if my westie is feeling annoyed or threatened by my 5 month old springer how do I handle it?

Question

My springer has a strong personality. When I took her to my dog trainers house she just walked right in she showed no fear that she was intruding on another dog's territory. She has played nicely with all dogs I have socialized her with she still has some behaviors that bother me. One being wen she was playing with an older bigger dog, the older dog made it knowen that she did not want my springer to play with her ball. My springer was totally pissed off, but she knew there was nothing she could do about it. She tried to go back for the ball twice, but the otherdog being the consistent creature she is would not let her have it. Each time my springer would run in circles then go bark at the horses trying to take her fustration out on them. I have noticed my westie holding her ears back whenever she is around, too. They got into a fight over food days ago. I keep them seperate while eating now. She obeys me but tries to dominate everyone else. She wont stop unless I make her or the

other dog is stronger.

She does some stuff that makes me so proud that a lot of pups can't do yet. She obeys me perfectly, but despite socialization she wants to be top dog unless another dog is stronger.

Should I start to correct her when she tries to assert dominance over other dogs?

I am with my dog all day everyday playing excersising swimming. Thats not the prob.

Also I purposly with a trainer socialized her with a strong male lab and a strong female shepard she acted like she should with them, but if I put her with a weaker dog that wont submit she will make them.

if the weaker dog wont submit she becomes very fustrated, but does not bite, but I can see how she is channeling that fustration onto barkig at everything and walking in wide circles slowly working her way into a smaller circles closer to the other dog then she she tries again to make the other dog submit.

Although she has just mastered walking to heel, and I havenot started her on anything new last week. We did a lot of free play, and that is when the fight over food happened, so maybe I should start another mentally stimulating activity again, and see what happens. Though I do not think I will feed them together ever again.

Answer 1

You need to work more with the springer. That is take it on walks and teach it obedience. It is playing with the westie because it has a need, you should try to erase that by providing other outlets for all that puppy energy. Puppy classes, obedience classes.