dog fights - Page 3

Agreed where you have two known dogs who suddenly start to hate on

each other, the best way to prevent further fighting is to separate them

completely.  You then have the choice of re-homing one of them ... or

you can try to rebuild their relationship, in a very slow and carefully

controlled programme of walking them together, for short times initially -

and this is where using muzzles is obligatory, even when you are sure

YOU are 'Alpha' to them.  As with all training exercises, you do it until

you think they 'got it',  and then you continue training for it for another

2-3 weeks until you are sure they really have got it.  I have done this

method successfully with more than one pair of dogs.  The most notable

was 2 litter brothers who fell out and started fighting at age about 2,  and

were still living together but kept separated 5 years later.  But I was

employed to be there all day, I had time to do unusual training exercises,

build up gradually and consistently with them, I appreciate not everyone

can do that.  Afterwards I would not kennel them together, but could feed

them together as part of a larger group, and often walked them in the same

'batch' with no further fights.

This ought to be easier with a dog and a bitch who are not the same age.

But you do need to do as other posters have said and really know  your

dogs and work out WHY they fought in the first place.

In passing, can I just offer support for Prager's method of lifting the rear

end, it has always worked well for me.  I guarantee if I unthinkingly grab

at a collar when a ruck starts I'll get bitten, even accidentally.  I have never

been bitten separating two fighting dogs by getting them by the back half.

175946uAlla1955 has a point . This is what Leerburg says and I did not:

" Walk up and loop the leash around the back loin of the dog by either threading the leash through the handle or use the clip. I prefer the thread method."

 If careful you probably will not get bitten. 

Once 2 dogs fight you can train and them and  keep them together but only if you are leader of the pack and only if you are present. If you are not present then you must separate such dog before you ;leave the house. There are relationship between 2 dogs  which can not be ever  together if you are present or even if you are.  

To rehome such dogs may be a solution but be careful that you are  just not  passing a buck on someone else. I know there are people who have no other dogs but they take dogs outside and there always are other dogs sooner or later. Dog aggressive dog may or may not be rehabilitable. The ones who are not  need to be  handled in a specific way and any error will lead to fight. Regardless who ows such dogs. I have  2 females who must not be next to each other or even around other females. It never crossed my mind to  put them down . I just make sure that there is not opprtunity for them to fight. Errors are costly and dangerous. 

 Also use  ( often permanent) wire muzzles where the dog can open its moth e inside and pant or even breath because such muzzle is wider on the bottom is an option. 

Are these real fights OR is this typical "figuring rank" behavior that happens as younger dogs grow up? One dog is a year old...sounds to me like it's possible that it could be your regular power struggle relating to growing pains. 

I fully agree with how serious it COULD be; I'm just asking if it's serious or if these are just little spats and perhaps the OP isn't experienced enough to tell when one dog is capable of killing another and when they're just bickering. Depending on which it is, my advice will vary greatly, except for the "keep them separate" which applies in ALL instances when you cannot supervise. 

Reading all of the above, personally I have to consider ALL DOG FIGHTS SERIOUS;  sorry Jen I just do.  and whether it is a spat or a territorial whatever, tt is your warning that trouble is a bru'in.  Big big serious trouble.  SEPARATE and probably forever for safety unless you want one of your dogs hurt or killed...  Sorry that has been my past experience.  Once they hate another dog or dogs that is it for the safety factor.  Go ahead a stick your hands into a dog fight and see what happens, NOT SMART though. 

 

Just my humble opinion and 40 years of raising dogs...  Nan 

If 2 dogs fight and it does not matter how serious it is when you brake it up that fight will always remain evertime the dogs see each other .Dogs  work on a pack system you must be the leader they trust you that why they dont attack you. They  know your not gong to harm them.when 2 dogs fight and you brake it up its not finished they will fight evertime the are together because they will not trust each other and each dog will pick up on the tension Weather the first fight was over food,toys,whatever the last fight will be down to trust .If you want to keep your dogs they need to be sure that you are the pack leader and you will make sure that they wont be alowed hurt each other .when you step in the dog will see you have things under control the dog will not need to fight because they trust you not to let them get hurt you need to be strong and confideant around your dogs .you know if you are that type of person or not. its ok not to be. But be honnest with yourself before one dog dies and you get hurt .IF YOUR NOT STRONG ENOUGH  LET ONE DOG GO TO A NEW HOME I HAD TO DO IT A LONG TIME AGO and learn from it

TO BE PACK LEADER YOU NEED TO CONTROL

FOOD FROM WHEN YOUNG THEY DONT EAT TILL YOU SAY PUT FOOD ON FRONT OF THEM AND MAKE THEM WAITE NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES THEY GO FOR IT PUT THEM BACK TO A SIT .THEY WILL GET IT SOON ENOUGHT 

ALWAY WALK ON A LEAD DONT LET THEM PULL

CONTROL THEIR PLAY HOW THE PLAY MAKE SURE THEY LISTEN EVEN WHEN THEIR FOCUSED ON SOMETHING ELSE THE LIST GOES ON

But start their you will build a bound between you and the dog from day one you are the boss respect is earned good corections ,exercise ,love.

 

If any person must come to a public forum for a consensus on how to break up dog fights between their two German Shepherd Dogs, (while they live alone) then they are obviously not equipped with the skill needed to "be pack leader"...its too late for that, they will always want to fight, get a new home for one.

The fights have different social reasons. There may be others but pack leadership position is one and female on female rivalry for breeding rights is another. Female on female is not related to leadership position which you should have.  And it is elimintaion fight where the purpose of such fight is to chase one female away or kill her. In your house such female may not be chased away far enoughh thus the other option is killing. Such females usually if one or both are going to come or are coming into heat will fight usually pretty intensely and often to death and usually regardless of your leadership position. Such fight if on the higher spectrum of intensity are extremely hard to brake. Lifting rare legs off the ground as I and others described  often will not work even so it should be tried. I have been around dogs for 47 years and truly worryabout such female on female high intensity fights. They may last for long time even over a hour and single person if not extremely experienced will not be able to brake the fight no matter what. Please trust me on that one. Thus it is of outmost importance to observe actions of otherwise friendly or to each other tolerant females. I have in my house 8 dogs males and females living together. Then i have a kennel where there is larger number of dogs of both sexes which being let out in 2 separate groups 2x per day into common area. There are some females they absolutely NEVER can be together EVER.  Then there are females which can be together most of the time but not when they are starting to come into heat. That period of time is not demarcated by swelling and bleeding from genitals that is too late. The critical time is several days before the obvious signs occur.   I am always watching if 2 females are starting to put a head over the other female's back or standing side by side pressing against each other. That is first sign of them coming in heat and potential fight in nearest moment ot nearest future. These must be separated for the entire duration of their heat. Some females may be OK together for years and then suddenly to great chagrin of he owner they are not. This is why to have 2 or more females is or may be very dangerous proposition. 

Male on male and rare male on female aggression is a sign of desire to establish leadership position. That is a different issue.                                                                                                         The dogs in this scenario  usually  do not fight as intensively as 2 females do. If 2 otherwise social males fight they will communicate and when one communicate that he gave up then the fight may stop. This is true about young dogs and not so much about older dogs especially if they are studs.  Those fights may also be deadly.   That is why I do not interfere with social scuffles between two  young dogs( under 18 mo) But watch them carefully and make sure that they are not going out of hand. If they do i step in and due to my leadershipposition the fight is over only when I say "NO"!. For sake of future peace I let them figure out who is on top of their social relationship.     That is the pack otder is a hierarchy ladder and not one leader and then bunch of equal followers.      It is not natural for dogs to kill each others all the time. Once they establish their position on a ladder the fighting stops until the balance is somehow upset. Like when you - the leader of the entire pack leave the premises. Then the balance may be upset   and you may come home  from work to a blood bath.   The reasons why two or more males may not fight when you are present are 2 fold. One is that you are firmly in leadership position and the other is that they are afraid that you will kick their butts - so to speak if they do fight.    Thus  that is why I let two young males figure out through minor scuffles who is the   boss. If you do not allow that then that will cause( as Yogidog said)  unsettled score  which will be settled as soon as you leave the house.  I call it a social damming effect. You are puting a dam between two dogs to figure out what is natural and then must know., Longer the damming last more demage it causes when the dam brakes ( You step ou t of the picture. ). 

 Spay neutered.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       FYI  if you spay neuter dogs - especially in young age- that removes sexual dimorphism and may lead to female on female or more rarely male on male fight. 

Prager Hans   

Am I the only who has noticed that the OP hasn't been back? 

I will add. Intensity of desire to fight between 2 males is also increased by female in the neighborhood or in your house coming into  heat. That is not leadership issue and your leadership position may still work but as well. In those days I am more diligent to separate each dog from others before I leave the house. If I forget  to do so I make a quick "U" turn regardless of how important the appointment I was heading to was.  There is nothing more important to male or female dog hen to pass down the line onto their progeny their DNA.

Prager Hans