[Laurelin]

I could kind of feel it coming on for a while and today it blew up over a bully stick. *Sigh*

Both of them are fine but boy they sounded nasty. They're separated now and on opposite sides of the room from each other.

[Nargle]

Oh goodness! I hope Summer and Mia get back to getting along soon!

So... are dog fights typically just inevadable in multi-dog houses? My boyfriend and I are seriously considering getting our second dog soon, but I'm worried about fighting. I really want to avoid it...

[Xeph]

There is, IMO, bound to be a scuffle eventually. Just like siblings. "It's MY toy!" "No it's MY TOY!" "I said it's MY TOY!"

I don't think it's all too common for things to continue to escalate though. Just a little "Dude, don't you be stealin' my doritos..."

[Nargle]

Lol, so it's nothing to get all worried about? The concept of it is just so SCARY though!

[Laurelin]

Yeah this was minor, a lot of showing each other and posturing, but boy they sounded mean. No skin broken which means they weren't being serious but I was sitting right next to them and could stop it pretty fast. Usually I let the dogs work things out themselves, but this looked and sounded like it could've escalated so I stopped it right away.

I have two pretty strong willed and moody bitches (especially Mia) and I think they're just trying to figure things out between them.

But yeah, we've had multiples a long time and so far have only had one serious fight between dogs. Scuffles are inevitable though I believe, especially with bitches it seems

[Michiyo-Fir]

Hmm...I don't know.

I know a person with a bunch of Aussies that he trained them all to be none possessive so they wouldn't have fights. And so far it seems to work. He has two 7 year old Aussies together since 2 years old plus a 12 year old and a 6 months old. No fights between any of them ever.

I do think it works better with a boy and a girl though.

I hope Mia and Summer get along again soon! Most of the time they get back perfectly fine. I've very rarely seen dogs that fight and can't get make up.
Popcorn and Truffles have never ever fought before either. They only play but I've never seen them actually post and snarl at each other.

[RBark]

It's pretty "normal" in the sense that it does happen. It's inevitable, but not common. And 99% of the time, it looks worse than it actually is. It sounds scary, looks scary, but the dogs rarely ever actually bite hard enough to draw blood. It's mostly flash.

Didn't change the fact that I was totally freaked out, though, the first time I saw one.

[Terrie]

Originally Posted by RBark

it looks worse than it actually is.

I agree, Lexi doesn't stop bothering our older dog Meems, and Meems growls at her to get away but at the same time she is wagging her tail and they start chasing each other playfully. I still do watch them very carefully though and separate them if I feel Meems is getting too agitated.

[zimandtakandgrrandmimi]

Originally Posted by Nargle

Lol, so it's nothing to get all worried about? The concept of it is just so SCARY though!

the concept is scary because its likely somewhat alien to you. the less experience you have with something negative, the more free reign your mind has to screw with it and blow it up..be observant but try not to stress it and if you can do that..if it does happen you will deal with it better..

there are things you can do if you are worried about potential fights..simple common sense stuff like minimizing the things they are likely to dispute over...when they are together.

and Id do that kind of stuff anyway if I had any doubt(which I do with my dog lol)...never hurts and it will probably stress you less..


just some thoughts for future two dog households...

[Keechak]

No scuffles between my dogs, I had to put Hawk in his place when he was younger and he showed his teeth and snarled to Jack when Jack walked by to check out what Hawkeye was eating.

My dogs are allowed to growl at each other if the other tries to take their food but nothing more. no snapping or biting is allowed.

[chul3l3ies1126]

Originally Posted by RBark

It's pretty "normal" in the sense that it does happen. It's inevitable, but not common. And 99% of the time, it looks worse than it actually is. It sounds scary, looks scary, but the dogs rarely ever actually bite hard enough to draw blood. It's mostly flash.

That's exactly how I see it and how it happened here. Mainly with Callahan and Jade, OR Jade and Jodie. Very rare... but it has happened and happened quick... sounds SCARY AS HELL, but it is nothing. Usually over a ball, or stick (NEVER over food or treats or bones, none are food aggressive)
Right afterward they are playing like nothing happened. Never any breaking of the skin or yelping.

I just stand by and watch and stay calm, the more you yell and freak out... the more it can escalate. I also do not want to be MOWED over or have a broken knee because I was bumped into blindly with 145 lbs.

The time it happened, I can sternly yell "LEAVE IT!" and they will freeze.
Nessa

[lizziedog1]

You all should read a book called Three Amongst Wolves, by Helen Thayer. It is about wolves, but some of her observations do help explain canine behavior in general. Anyway, wolves do get into scrapes at times. And when a correction needs to be made, it sounds scary but is hardly ever harmful.

I have also heard that gender plays a role. Two female dogs are suppose to be the worse combo. Obviously, a male and female are ideal. That is why I was given young, energetic, untrained male dogs as fosters. I have a female that is assertive but not aggressive. With male dogs, just a little snarl would cause them to usually retreat into a neutral corner. The few times I fostered females, it became more sticky. They wouldn't always back down from my girl.

[MoonStr80]

Yeah, I don't think it's nothing just little argument on two! Separating them giving both a time out to chill out good idea! Johnnie & Frankie sometimes will start mouthy off arguing no serious fight it happens very fast doesn't last very long, I usually let them work it out, if one starts yelping then I get in yell "Hey" that's it

[Mr Pooch]

Originally Posted by Keechak

My dogs are allowed to growl at each other if the other tries to take their food but nothing more. no snapping or biting is allowed.

I dont even allow growling,im not sure about Aussies but with my dogs (the SBT in particular) a growl is followed too swiftly by an attack to take the chance.
Feeding is NEVER unsupervised here but ive not once had a problem over food,feed bless 1st (infront of the other 2) wait 2 minutes then Blake then Aslan waits a couple of minutes to get his.

Ive noticed with Aslan that if he does want Blakes food (he wouldnt even try this with Bless) he stares him down and poor Blake always walks away with head held down but i of course dont allow this and correct it.

Hope Mia and Summer are cool Laurelin i know the few times either Bless and Blake or Blake and Aslan have fought it happens so fast i can never remember who started it,i can stop the fights in seconds but they always leave my heart pumping a bit. Funny how they curl up together about a minute later though eh

[Dieselsmama]

I guess I've been relatively lucky. whether it's just Ella and Charlie or when we had either Ryder or Mojo we never had any fighting. No growling either. I'm not sure how much of that has to do with them being easy going and good buds or the fact that I don't allow or won't tolerate any snippiness amongst members of my pack. Everyone has to respect each others space while eating, toys are available in abundance and there are multiples of favorites so no toy envy I suppose if we ever did have an issue they'd simply be picked up and put away.

[melgrj7]

Lloyd and Nash will fight over toys, they got into a couple decent fights, each had some minor puncutures. We just don't leave toys out if we are not directly supervising. Funny thing, they both have fresh meaty raw bones and no issues at all, they will even swap bones, get out a rope toy and its war.

The first fight I wasn't home for and Julie freaked out and I think made it worse than it would have been by freaking out. The second one I was home for, it was over a basketball. It ended very quickly with me making it very clear that they were not allowed to fight and had nothing to fight over; because it all belongs to me!

[Wlfdg]

My boys had one disagreement that I ended very quickly with a loud "HEY ENOUGH! That was over a bone.

My last 2 pits (sisters/littermates) had a few rough moments in their time. One even put the other through a sheetrock wall .

Just recently my vet had some clients who had a large 3yr.old Rottie male and an old lab female. They decided to adopt a small 1yr.old pit male. He called me to ask what I thought of it as the Rottie was "a bit of a bully". I told him I thought that they shouldn't be left unsupervised. The couple came home from work 2 days later to find the house wrecked, the rottie dead in the living room and the pit chewing on a bone in the kitchen.

[zimandtakandgrrandmimi]

Originally Posted by Wlfdg

My boys had one disagreement that I ended very quickly with a loud "HEY ENOUGH! That was over a bone.

My last 2 pits (sisters/littermates) had a few rough moments in their time. One even put the other through a sheetrock wall .

Just recently my vet had some clients who had a large 3yr.old Rottie male and an old lab female. They decided to adopt a small 1yr.old pit male. He called me to ask what I thought of it as the Rottie was "a bit of a bully". I told him I thought that they shouldn't be left unsupervised. The couple came home from work 2 days later to find the house wrecked, the rottie dead in the living room and the pit chewing on a bone in the kitchen.

some breeds may be easier to deal with snarkiness than others...

Laurelin you should totally try to turn Mia into the first shutzhund papillion.

[Willowy]

Some dogs are just asking for it. Toby will snip and snark at Moose until Moose has had enough and ends it (usually by grabbing him by the neck and throwing him to the ground, then he puts his paw on him and holds him there a while. It's kinda funny). Moose never starts anything but he has limits to his patience. Moose is very good with other dogs, even if it's the first meeting. Toby is just a jerk sometimes. So far there's been no blood spilled but they sure are noisy about it.

Penny never gets into it with anybody, but she's not assertive at all in general.

[Laurelin]

Originally Posted by zimandtakandgrrandmimi

some breeds may be easier to deal with snarkiness than others...

Laurelin you should totally try to turn Mia into the first shutzhund papillion.

She'd probably have fun with that though imagining a 5 lb dog hanging off a sleeve is well....