i have two dogs: ones oldish(12), the other is younger. they are both females but the younger one is constantly fighting with the older so weve had to keep them seperate. any suggestions?
Answers:
You, being the alpha should in no way tolerate the fighting. What you say, goes, period. We had the same issue with our young border collie attempting to establish dominance over our older female eskie. Following the instructions of our obedience trainer, I didn't allow this to occur, at all. She was addressed each time she tried. I scruffed her, lifted her off her front feet and shook firm, but gently (just as momma did to her when she was still with her litter as a means of discipline). She soon learned that I was the alpha and didn't approve of her challenging the older female in our home.
Basically, you're the boss and your dogs need to understand and respect that for this to be effective.
Your old dog has had all the attention, run of full territory all
these years, so there is bound to be some friction between them. Once they establish who is in charge, they should be fine. Dogs are pack animals, and need to establish rank in the order so this is all normal.
God bless.
keep them seperated have times for one of them like one comes out for 1 hour and when 1 hour is over put that dog up and bring the other one out
Dogs automatically have a "pack" instinct like in the wild if there is more than one dog in the household. One dog will always try to show dominant behavior such as the younger one to gain some sort of leadership. Depending on how young the younger one is, it may be very hard to break her out of her natural behavior, and I know you probably are not looking forward to finding your younger dog a new home since you may be attatched to her. Keeping them separate may only add his/her aggression toward to your older one when they do get around each other. The best person to give you advice is the pet trainers at Petsmart. Just call the store, and they can give you the best professional advice for free.
I have one male and two female dogs, they play very well together.
What you need to do is pay equal attention to both, dogs get very jealous. If the twelve year old was there first, you must feed him first and establish her as the leader, by allowing her to go outside ahead of the other dog. The fighting is about who is the leader and you can help your older dog by following the above suggestions. To keep them separated is not a practical idea. You need to tell the younger dog when she starts fighting "NO" in a very harsh voice. She will learn, it is not acceptable behavior and stop.
For all the jokes about men and dogs peeing on trees and fighting over territory, female dogs are 100 times worse.
They are actually more likely to fight and damage each other than male dogs.
Once they take a dislike to another female, it's life long. They rarely "change their minds".
Consider re-homing the younger dog. Your first responsibility should be to the old dog, she's been with you longer, and it will be harder for her to find a good home. Also, it's not fair to expect her to adjust to a completely new household and surroundings. She would hate being without you.
the younger one seems not to like the older one you might consider getting another dog and finding the younger one a different home
your dogs are fighting over who is the pack leader. You need to establish dominance over both of them. You need to step up and do some training so make sure you are ready. If you dont assert your dominance, these dogs will never stop fighting. Check out some dog training books or google " dog obedience" and read what comes up.
I would get a good book that covers this issue because there are many things we humans due unintentially that end up promoting and prolonging this battle. There are also many subtle things you can do to establish your self as the leader which can sometimes be helpful to lesson their battle for top position. Pick up all toys and treats as you dont want to give them a reason to battle and toys and treats should be veiwed by your pet as something that belongs to you that you let them have. And last, seriously, take them for walks. It is a great time for you to establish yourself as the leader and for them to bond as a pack!! If the younger dog is not spayed I would suggest that as well. This can sometimes help w/ females as well as males. I hope it works out for you!
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