The Mystery of the Squabbling Dogs
Then yesterday, Bailey escaped from her confinement. Jacob panicked and yelled for me to come quick so we could pull them apart when they started fighting. But they didn't start fighting. I told him to wait and not touch them (grabbing them in a delicate situation will usually start a fight) while they looked at each other and sniffed each other. Bailey put her legs up on Eevee, and Eevee didn't care. They walked around the house together, sniffing and whatnot. I couldn't tell how it was going to turn out, so I opened the door and told them to go out, since there's nothing outside worth fighting over. They went out, and then, they started playing! I was shocked! Two dogs that couldn't stand the sight of each other yesterday were romping around together again! I still have no idea exactly what caused them to be so mad at each other, or why they suddenly started being friends again. My best guess is that maybe Eevee was in heat, cause I've heard that can cause some fighting. If she was I never noticed, but that's all I can think of. The reasoning doesn't matter so much as it matters that they have stopped fighting! YAY! Of course they are under close supervision at all times and are never left together when we leave, just to be sure. They play together, they sleep by each other, they chase the cat together, and they haven't fought over anything at all yet. Let's hope it stays that way!  |
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| Congratulations! Sounds like they've gone a long way toward working it out. Our last dog, Max, was very dog aggressive with any strange dog. Looking back, I realize now that we contributed to an endless cycle. He was aggressive, so we got ready for the aggression before it started, which keyed him up and made him aggressive, which reinforced our need to be tensed up before the aggression started, which . . . well, you get the idea. Sometimes it's hard to know how much is your tension and body language egging them on, and how much is their own behavior. |
| Based on their ages, personal experience with changing pack dynamics in the home, and also stuff I just learned at our club's behavioral session (We had a dog behavioral specialist from the U of M Vet College speak at our recent Twin Cities OES Club meeting)..... I would suggest that this is an age and status related squabble between the 2 girls. They are transitioning in maturity and power struggles are being worked out. We are having the exact thing going on with Bond, and Riley (our rat terrier). Riley is low man, and adolescent Bond is working his way up the ranking ladder.... |
| Sort of thing happen to us. Sheerwood is now 14 1/2 and georgi pushes a bit. I got in between And she try to take a sly nip at myself. I grab her mussel with my had and was very pissed off with her. I gave a right old telling off and she started to cry. I let go of her and sent her to the crate and put sheerwood in the front room. Lori was watching and thought I was a bit hard on her and I said no dog of ours is going to bite anyone . She said I was too hard on her and was going to cuddle her. That caused a issue as I said no leave her there so she was a bit angry with me. The point I am trying to get at is when lori is on her own they play her up. When I am back at home they don't. It seems that there is still no leader of the gang to me. There is me and lori, cleo, Sherwood and Georgi and Lola the cat as she does what she wants and Sherwood looks after her. |
| Dawn, I had always figured it was just a power struggle type thing too, back when it was just little squabbles. I didn't think that it would cause them to be unable to be in the same part of the house at the same time, though! Especially for two or three weeks. It wasn't just rough playing either, they were biting each other and holding on and whatnot and you couldn't get them to let go for anything. Is that normal? I've never ever had dogs that fought like that. |
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