya, welcome to the forum from Flo and me

This sounds like a dominance behaviour to me, mounting isn't only for the obvious purposes but can be seen as a dominant move. Personally I would try the trainer route and see what they suggest.

The good bit about your post is that they haven't had a fight which can only be a positive. Don't give up, see what a trainer says.

Do let us know how you get on.

Thank you Ian for the nice feed back.

I called a few trainers and was advised to get a safety gate so they can be near each other and get use to each other and use a spray water bottle when either shows aggression. Which i have done and after 24 hours they can now sit either side and ignore each other occasionally sniffing each other. Bill has growled and barked a couple of times but i have used the spray and seems to be working. I am also walking them together a couple of times a day. Tomorrow i will let them into the same room and see how that goes. If i have a problem i will then call a trainer to my home to see what else can be done.

Fingers crossed as i would love bill to stay part of our family and be a friend to buster