Sorry, this is not about my rattie (he's about as perfect as a dog could be!), but about my lab mix and my shephard mix...  but I need some ideas with how to handle the tension here!

I got Sam (lab/dalmation female) 9 years ago when she was two.  She is a fantastic dog- well trained, great behavior, OK in the socialization department but no problems really.  She definately had a dominant personality.  Anyway, she was an only dog for years- interacted with my parents dogs- and saw me through lots of hard times. (That dog went through the single years, a failed marriage, divorce, more singleness, and now the BF)  Two years ago, my BF and I decided to move in together and six months after that he decided he wanted to get his own dog.  So, he brought home Schatzi.  Schatz was 2 1/2 when we got her and she's a german shephard/terrier mix.  At first it was an uneasy tension between the two, then Sam was dominant, and now we have been seeing a turn in the structure.  I don't know if adding Rowdy to the mix made things worse (got him a year ago at 2 years old), but things between Sam and Schatz are not very good.

About 6-8 months ago Schatzi starting challanging Sam for the toys.  Then she starting fighting a little with her.  Thenm, we had some all-out, totaly unprovoked attacks on Sam.  Schatz would attack Sam if she had a treat, was in the bedroom, or if Schatz was in trouble she would take it out on Sam.  Basically, if Schatz is having a bad day, she attacks Sam.  Obviously the alpha dog structure has changed, because Sam will hide in the corner of the room if Schatzi is there now.  Schatzi is always the attacker- Sam just defends herself.  And when we seperate them, she is just shaking. 

We currently keep Sam inside during the day and the other two in our fenced backyard while we are away.  When James or I are home things are usually OK, although we do have to break them up some of the time.  Now that fall and winter are getting closer, we have to keep all the dogs in the house.  James doesn't want to crate Schatz (we do crate Rowdy).  I can keep the two big ones in seperate rooms, but any suggestions to help decrease the tension?

What have I done wrong?  I feel terrible for Sam!  When Schatzi's not around, she is a playful happy dog.  When Schatzi is around she hides in the corner behind my computer chair.  Any tips?

"It's pack behavior.... from what I've studied, it's common for dogs in packs to pick on the least aggressive... what they consider to be the "weak" one, and it has nothing to do with size. This also happens more frequently when you are dealing with two dogs of the same gender.. versus having one male and one female."

I have a classic example of that.  My two female ratties will growl and bark at my whippet (she's about 3x as big as them) when she tramples them running out of the door, etc.  They will also steal treats from her if I don't watch them.  She's super submissive so the most she does back to them is bark at them sometimes.  They never get in a fight though because, as a whippet, Loco will run away from them.

Thanks Nora!  I didn't know if it's making it worse by giving Sam "special" treatment (i.e. she's in the house while Schatz is outside, she will be put in the bedroom or Schatz is sent to the basement if I need to go out and leave Schatz inside).  I feel likeI'm treating Sam special, but it's more to keep them seperated. 

As far as aggression, fortunately, Schatzi won't be aggressive toward either myself or my BF.  And to seperate them I have had to make the loud noise thing.  (Figured that one out, because, like Jan's, Schatz won't stop attacking just because I intervene.  If she wants Sam's treat she will keep attacking even after the treat is relinquished.  I have to interrupt the attack and then forceably drag her away.)  And, also fortunately, I've never seen Rowdy get involved in any of these fights.  Perhaps he is smart enough to know he is too small to participate or something.  I don't know, but whatever the reason, he will stand out of the way.

James has started putting Schatz in Rowdy's crate (we have an XL so we could use it for her if we needed to) as punishment.  I always thought the crate shouldn't be used as punishment, since if we decide to start putting her in one during the day it won't be a good experience for her.  Is it OK to use outside or the basement or the crate as a place to seperate them and get her to cool her jets?  I don't know what else to do with her after these fights.