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

[Offsprung]

Do they not become generally less aggressive after being fixed?

[NorCalJosh]

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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.



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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.

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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

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No, I don't think biting was part of the regimen. Play-bowing (when your dog puts his chest to the ground with his front paws forward and his hind legs standing) and then flipping the dog over and pinning him on his back and making growling noises was though.

I've also read some stuff about why dogs do the things they do and like the things they like. I believe that most doggy experts (whatever that means) believe that dogs are essentially wolves that are trapped in adolesence. I've also heard of dogs referred to as having suckered humans into raising their young in a great evolutionary con game.

Next time your dog tries to lick your face, throw up the hamburder you just ate into his mouth and you'll have made his day. I also now know why my male dog completely grooves on having his chest petted. There is such a thing as learning too much.

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actually, that is closer to what i do. i've never actually bitten my dog, but with my belgian malinois, when she was a puppy, the bitch was hyperactive, so we'd wrestle with her and her sister, and whenever they started taking things a little to serious, we'd just flip them on their back and pin them down, get really close and give a little snarl. they always got the point and calmed down, got a chagrined look on their face and whimpered a little bit.

i didnt know that was an actual school of thought for some time though. i just thought i was a dumb ass who liked playing with my dogs, and that seemed to work.

and please, fill me in on the whole chest patting thing, i'm sure it will make me view things in a whole new light. just what i wanted.



growing up a friend of mine had a little minature poodle named smokey who had this habit of getting in the way 100% of the time. anyway, one time he managed to get stepped on and somehow his dick got stuck in the "out" position. it was really disturbing, as it came really close to dragging along the floor when he ran, and you would definately get slapped around by it when he was jumping around "playing"

[TStoneMBD]

alot of good advice here. i like the advice of the poster who mentioned preestablishing dominance by having one dog come in the house first, eat first, etc.

i do think this is a good idea and should fix the problem as long as the passive dog doesnt become rebellious. however, i dont really think its fair to the dog to be second at everything. try to spend some extra attention when alone with the dog and treat him like your cutietootie while the other dog as your machoman.

be careful having your dogs around children after this, at least for some time. you really dont want a kids hand getting bit off because youre going to suffer the consequences.

i dont like neutering dogs. i dont feel that its fair to them. thats just mo though.

[Grisgra]

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Do they not become generally less aggressive after being fixed?

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Not necessarily. When we were putting our dog through obedience training the trainer said that the biggest problems he's had have been with unfixed dogs, that there isn't necessarily a relationship. At least, as far as that whole dominance thing is concerned.

(And I have a fixed dog with dominance issues around other dogs, so I know of what I speak.)

I would get the dogs fixed anyway -- it *may* help. But to think that only unfixed dogs go through pecking order/alpha male contests is just wrong.

[johnc]

My dog & my parent's dog, both females & fixed, got into one these really bad fights. Chewed and bit the crap out of each other, blood, ect. These two are very sweet and loving dogs and NEVER fought with other before (or since). I'm assuming it was one of those situations where they just needed to sort out the pecking order. P.S. they were both so exhusted and chewed up from the ordeal that separation really wasn't necessary.

[teamdonkey]

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I don't know why everyone thinks that getting a dog fixed will take care of dominance issues. That's just plain nonsense. They're not trying to [censored] each other, they're trying to figure out who is boss.

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Removing a dogs testicles eliminates the production of the hormone testosterone. Ever heard of football players going on roid rages? It's because most steriods aim at increasing your testosterone levels. Among other things, testosterone has a tendancy to increase aggression.

Does that mean if a football player stops taking steroids, he'll never beat the crap out of anyone again? No, but it probably reduces the number of asswhoopings. Same with dogs. For what it's worth, fixing a dog at 3-4 months of age is most effective. Since your dogs are already 2 years old it won't do quite as much. this is a good link.

[handsome]

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Yeah, discipline is necessary in my opinion. I'm not saying beat the crap out of the dog, but a good yank at his neckhair seems to get the point across when he's being disruptive. Then there is the method my wife's grandpa uses to train his dogs. He always has a Border Collie to help out with chores around his farm. Since he has cows, sheep and chickens that all need to be herded the dog needs to learn to use different tactics for the various animals. Usually at some point in the training he puppy will get too excited/angry and one of the chickens ends up dying. The grandpa then takes the chicken corpse by the feet and proceeds to beat the dog with the dead chicken. Like magic the dog learns to never ever touch the chickens while herding them. Brilliant, in my opinion.

Swede

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LOL. This got a chuckle out of me.

[Sephus]

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you really dont want a kids hand getting bit off because youre going to suffer the consequences.

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"gee i wish that kid still had his hand 'cause i wouldn't be in jail right now. poor me."

[nervous]

I have two dogs, both female, and up until about a year ago (when they were 7) they got into fights maybe twice a year.

One fight was bad enough that one dog had a cut right above the snout between the eyes about a half inch deep. The other dog had part of her ear bitten off laying on the ground. The worst part was when she shook her head to get the blood off like dogs do after they come inside and are wet. Blood went all over the walls throughout the whole house.

Sucks, but they are both older now and don't get into any fights.