# Is there anyway to get my two female dogs to stop fighting?



## daisygwenollie (Mar 11, 2012)

I have a 7 year old female (spayed)border collie called Gwen who i've had for 2 years, a 10 month old(castrated) yorkshire terrier called Ollie who i've had for about 8 months, and a just got Daisy, a border collie x (we think lurcher) who is not 1 yet and hasn't been spayed yet. 

The two females fight when in the house and when out walking, they'll start over anything, like someone coming in the room or a change in voice tone. Gwen will start on Daisy because Daisy is playing with a reflection or a shadow, etc. If they aren't fighting, then Gwen is following Daisy EVERYWHERE, shes like a living shadow of Daisy.

Is there anyway I have get them to get along? I really don't want to send Daisy off when I've only just got her. At the moment they are separated and it just makes everything awkward and all they do is bark and growl at each other through the door.

I've been told to leave them to sort out the who's the more dominant one ( I wouldn't anyway, thought that piece of advice was ridiculous), but then I was told females fight till death.

Thank you so much if you can help! It would mean the world to me.


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

daisygwenollie said:


> I have a 7 year old female (spayed)border collie called Gwen who i've had for 2 years, a 10 month old(castrated) yorkshire terrier called Ollie who i've had for about 8 months, and a just got Daisy, a border collie x (we think lurcher) who is not 1 yet and hasn't been spayed yet.
> 
> The two females fight when in the house and when out walking, they'll start over anything, like someone coming in the room or a change in voice tone. Gwen will start on Daisy because Daisy is playing with a reflection or a shadow, etc. If they aren't fighting, then Gwen is following Daisy EVERYWHERE, shes like a living shadow of Daisy.
> 
> ...


Females if they take umbridge and really mean it when they fight can be as bad if not worse then males and can certainly cause very bad injuries and as you have said possibly worse if an injury was bad enough and no one was there to stop them and/or get veterinary care, I have known of it not personal experience thankfully.

How did you introduce them? Were they introduced away from your own house and garden on neutral territory taken for a walk and then allowed to mix and play and see how they got on? and only then if they were OK brought back home together. If you didnt do that and just brought the new one in on your older girls territory then that wouldnt have helped.

Were they OK when they first met or did they start fighting right away? If they started fighting right away then that may not be a good sign. The fact that they fight outside when walking on neutral territory in all honesty isnt that great either, or the fact when separated and cant see each other they are growling at each other through a door. When you say they are not fighting the older follows the younger everywhere, in what way do you mean a curious interested manner, or is she literally hounding her being imposing standing over her fixing her with intense eye contact, stiff and keyed up body posture. If its the latter then again thats not a good sign.

Is there any chance the young unspayed one can be coming into season/be in season/just had one, if any of this applys then that wouldnt help with the situation, even bitches who sometimes live together and get on sometimes can start on each other and fight sometimes when one or the other is in season.
It can even be a bitch whos been spayed for years, will start on the younger fitter in season girl, sometimes its the bitch in season that will start on other bitches. So that could be a factor or making it worse.

Ideal scenario would be for you to have a word with a canine behaviourist get them to assess the dogs, and if they think it could work then give you a tailored programe to sort the girls out and manage the situation. Did you get her from a rescue? often rescues have behaviourists attached its worth asking you may get help there. If not CAPBT - COAPE Association of Pet Behaviourists and Trainers E-Mail [email protected] should find you a Behaviourist in your area.

Meanwhile to help you manage the situation. Dont leave them together unattended. Triggers that will deffinately set dogs off fighting are usually.
Food, treats, chews,toys, attention,confined spaces, times of hyper excitement like visitors coming and lead coming out for walks.
Feed them separately, soon as finished bowls up and out the way before they can even see each other. Watch out for chews and toys laying about another disaster dont leave any. if your preparing any food dont have them around you together a dropped bit of food and they both go for it disaster. Watch out when giving attention, in fact dont fuss either dog especially not the new one when they are in sight of each other. Watch them when they are in confined spaces together like narrow hallways, trying to get through doors at the same time, one lying down and the other having to try to jump over to pass or passing by at close quarters.That can even cause fights.

If they are fighting even out when on walks, then walk them together but make sure two people go and give them a margin of space between, so they cant fight or sniff at the same thing together, or go for a discarded piece of food in the street. Walking outside in a neutral environment may help but not if they are close enough for contact and fighting at first, not the way they are anyway at the moment.

I would if the new one isnt already crate train her. Buy a heavy duty robust strong crate, that wont break, not one of the light weight flimsy ones. If you get one of these and crate train her, then when you are there and can supervise them say in the evening watching TV at least they can get used to sharing space for periods of time in safety and without aggro and you can see if that starts to make a difference. If they start to settle then you can progress to the next step of having both on a lead and if there is two of you sitting say of an evening, having them on leads at a safe difference sharing space, to see if they will settle then.Start with one sitting with one person at one of the room and the other dog at the other end.

If the young one has never been in a crate though and you have never used one ask how to crate train, you cant just put them in and close the door, some dogs will freak get scared and wont settle in one and that will be the end of it if that happens.

These suggestions though are purely ment as stop gaps, to keep the situation safe and to try to avoid problems in the meantime. You really do need a professional assessment and help if the behaviourist thinks that they will settle with time and management. Some things you cant solve on the internet and dogs that are aggressive and/or fighting seriously isnt one of them.


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## happysaz133 (Jun 5, 2008)

Are they actually fighting aggressively, or are they play fighting? I have a 2 year old and got a puppy, and they are always at it! It gets frustrating, but they have started calming down now.


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