Jump to content
BC Boards

Multi dog households


How often do your dogs fight  

69 members have voted

  1. 1. Frequency of dog fights in your home

    • Never
      39
    • Sometimes
      28
    • Fairly often
      1
    • Daily
      0
    • My dogs cannot stand to be in the same room as each other
      1


Recommended Posts

Ok, so I'm going back and looking, and it looks like she just came end of October? Here's my thoughts on things- she has been timid, and she was slightly snappy when she came, yes? It may be that this whole integration into the household thing has just gone too fast for her comfort. I'd be inclined to seperate them more, give her much more downtime without expecting her to interact with Ben (or the humans, for that matter). I'd let her settle more, and find her equilibrium. Make sure she DOES get some time with you - I'd give her a schedule... a predictable series of events every day. Let her get into the rhythm of things with little pressure, and THEN see what you have on your hands.

 

Sometimes it can take a few months for the dog to get comfortable, and sometimes the undesirable behavior can go away on it's own. Sometimes, also, some undesirable stuff will show up as the dog gets comfortable also. :rolleyes: I just think there is the possibility that she's got too much on her plate. But then, I'm not there and could be wrong.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 dogs (6 females, 4 males with 3 being intact), no fights. All can be in the backyard or in the house together. Good pack management, as most were acquired as adults, but I agree with Kathy H that a bit of luck is involved. I truely wouldn't know how I would deal with a dog that developed a "hate" for another pack memeber. A dog such as that would unstabilize the entire household.

 

 

Exactly. In both cases, one of the dogs was/is somehow not a good pack member. There are dogs like that. For the female border collie, she has been this way since she was a puppy and she has other physical issues.

 

For the male-male absolute hatred, one dog (an Aussie) was an "up and comer" in the pack structure. He would give to the other male dog I had at that point and he would give to my correction but he was always looking for the next opportunity. The dog he hated was an older bouvier and those two had sworn a pact that one or the other was going to die. I swear that the Aussie found fighting fun. In his new home, he has continued to have male-male aggression problems with outside dogs (he's an only dog in the house which suits him just fine).

 

A sure sign that you've got an "unstable" dog messing things up is, if the dog in question is gone, the pack order resestablishes at once. For both of these dogs that was/is the case.

 

Right now I have 2 males, one intact, who are jostling each other some but it's easily manageable. It started when two bitches were in season and is now getting better every day (no more girl problems). But that is qualitatively different than the "hatred/unstable dog" scenario.

 

As I said, if you've got the latter, you'll know it, although if you're like me, you may try to manage it for awhile (aka denial!) before going to separation and "lock down" and rehoming. I no longer try to manage it and get the dogs to get along. I keep the dogs in question separate and look for a better situation/home for one of the pair if possible. Luckily this is rather rare I think. At least for me it has been.

 

Kathy/Iowa

 

Kathy/Iowa

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My two do it all the time. They wag their tails and nose butt each other frequently. I watch very closely but as far as I can tell, it's completely playful. So I would answer your poll, but I don't think my answer would accurately reflect what you are asking. My dogs fight, but it never goes to blows and from their demeanor, it's never a serious thing. I should take a video of it sometime, it's pretty funny since one is 13 weeks old and the other is 9 years old. Now that I think of it, it's more like a big sister/little sister thing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm not officially voting, as my answer is "not any more." I had a female, 2 years younger than the alpha bitch, who was *constantly* jockeying for position. She really needed to be an alpha, but since there was already one here...it only threatened to erupt into a real fight twice, and I stopped it immediately, but there was always (and I mean constant) tension, and if I didn't stop it right away (and I know it went on the instant my back was turned) posturing when they were in the house. The younger one started it, but soon the older one was dishing it out, as well. Ugly tension all the time, even affecting the old guy. Slowly escalated over a period of 2 years. These two worked together beautifully and could usually be left outside together with the rest of the pack while I went to work; their issues were always in tight quarters, particularly if I was in the picture. Much as I hated to do it, I had to sell the younger one. Once a few days had gone by after she was gone (as if they were waiting to make sure), everyone breathed a huge sigh of relief. Now I have three adult females (mother and 2 daughters), and they all get along well--I guess the daughters know better than to question who is in charge. I also have a female pup here (the trouble maker's pup, actually), who is still young enough to behave herself, but every once in a while I can see her mother's attitude coming through. This pup will be here one more year. And there is also a young (7 month old) female here in for training. The days I am gone to work, they can all be in the yard together no problem.

 

A

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I put "sometimes" but should really have said never. Archer is just 6 months but Tucker is 12 years old and feeling his age so doesn't really appreciate Archers "exuberance" and at times will snapp and growl and put him in his place. I don't discourage this because quite frankly, Archer needs it!

 

Tucker has never hurt him and I do not believe he ever would or I would stop it in an instant...he's simply trying to teach the saucy brat his place and rightfully so I beleive.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I said never - we had one "fight" a few months after Z came home, but nothing since. Honestly I'm a bit surprised as the last time I had two females it did not go well at all, but Z and Mags are very well matched personality-wise and Z does not care to be top dog or anything resembling that, but she's also not a submissive ball of goo either. :rolleyes: She's just a nice, middle of the road girl and that combined with the huge age difference (about 8 years) means that we have a nice calm household.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There has never been what I would consider a true "fight" in my house. I would consider a "fight" a true display of aggression between the two dogs.

 

We've had some spats here and there and they give each other attitude on occasion, but all in all they get along very well and we don't have any problems.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

IME, it's really rare for a dog to fight with a bitch. The only dogs I've ever known who would fight bitches were chows (who tend to be a law unto themselves :rolleyes: ). I've seen dogs intimidate bitches, sometimes roll them, but really engage in a fight? Not so much. So I'd say that's why Ben's letting her by with this behavior. :D

 

Since she's not done any damage and she's only been there a couple of weeks, I think there's still a possibility it could work out for you. But I also don't think there's any shame in telling the rescue she might need a different foster home, but that you'd be happy to foster non-dog-aggressive dogs in the future.

 

Oh, to answer your question, no, we've never had a fight at our place. I have one intact dog (Lhasa :D ), three spayed bitches (two BC and one feist), and a neutered dog (BC/maremma cross). The Lhasa is a little terror, but everyone just does his/her best to stay out of his way. :D Every now and then the BCs (and semi-BC) will play too rough and somebody gets mad, but they never come to blows over it - just lots of teeth flashing and loud (empty) threats.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I responded "Sometimes" because I'm not sure what comprises a dog fight for purposes of this discussion. We had always had 2 dogs (always females) in the house until Missy passed away, always separated by a significant age difference. While the dogs got along in general, there were times when the older dog would put the younger in her place with a snap or a nip. But I don't ever recall an all-out protracted battle between any of my dogs, and what injuries did occur were very minor.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I voted Never because growing up, when I actually had a multi-dog household, there were never any dog fights. We had 3 dogs - a doberman, irish setter, and papillon. Now that I'm in a one-dog household, however, I've had some "fights" with my dog and other dogs. I'm not sure if it really makes a difference or not (since River has been more socialized than any other dog I've had in the past) but I do believe that part of the reason is she is an only dog/grew up as an only dog so she doesn't have the socialization of CONSTANTLY having another dog around.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes Mia only has been here a couple of weeks

 

Sorry I should have said for this poll what I ment by a dogfight

Not playfighting, both Ben and Mia being of similar crossbreeds playfight in the same way, its pretty vocal, up on back legs boxing, ducking under to grab legs, face bitey and zoomies

but I know its all in play cos of the mad tails, the big grins and the fact they dive in and pull away and take times out

 

the fighting they do is like tasmanien devils, no blood but neither of them is giving up all snarling and no backing away - right in each others faces

Mia is always the instigator (I have watched) and really Ben is just fighting back because he has to - she wouldnt take submission as an indication to stop - she is in it for the fight

Ben has never been in a fight - about twice other dogs have gone for him but he just submits right away and lets us humans deal with the situation

 

I agree that I possibly rushed things a bit and she is getting a lot more quiet time - and lots of training and socilisation and is getting much much better

 

Interesting someone pointed something out in the park tonight

After they had said hello to the other dog (a male collie who they both love) they just ignore the other dogs there and only have eyes for each other, playing and running, sharing the same stick and drinking from the same puddles

so outside it is total love

 

I am not writing her off yet!

 

Thankyou for all your tails and advice, really interesting, and good to know that I souldnt expect to live with constant fighting

 

- and I have heard of dogs left alone together killing each other - thats why I look horrified when people tell me I should let them sort it out themselves!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've never had the kind of dog fights where you have to fear for a dog's life or blood is drawn, but I do have spayed females that don't get along and will do a lot of posturing and the occasional "fly by" when the whole pack is walking together (a situation of dominant "heads of household" before their households became one). Phoebe and Pip (female and male littermates) occasionally get into a tussle, but it's never one that I fear will harm either dog. I can leave my snarky bitches alone together in the house for short periods of time, but would never, say, go to work and leave them alone together for hours. I don't know that they'd actually get into a real fight, but I don't intend to find out either. In fact, if I'm going to be gone for any length of time, they both go in crates, because if one is out and the other is crated then the "free" dog will tease the crated dog.

 

It's unfortunate that there's some tension between those two older females (11 and 12), but neither is going anywhere, so I just manage it. If one were trying to really hurt the other, that would be another story. I expect that once one or the other passes on, the tension level will go down by a good bit.

 

And this is with a pack of nine dogs, plus a tenth in for training. The tenth dog is actually something of a problem because she has an issue with one of mine--again these are littermates. Both female littermates get along pretty good with the male, but the female visitor littermate makes a habit of harrassing the female littermate who lives here, and tussles do ensue. I don't break these up because no one is going for blood and I have this wild hope that if the one puts the other on the ground enough times, the troublemaker will eventually learn to leave her sibling alone....

 

J.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Poke and Ceana do not fight, so I voted never. They fought when Poke first came home, and since then they are thick as theives. I cannot gaurentee that a future foster will not set one of them off, but my two will stop anything at the drop of a hat when I use the right inflection of "ehh." In our house there are two types of "ehh." Number one is a redirection or "don't you even think about it." The second one is the one that will stop them in their tracks, oh crap we better freeze and look cute and good "ehh!" Any inkling of a squabble and I stop those little buggers in their tracks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I voted sometimes although it's only happened 3 times in the last 10 years. The last time was 4 years ago. Twice it's been 2 neutered males who posture around each other and there's some snippiness when we walk. The other time was 2 unspayed females, mother & daughter-that was more than snippiness. If I pay attention it's easy to see what's starting & end it quickly.

 

Laura

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Back when we used to manage the dogs of three or four shepherds (mine, my business partner's, and one or two employees) we had a couple or three real nasty fights. Sometimes there'd be 15 dogs out and half of them would be involved and the other half would be running away into the night. They never happened when I was around, and I think it was because I would not allow even the slightest bit of posturing, and I came down like a million pound sh!thammer on the slightest transgression -- even a sidelong glance. Towards the end of that arrangement, we had to walk the dogs in three separate groups because the chances of human injury were too great if someone had to break up a fight.

 

With my own current pack of five, there's the occasional posturing and Mad Teeth , but no one's really interested in fighting. Usually they've just gotten into a situation can't figure out how to get out of it, and as soon as I offer them a way out (as in, "Knock it off or I'll skin you alive and feed you to the crows, you miserable cur!") they take it. You can see the change in body language when I intervene. In about a half a second they go from "GRRR" to "Well, I would have won, but I don't want to be skinned alive and fed to the crows, so you got off easy this time, buster," to "Wanna play?"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've had a multiple dog household for years and occasional -- as in serious --- fights broke out. I have 2 males, uncle and nephew who hate each other and have nicks on their heads to prove it, and I've had those two start fights which escalated in multiple dogs getting in on it. Yelling at them at that point, does no good. They don't even hear. When it's become a knock-down-drag out, to get their attention, I've taken an empty plastic gallon milk jug and whopped them upside the heads with it. It doesn't hurt, but when they realize what's going on, it's scary and they quit. It took twice for me, once I got Joe's attention, after breaking up a fight, to walk him down and put the fear of G-d into him. The skirmishes happened each time I wasn't paying attention to them, so I blame myself. Since then I've become ever vigilent on body language and eye contact, and I'll break off the eye contact the minute I see it. Joe now will make himself scarce when I tell him to knock it off. Tam is losing his hearing and I take him by the collar and crate him --- give them both time outs.

 

Joe is also the alpha male now and postures a lot, and most of the males in this household hate him. I have him chill out by having him lie down by my feet or if I can't watch him, put him in another room. He'll set the other dogs off by his body language alone.

 

His mother, Maggie and sister Sea are tough and tenacious and will not back down from a challenge either, unless I yell at them. Then they go about their own business.

 

It took some work to get the aggressors to take notice of my calling them off, but now they do. That doesn't mean they love each. They don't have to. They just know that fighting is not tolerated here.

 

It appears that the scrappers, while talented working dogs, all share the same bloodline, all tough dogs. For the most part, the rest are fine.

 

And these are just the border collies. I won't even talk about Juta, my Mt. dog.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

and I do mean fights and not playfights - had to pry her jaws off Ben one time!!

 

Are you prying her jaws off with your hands, or are you using something like a "breaking stick" or other implement?

 

I ask because I once lived with a litter of year old wolf hybrids (don't ask :rolleyes: ) who would, seemingly at random, explode into grand melee's. My BF at the time once tried prying one combatant's jaws off the other by hand. Somehow his hand slipped and he wound up getting a tooth driven under his fingernail. Which popped the nail right off. :D I'd never seen anyone actually vomit from pain until then - but it really happens! :D

 

So be careful about prying - it can be hell on your manicure! :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...