Territorial? - sorry long

[dmoniz]

Logan (7mo - rottie - M) has been out of his crate at night for about 10 weeks now. We babygate the bedroom door to the house and have a dog door that goes to a dog run, its in a slider glass door. Logan likes to sleep in front of the door. About a week ago Vic (1 1/2 yr - minpin - NF) needed to go out (she was the whole reason we got the dog door - she can't hold it). I woke up because she didn't want to have to go over Logan to get to the door - can't blame her. So I made Logan move. As it turns out she got to lazyto wake me up and has been peeing by the babygate. About 2 nights ago Jack (2 yr - boxr NM) was up pacing and whimpering - I got up made him go outside to pee or drink or whatever. Both these times Logan didin't try stoping them, although he did try to start to play with Jack, he did nothing with Vic. Jack came back in, but still did not settle down so I crated him. Last night I heard a gruff bark - you know the one - this is mine, go away. I woke up shouting knock it off, to see Kaylee (5yr beagle - NF) backing down and going back to her crate. Logan went into another crate so Kaylee ried to go outside again and Logan rushed and barked. I barked no back at him got up and crated him - where he stayed the rest of the night.

During the day while we are gone Logan and Vic share a crate that is attached to the dog door so that they both can get outside to do their business. Normally Logan backs down to everyone else - and still does during the day.

So is this territorial - is it time to start crating him on his own during the day? I'm pretty sure he can hold it all day now and he has never had an accident in his crate. From my own interpretation I think I need him to be crated again at night for awhile too.

Any thoughts are appreciated. One side note is that even though they are not crated, Jack always sleeps in his crate, Kaylee is in crate or at the foot of the bed, Vic is under the covers with us and Logan is either in a crate or on the floor or outside.

[Judi W]

You have a pretty sizeable dog pack. Every pack has a leader and he's becoming a young man and getting ready to take that place. Since he certainly does not have the maturity to be a good leader I would not put him in the situation of attempting to do those duties. It would certainly be natural for the Rottweiler to be the leader of this mixture of a pack, but he is too young to be left unsupervised with the group.

an edit PS. I'd have bounced his cute little butt out from in front of the dog door the very first time I found him blocking also. Make it clear that he does not boss entry and exit for the other dogs.

[dmoniz]

Thanks Judi. That is exactly what I was thinking - none of the other dogs have any desire to be leader of a pack and he is quite willing to take that position, although the beagle has never let him get away with things before. I always figured he laid in front of the door because it was cooler there, he runs hotter than the others. From now on, however, he will be booted. I don't think I would have this many if they were all rotts, having 2 that are <20# makes things a little easier