[JenniferT]

Out of nowhere, our two girls, Cinny and Molly, have had 4 fights from August to 2 weeks ago. We have called the trainer who we have worked with over the years and are following their advice. The girls are ages 5 and 4. I know the age difference plus the fact that they are two femals can contribute but has anyone out there had dogs start fighting like this out of the blue? We went for 3 years with no problems and now this.
They are healthy, get regular exercise, the whole thing so I am curious to see if others have had dogs do this type of thing at this age. Our trainer said that this age is a common age for them to try to reestablish the alpha....
Thanks,
Jennifer

 

[daisy8869]

Hi Jennifer,

I have not heard of the middle age fight for alpha. I would think that since they are only one year apart in age, that the age difference would not be a huge deal. Have you had both of them since they were puppies and are they from the same breeder? Also, have you noticed anything specific that they fight over?

I think contacting your trainer is a good idea, some things that I can suggest from my experience with fighting dogs is that most fights revolve around food at some point. I would try feeding them seperately and also giving treats seperately to see if a food issue has developed. Also, if you notice the fights are happening while you are asleep, you can try crating them at night or putting them in seperate rooms. Good luck and let us know what works.

 

[sadeyes2]

Remember a topic from a while back(can't remember who) but it was suggested that the dog be checked out for any underlying illness as this can make a once well behaved dog aggressive. Just a thought.

 

[puttemanp]

Jennifer,

We had our Lola and Bianca fighting to death after one year together without problems.

First of all, talk to your vet, get a complete check-up of both girls. One of them may be in pain for some reason.

We found out that the underlying reason was pack order. Neither of the girls were 'fixed', and as you maybe remember, we were thinking about giving up one of the two for rehoming.

first of all, we kept them separated for about 6 months. It takes a lot of willpower to do this, as we only let them together during walks, under supervision, and on their leashes.

Then we got both girls fixed, but still kept them separated for another 2 months. Got Maurice 'done' as well (remember, it's pretty unusual to get dogs fixed in Belgium unless there's a medical problem).

After we were sure that the hormones were out of their bodies, we let them together again, praising good (play) behaviour, and letting them fix the pack order.

I know, when bassets fight, it's a lot of noise, a lot of growling, a lot of mess, but in the end... it's worth it.

Lola and Bianca are now inseparable. They play, eat, sleep together, and Maurice is looking over his 'Harem'.

Do talk to a behavourist! They are worth the money. And keep a bucket of cold water near to throw over them when they fight (that's how we separated them)

Good luck!


Patrick