Fighting Bitches

[redangel]

I have two bitches that have lived in harmony for 4yrs. A month or so ago I desexed one of the bitches. Since then we have had three decent fights requiring intervention and separation. The bitch desexed was the dominant bitch. Both dogs with rough house play, eat and sleep together...but will fight over the right to be closer to members of the household...ie closer to a chair my son is sitting on. A stare here a niggle growl there and if we are not on the alert we have two fighting dogs. Is it just coincidence the fighting has started since one of them was desexed? I intend to desex the other bitch soon. In 25 years of owning bitches in a common household I have never come across this...maybe ive just been lucky.

[Mason_Gibbs]

I had 2 deserved bitches, they fought like mad after deserving but I think it was more of an age thing for them and not to do with the desexing

Edited November 20, 2011 by Mason_Gibbs

[Rysup]

I dont think it is coincidence - I had two bitches who were best friends, but when I had a litter with one, that was the catalyst for them becoming mortal enemies. Never did they get to enjoy each others company again! (well without bloody battles to the death)

After enduring the pains of keeping them apart for a number of years, I retired one of them to a pet home with a lovely lady who spoils her rotten.

Something to do with the hormones maybe? In your case the sudden lack of? I dont know but big changes sometimes seem to spur these things into action.

[SoL]

I have had the same problem, though to be fair the two girls were never the best of mates, they merely tolerated each other's presence within the pack. However, after getting one of them desexed as we were never going to mate her, the other, more alpha bitch, took that as a sign of some sort of weakness or illness or disadvantage to the pack (well, that's my personal opinion of it) and decided to weed her out. It happened whilst they were being babysat by somebody else whom they obviously didn't listen to. It took over an hour on the operating table and a good 6 weeks of recovery and she almost lost a leg. We had to rehome her after that, would never put her in that risk again. She is currently being spoiled rotten, is as big as a house (ok, not my ideal but she is loved) and has a massive smile for everybody.

I would be hesitant to desex a bitch now that I still wanted to run with the pack. I really do think that desexing was the 'excuse' the alpha bitch was looking for. If we were to desex a bitch we wanted to keep then it would be constant supervision with the other girls.

[redangel]

Thank you for the insight. It has been very unsettled around here. Currently as I hold top rank in my presence the bitches are fine. Management is now that they cannot be together when I am not here. I will continue to consider my options.