Fighting In The Household

[giraffez]

My two boys are best mates most of the time but lately for some unknown reason they would all of a sudden get into a big fight where there is lots of growling, screeching and rough physical contact. Pretty sure its not play. When i see it happen, i break them apart and separate them into different rooms. A bit later when they are back together, they are fine and return to being best friends again.

How do i discourage the fighting?

[cowanbree]

How old are they and are they desexed?

[giraffez]

How old are they and are they desexed?

both boys both desexed. 3 and 1 1/2.

[cowanbree]

18mths is about the age they become fully mature and start challenging for top dog position. If they are serious fights I would advise you to get some one on one help before it gets more serious. Fortunately I have found males for the most part to be quite forgiving. They can be fighting one minute and sitting on the mat together 5 minutes later.

[Erny]

Fortunately I have found males for the most part to be quite forgiving. They can be fighting one minute and sitting on the mat together 5 minutes later.

Bleeding, but sitting on the mat together all the same.

I agree with Cowanbree - very high potential that it's age/development related. I also agree with Cowanbree that it would serve you well to engage some professional help and advice.

Edited May 6, 2012 by Erny

[becks]

Sounds fairly typical for minis whose play has just got a bit out of hand, someone gets accidentally hurt and they go to get other back. Just distract them earlier in the games when it is starting to get over excited

[giraffez]

My younger one doesn't seem to be the dominant type, he is more of a follower. If his big brother wants to do something first like get a cuddle or play with a toy, he will just let him with no issues. This doesn't sound like he wants to be the top dog, or does it?

Not sure what the tolerance level of dogs is, lately the big brother sometimes put his paws on the little ones head (as to hold him down) and start licking one of his ears, the little one doesn't seem to mind but if it was me, I'll be putting up a fight :D

[Blossom78]

get professional help

start a diary: Keep track of the exact situations any hackling, growling, or fighting occurs. This will help the professional to get to the root of the problem. Also, of course, take a note of who 'started' it. This can be tricky, since confrontations start quite a bit before there is any vocalisation or physical contact.

I personally do not believe in the dominance-top-dog theory. Dogs have been domesticated for thousands of years. They have left the caves pretty much the same time humans did. And humans (for the most part) are not running around in loincloths whacking each other on the head anymore.

As an example:

I have a cat, Scania, and a dog, Toto.

Scania is a super-princess and wil not each anything except for that one brand of kibble and tuna in springwater. But when Toto chews on a bone, she will walk up to him, claim the bone, and not let him have it. She doesn't want the bone, she just sits there and makes sure he doesn't have it either. Poor Toto sits a few metres away and makes very sad faces, quietly whining to the cat. Eventually she wil get funned out and walk away.

In this situation, the cat is definitely boss. She can take food from him anytime, anywhere.

Toto is ball obsessed. But not any old ball. They have to smell like me and him and home. He has to be really desperate to so much as touch as stray ball some other dog has previously chewed and slobbered on.

If I bring home a stray ball I found somewhere, Scania can have it. Toto will not care.

But his special mum-scented-mint-flavoured-rubber-orbee-tough balls are off limits. Toto and Scania have worked out that she must not get near those balls. The only person he will always give the ball to is me - with other people he may or may not release it, depending if there are any other dogs around that might run in and grab it.

So, with orbee-tough-balls, Toto is boss.

My lap is a tie: Toto spends more time on my lap (cause he is nice whereas our cat is crazy-b****-from-hell), but I make sure that he has to go off whenever the cat feel like laptime. To elevate her status, and because I cherish those precious 2minuntes a month when she actually is a nice cat. :p

I think it is VERY rare that one dog is always boss. If you had one of those, you would have noticed long ago, as he would have challenged you all the time as well. :p

With dogs, just as with people, there are heaps of things every dog is indifferent about. Then there are things they kinda-sorta-care-about, if it's not too much of a hassle.

And then there are things like Toto's orbee tough balls (and me!) - things he would pick fights for and defend with his life.

Once you find out what each of the dogs cares about, and how much they care about it, you can work on avoiding situations that are likely to cause clashes.

good luck & keep us posted!