holy [censored] my dogs just tore the [censored] out of each other! - Page 3

swede123 · #21 07-11-2005, 10:31 AM

Grisgra is correct. Most likely there won't be a need to put one down etc. Just like in the wild they need to establish dominance. Hopefully they will figure out who's the boss and who's the bitch and that's that. Obviously getting them fixed could help with some of these aggression issues, but since they have reached maturity with their balls intact fixing them may not fix all aggression issues. Are they fairly well trained, minding you and so forth? I suppose you can discipline them whenever they get feisty, and maybe their respect for you will overcome these primal tendencies to fight.

Swede

NorCalJosh · #22 07-11-2005, 10:47 AM

i skimmed through and it looks like most major issues got covered... the fixing has something to do with it, but at this point in time behavioral patterns have been established. my room mate and i ended up buying littermates, two girls, and while they never quit harassing each other, it's never gotten serious. both of them when they were younger occasionally ran afoul of my 6 year old golden retriever, but she put them in line quickly, and they defer to her still even though they both outweigh her by 20+ pounds now.

in general i would guess it was just a little bit of crankiness, combined with to much testosterone and some dominance issues. so basically i'm just agreeing with everyone. god what a waste of a [censored] post. oh well.

CollinEstes · #23 07-11-2005, 11:04 AM

Swede is correct. My wife and I have four dogs and you have to establish a pecking order so to speak so that they know who the boss is. Two of our dogs are huskie girls from the same liter and we had the same problem but once we worked on establishing one as the more dominant it never happened again because they would back down.

It is strange but here are some ways to do it for your two dogs, but you have to pick which one you think should be dominant.

1. Let the dominant dog out and in first everytime.
2. Feed the dominant dog first every time
3. Pet the dominant dog when you come home first then the second.
4. Give the dominant dog treats first.

Basically let the big dog do everything before the other dog does and then they will work out the pecking order. It will be funny after they do you will notice the other dog will be submissive and let the dominant dog in first everytime without you doing it.

SomethingClever · #24 07-11-2005, 11:39 AM

I agree that getting your dogs fixed is a good idea

HOWEVER

I don't think it will necessarily solve this problem.

Our dog became MORE aggressive with other dogs after he was fixed.

He's very passive with people as well, but if another dog tries to take his toy, he'll [censored] it up.

Quercus · #25 07-11-2005, 11:59 AM

[ QUOTE ]

It is strange but here are some ways to do it for your two dogs, but you have to pick which one you think should be dominant.

[/ QUOTE ]

Its also important not to personify the situation. Dogs have a pecking order and will be less agitated once its resolved than if it remains ambiguous.

People will sometimes attempt to "correct" the pecking order out of a sense of being "fair" and all that accomplishes is getting the dogs more upset.

I've read some interesting stuff over the years regarding the pecking order and whether owners are part of it or not. For a while, I believe there was a school of thought that said that a human owner should emulate the behavior of an alpha dog for best results (even advocating "fighting" with your dogs in some sort of strange doggy manner to get the point across). I've also read that that's a bunch of crap - dogs aren't all that smart, but smart enough to realize you aren't one.

swede123 · #26 07-11-2005, 12:06 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

It is strange but here are some ways to do it for your two dogs, but you have to pick which one you think should be dominant.

[/ QUOTE ]

Its also important not to personify the situation. Dogs have a pecking order and will be less agitated once its resolved than if it remains ambiguous.

People will sometimes attempt to "correct" the pecking order out of a sense of being "fair" and all that accomplishes is getting the dogs more upset.

I've read some interesting stuff over the years regarding the pecking order and whether owners are part of it or not. For a while, I believe there was a school of thought that said that a human owner should emulate the behavior of an alpha dog for best results (even advocating "fighting" with your dogs in some sort of strange doggy manner to get the point across). I've also read that that's a bunch of crap - dogs aren't all that smart, but smart enough to realize you aren't one.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's hilarious. Someone actually suggested you'd get down on all fours and bite your dog? I can tell you what, if I tried to do that to my six month old puppy he'd kick my ass, I can only imagine doing this to a fully grown dog.

Another thing regarding dogs and their fighting. Don't be alarmed by the presence of some blood. Your dogs fighting may look like they are trying to murder each other but there are safety mechanisms built in where they really won't hurt each other for real (other than tearing up each other's ears and noses and what not). Obviously there are exceptions, especially when the dogs have been bred to fight.

Swede

CollinEstes · #27 07-11-2005, 12:09 PM

I dog owner told me that when I when I play "tug-o-war" games with my puppy I should never let him win. Because he has to know that I am the dominant one. I think there is something to that. I have one dog that is a terror and I think it is becuase I don't scare the dog at all. But the other dogs my voice when I yell is enough to scare them enough so that they stop doing what they are doing. The bad dog acts like I don't exist.

NorCalJosh · #28 07-11-2005, 12:12 PM

i bite my dog regularly. is there some kind of problem with that?

Patrick del Poker Grande · #29 07-11-2005, 12:14 PM

[ QUOTE ]
I dog owner told me that when I when I play "tug-o-war" games with my puppy I should never let him win. Because he has to know that I am the dominant one. I think there is something to that. I have one dog that is a terror and I think it is becuase I don't scare the dog at all. But the other dogs my voice when I yell is enough to scare them enough so that they stop doing what they are doing. The bad dog acts like I don't exist.

[/ QUOTE ]
I've heard a bit differently. That it's alright to play tug-of-war with your dog as long as it's just fun and not an aggression/dominance thing. If the dog starts trying to re-grip higher on the rope and choke up on you to gain more of the rope, then it's a battle for dominance. At that point, you just drop the rope and you don't play. You just don't play and you show your alpha status in other ways - providing the food, etc.

CollinEstes · #30 07-11-2005, 12:14 PM

When they said fight with your dogs I think they mean more like wrestling with them. I do that with my big dog, where I just sit on the floor and push him around and he bites me (but not hard). I don't crawl around or bite him though. I just piss him off real bad by patting his feet and knocking him over. Good times.