Huge Fight Today Between My 2 Bitches

[cmkelpie]

Build another yard or find somewhere to seperate them. Next time you may not be home to sort it out.

Exactly, could end very badly

Edited January 9, 2011 by cmkelpie

[gwenneth1]

Im not keen on taking any of my animals to the vet unless they are at deaths door at the moment, as right now we have a huge outbreak of parvo here. Its some strain of parvo thats killing dogs within 24hrs. From healthy to dead in one day.

If your dogs are vaccinated and 5 & 6 years old, this isn't a reason not to take the Kelpie to the vet. The Golden may have made a mess of the muscle under the skin and not all puncture wounds are easy to find. I would rather pony up for some prophylactic antibiotics, than go through the hassle and expense of cleaning up an abscess.

As for the long term prospects, without skilled intervention from someone experienced in dealing with aggression, my guess is you'll have to run them separately.

I plan to phone the vet when he opens this morning. Of course my adult dogs are fully vaccd, but if the dogs are seen by the vet it will be in my car, they are NOT going into the vet surgery. I have two 12 week old iggy puppies at home that have only had one vacc. If an adult dog comes into contact with the virus they can shed it for several weeks and show no clinical symptoms. I am not willing to risk it. Sorry but thats not something I am willing to compromise on unless its a life or death situation.

I will ask the vet re antibiotics etc and will give them whatever he thinks they need.

If you don't want to go to the Vet, call the Vet to your place. There may be a surcharge for travel, but they are usually more than happy to do home visits.

[cmkelpie]

It is an awful situation to be in, I have been there and it was so difficult. You HAVE to keep them apart. If one ends up killing the other you will never forgive yourself Especially with pups on the way Karma will most likely become even more snappy.

Where did that come from ?

I did not explain that well, I was thinking along the line of if the other dog went anywhere near her pups she may become protective.

[Tralee]

Hi, today there was a huge fight between my 2 bitches. Karma is the alpha bitch, but a relaxed easy going alpha.

They have had a few minor tiffs, always when Karma is due to come into season and is short on patience. Every single time Chilli has started it by snapping at Karma or whatever. Its just been noise til now tho, I bellow at them and they stop.

Karma is about to come into season and so is moody.

I am worried they will never be ale to be together again.

Karma is not an aggressive dog, she is gentle and protective of all my other dogs. When she is not coming into season she tolerates Chilli's narkiness and doesnt react beyond a growl. However today she did not back down when Chilli challenged her.

Do you think that they can be trusted in the future?

HELP!!

Well hello indigirl.

Fights are always a serious matter. So is growling or snapping, in dogs that pen together.

I have a bitch like Karma, a real 'pussycat'. She loves to meet and greet people and other dogs.

But don't be deceived; this kennel is matriarchal. So too, it appears, is yours.

The dogs should be separated at the first opportunity when a bitch comes into season.

Exclude the bitch and separate the dogs.

Chilli has a case of the "green eyed monster" as dogbesotted calls it.

Your response to tension between the dogs is inadequate.

You must calm and reassure every instance of 'snapping' or 'growling' as unacceptable and unnecessary.

Your nearest behaviourist, Dr Holmes, is in Adelaide and was $200ph in 2006.

You have to be very careful of not creating the perception of favouritism.

My dogs will 'tiff' over who is the closest.

Lastly, I can't believe the number of references to 'alpha'.

This theory has long been debunked and should not become the lens through which you diagnose and analyse your dogs' behaviour.

If your yard is large enough they will find their space.

Fights can escalate whether dogs or bitches.

What you have is a management problem not a case or irredeemable aggression.

With my dogs, I've had to learn the antecedents to 'jealousy', 'possession', 'mates', 'inside/outside' even returning home and accommodate the position of the dogs and their access to whatever they've become 'fixed' on.

Lastly, as you add dogs to your kennel the problems do not increase as a multiple of the number of dogs.

Four dogs does not create four times as many problems. It is an exponential increase.

Good Luck

ETA the matriarch is on the right, being 'foo'

Edited January 9, 2011 by pewithers