Sibling Rivalry

You would think that after three months Cooper would realize that Pickle is here to stay. Unfortunately, Cooper still hates Pickle almost as much as the first day he arrived. If anything, I think Cooper might hate Pickle more now. Cooper was never one to cuddle, but he really does enjoy lying by your feet on the couch or on the bed. He hasn't been doing that since Pickle came into the picture because Cooper refuses to be on the same bed/couch/side of the floor/you name it with Pickle. Cooper will give an angry bark/growl/snarl and jump off the couch or bed while giving Pickle the dirtiest look I've ever seen from a dog. Pickle, being oblivious, will jump off the couch or bed and follow Cooper around just to annoy him further.

Besides the fact that neither dog can sleep in the room with us, Cooper also steals treats and food from Pickle. Pickle never defends himself in those situations and lets Cooper eat everything. I think Cooper just eats out of spite and not because he's hungry. However, Pickle will beat up Cooper if they start "fighting." Cooper wouldn't harm a fly and has no hunting skills nor prey drive so watching him try to "fight" with Pickle is one of the most amusing parts of my day. Granted, my life is very pathetic and sad which is made even more pathetic as Cooper is the highlight of my day. Cooper tries to make himself look tougher by growling and snarling for all he's worth but he never goes in for the "vital" areas of Pickle's body. He never goes for the throat, ears, pretty much anywhere where he might actually have a chance. He nips at Pickle's thighs and tries to nip Pickle's paws but he's too scared to actually bite. Pickle, on the other hand, has no problems going for Cooper's throat, ears, eyes, belly, and other vital areas. It's really pathetic to watch Cooper start a fight with Pickle only to run away to his safe area (Corey and I established "safe areas" for both dogs to run to when they're feeling overwhelmed with each other).

Last night Cooper was sleeping on the floor while Corey and I were watching tv. Pickle was sitting on the other couch and when he got up to move to the couch Corey and I were sitting in, Cooper started growling at Pickle. We thought he was growling at the door so we ignored him but when Pickle moved to the other couch, Cooper growled again. Even when he's sleeping he can't ignore Pickle. I'm hoping that with time Cooper will accept Pickle and just leave him alone but I don't see that happening anytime soon. Cooper's very stubborn and sometimes when we go for walks, I can see Cooper giving Pickle the evil eye and scheming ways of pushing Pickle into on coming traffic.