Back around September I posted that Natalie, a three year old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel ( CKCS) that I received around Memorial Day, decided that she didn't like my CKCS puppy and they were violently fighting. They couldn't even be in the same room and were adamant about knocking down my gates to keep them from killing one another.
I wanted to give Natalie to a rescue, but Natalie has a chip that is still registered to her old owner. I knew they would contact her and I didn't want them to. When I got Natalie she was seriously under weight, matted and dirty. She was so skinny that I cried when I bathed her. All I could see was bones. I told her old owner that I would return her if things didn't turn out and felt guilty that I was thinking about rehoming her behind her back. I am a person of my word.
They gave me this expensive beautiful dog at no cost. She was very neglected, but I think she was fighting their their new puppy....a French Bull Dog. This family had two small girls and I think Natalie was vicious around the puppy and she was afraid the girls would get bitten. I wish they would have told me she didn't get along with other dogs. She was fine for three months we had her, so I didn't know right away.
One of my good friends had a lady friend (older widow) of hers contact me because she wanted a dog. I listened to this lady on the phone for almost two hours where I couldn't get a word in edgewise and told her I would drop Natalie over for a meet and greet the next day.
I looked up the lady's house online and saw that she lived in a wealthy neighborhood, so I knew she could afford a dog, but something just didn't feel right. So, the next morning I called her and told her I had changed my mind.
Many people have contacted me wanting her, but they all work full time. Natalie cannot be home all day alone while someone is at work, so I just kept her and seperated the two fighting dogs for months. Our home life has not been comfortable with these two dogs fighting everytime they saw one another and growing when they heard the other one in another room.
Finally, I decided that I had enough and I was boss and these two little munchkins would get along because I said so. So, every night my DH would take one and I the other and make them stay in the same room together.
At first it was impossible. They would last maybe five minutes. Then 10 minutes and so on. We have been doing this since the beginning of November.
I am happy to say that this week, both dogs are finally sitting on my lap at the same time and seem to be okay together. We separate them at dinner time and bed time, but they show promise.
I don't leave them together unattended and I keep an eagle eye on them, but no more barrier gates and growing, biting and snarling is happening.
Yea! Peace in our home at last. I hope it continues.
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