Female with domanance issues.(Long post)

[codmaster]

Originally Posted by Whiteshepherds

Is F-F aggression something you can try to predict by previous behavior from other females in a bloodline or does it just pop up randomly?

From what I have seen and heard, some folks would certainly say this is the case (same with males and dominance).

[lhczth]

Originally Posted by Whiteshepherds

Is F-F aggression something you can try to predict by previous behavior from other females in a bloodline or does it just pop up randomly?

Yes, I think it is something you might be able to predict (nothing is 100%) if you know enough about the females in the bloodline.

As I said earlier, either in this thread or in another thread, I did not have problems until I had related bitches. Even in my case it is mostly (with only the one exception) a dominance issue where I keep them apart more for piece of mind than because they hate each other and want to kill each other.

[hunterisgreat]

Originally Posted by JakodaCD OA

Female to female fighting can be deadly, Once they start it's something you can never trust them with as they will most likely take any opportunity to continue it.

So as I see it, the two choices you listed are 1. keep them separated at all times or 2 rehome her with no other dogs

Hard decision she sounds like she could be a fun dog to do activities with.

My two dominance bitches fought. No fights in a year, and they were fighting constantly. I dropped the hammer... They got corrected for so much as looking at each other for a while. Now we have no fights, and they've settled into who's dominant and accepted their places.

OP You need to correct either for looking or posturing at all. Once the behavior is in full swing its not effective... You must correct at the dogs first desire to endure in the behavior. No ecollars! The dog MUST know the correction came from you, the layer of the laws and leader of the household. The dogs must be separated when you are not present to address the behaviors. Over time when its clear to the dogs what you expect, it will stop. You probably won't make them cuddle buddies, but you can reliably stop any aggression.

Would be worth teaching yourself and your wife how to break up a dog fight. I broke one up last night and the other person got tagged and went to the ER afterwards. Dog fights are dangerous for everyone.

[hunterisgreat]

Originally Posted by lhczth

Yes, I think it is something you might be able to predict (nothing is 100%) if you know enough about the females in the bloodline.

As I said earlier, either in this thread or in another thread, I did not have problems until I had related bitches. Even in my case it is mostly (with only the one exception) a dominance issue where I keep them apart more for piece of mind than because they hate each other and want to kill each other.

My two bitches are mother and daughter lol

[ed1911]

Hunterisgreat, I posted an update. The aggression has been stopped but I did use e-collars and they worked very well. I really do not understand the reluctance to use e-collars.

[selzer]

ed, if your wife could separate them with a broom, they have not gotten into a fight to the death yet. An e-collar to correct them before they think about trying to eat each other may work so long as you are right there holding the control. If you leave them alone or with someone else, it can be a different story. It can also be that your bitches had a normal dog-scrimage that would have been fine. Hard to say. But a bitch who is seriously fighting with another bitch will not stop because someone beats them apart with a broom stick, that or working dogs aren't as tough/drivy as show dogs that I have experience with.

Also, if they are in the middle of the fight, the e-collar isn't going to stop them.

Babs and Jenna are littermates. They shared a kennel until they were 15 months old. Also loose in the house/yard, etc. No problems, no fights. I did notice that Jenna was doing a lot of posturing and Babs would be very submissive so I separated them. Fast forward 5.5 years. Jenna is in with Hepzibah her daughter, she has the puppy pen so its in/out and has a baby gate separating it from the living room. Babs is lying on my bed. I opened the gate to let Hepsi in, and Jenna squeezed through the gate, through the shower board barrier separating the living room from the hall to the bedroom and was up on my bed posturing over Babs.

There was not a fight. But there could have been a fight.

When Arwen and Jasmine went at it, they wanted to kill each other. I have separated males fighting. Separating females, should be easier because they are smaller, but it isn't. It's kind of like saying you would rather face a Malinois than a GSD because the GSD is bigger.

[ed1911]

I didnt wait for a fight to start before giving the correction. As soon as they started posturing they got a correction. They are great together now. They spend all day together now without incident.

[pets4life]

it sounds like eds one bitch is happy to be submissive to his new dog now. I still would never leave them alone in case the new one wants to end the other ones life. Shes being good now but just watch lol

[selzer]

They say you can never trust them if there is blood between them. I don't know. Just because they are ok for a few days doesn't mean that one won't walk too close to a food dish, or bump the other walking through a doorway, or come rush to see an owner. Bitch fights start fast. I would not leave them together unattended. People have come home to blood baths where they have found one dead and the other needing to be euthanized -- to me that would be my worse nightmare.

ETA: I think as the years add experience to us, some of us may be capable of reading the temperament in our bitches well enough to determine that these two will be fine left together, while these other two had better be crated. Right now I am leaving two bitches together. They are 7 and 10 months old. They seem to be great together and their temperaments jell. It is a risk, but I think a slight risk.

It will not hurt to crate one or both of your dogs when you cannot supervise, but it can be seriously bad if you do not. I think you weigh the options. If the issue was serious, a few days training with whatever tool will not eliminate it.

[Jag]

Yes, my female pug has taken Grim on a few times. She's fairly stupid. When he's had enough of her, he stands over her until she submits. She has gotten into it with my wife's female a few times, which requires immediate intervention. They will be fine for awhile, but then get into it over something random. Those fights are ugly, where the fights with Grim and my pug are just comical.