Maple & Freya - A Columbus, Ohio Dog Trainer Navigates Potential Dog Aggression between Housemates

Maple, a dark red Siberian Husky with Freya, a silver and white Siberian Husky.

Freya is an almost 10-year-old Siberian Husky. She has arthritis in her lower back, which makes her move a little slower than in previous years. It’s nothing to worry about, though. She’s incredibly well-behaved and well-trained. She stays neutral around other dogs unless they invade what she considers her personal space bubble. Then, she turns into a “mom dog” and delivers a swift but fair correction. Knowing this, we protect her and don’t allow other dogs to enter her space unless we’re sure she’s comfortable.

This setup worked just fine until we decided to add Maple Syrup, a 9-week-old Siberian Husky, to the household. Freya was around 8 at the time and already less tolerant of the shenanigans of what she’d probably call "the peasant dogs" she meets (her words, not mine).

Being a professional dog trainer based in Grove City, just outside Columbus, Ohio, I thought it would be easy to blend the two together peacefully.

Welp, I was wrong.

Maple entered our lives like a tornado. To this day—at 1.5 years old—she remains one of the hardest dogs I’ve worked with (thank you, training gods). She likes to be a bit of a bully: getting in other dogs’ faces, blocking their paths, and generally pushing boundaries.

Freya wasn’t having it. And when we didn’t correct Maple’s behavior fast enough, Freya felt she had to step in. We had a few incidents where Freya’s corrections toward Maple weren’t as fair as they used to be. Maple would learn... for about five minutes. Then she’d test the limits again.

Immediately, my trainer brain flashed to all the “fighting housemate” cases I’ve worked over the years. Many dogs can seem like they’re figuring it out for a while but over time, that dynamic often leads to full-blown fights. Most owners miss the early signs:“Scruffy steals Scooby’s toy, but Scooby doesn’t mind!”“Scooby always shoves Scruffy out of the way when I go to pet him.”

These moments, dogs controlling or correcting each other without human leadership, can lead to long-term conflict.

Freya wasn’t necessarily wrong for correcting Maple, but I wanted to prove to her that it wasn’t her job to babysit this wild new puppy she didn’t ask for. Over time, that dynamic could’ve led to more serious issues. As Maple matured, she might have gotten fed up with Freya’s corrections. And now we’ve got two adult female Siberian Huskies fighting. Not something I wanted to deal with.

So what did I do?

Maple was on leash 100% of the time when out of the crate and supervised. We managed her so Freya didn’t have to. As Maple got older and her training progressed, Freya started warming up to her. At that point, we had better communication with Maple and could easily redirect her when needed. Freya began to trust us again. She no longer felt like she had to train the puppy. That weight was lifted.

Maple learned how to respect other dogs and give them space. She stopped being a bully. Freya could relax.

Today? They lie next to each other chewing on Nylabones, eat side-by-side (without stealing!), and take field trips to Grove City Brewing Company, Hop Yard 62, and Franklin Park Conservatory’s outdoor gardens in the summer. They walk in a tandem heel through Scioto Grove Metro Park, explore the trails at Schiller Park in German Village, or cruise along the Olentangy Trail near Downtown Columbus, calm and focused.

Peace. Coexistence.

It’s amazing what a little structure and trust can do. Now they respect each other—and more importantly, they respect the humans in the home as the leaders of the pack.