In need of a bit of help here. Looking for a really good dog trainer/behaviourist who can sort out the problems between our 2 dogs.
We have a BA (3 yrs old and 45Kg) and a Staffy/Kelpie (4 yrs old and 18Kg) cross. 99.999% of the time they are great together, they cuddle, they play great, and clearly love each others company. There are occasional passive attention jealousy issues (they'll shoulder each other out of the way to get a pat or cuddle but no aggression).
The problem comes when there are bones. Fresh juicy bones. The StaffyX will try and sneak hers in to our bedroom to hide it from the BA, and if she successfully gets it in there and the BA approaches the room, it gets very aggressive very quickly. If we keep them in the lounge room but at opposite ends and supervise them to keep some distance, there is no problem - its only when she thinks she's got it in her hidden stash the problem occurs and then she growls and snarls etc. Unfortunately, due to a few attacks at the dog park, the BA has become a bit hyper-reactive to aggression and they fly at each other. Its only happen a couple of times over the last 12 months since we got the StaffyX. I have to physically separate them and put one outside and confiscate the bones while they calm down.
So far, the damage has been minimal (a few scrapes and minor punctures) but yesterday it happened while I wasn't home and my partner couldn't control them. After a few hours at the vet we have a very sorry looking StaffyX with multiple deep gashes and punctures, and the BA came horribly close to losing an eye.
We're both pretty upset, and we love both dogs and don't want them to have issues like this. If anyone can recommend an awesome trainer who can help it would be greatly appreciated! We're in the Ashfield area of Sydney but don't mind travelling around Sydney to get the best help.