brothers fighting after brought to new home

Question
hi I jsut reacently broght home brothers from seprate litters they are dachshounds 3 1/2 and 1 1/2 their old owners were going through a divorce and could nto keep the. car ride home was great introducing them to my sheltie went well...about 5 hours after home the older brother  tried ripping his brothers head off litterally.. since then have kept them seperated . tried again and it was another HORRIBLE BLOODY fight??? whats going on? right now I am taking turns with one out at a tim. I want them both but can't keep this up! HELP!!!

Answer
I suspect this may have been something the "old" owners left out. Some posturing and squabbles look violent to us humans, but result in little damage to the dogs. Where did they bite? If it was faces and ears, that is less serious than going for the throat or body. You said bloody. Where? Did it require a vet visit?  Changing homes could be stressful enough to cause squabbles, but if they are truly injuring each other, my suggestion would be that for the good of both dogs, you consider rehoming one of them. Or play rotate-o-dog for the rest of their lives. It's not as hard to teach dogs to react to each other appropriately in public as it is when you have issues between housemates. With dogs who live together, there are just so many opportunities for them to fight, and it's stressful for everyone to live in a house where somebody wants to kill someone else. In a natural situation, one dog would drive the other dog away. Problem solved. But we keep our dogs in houses and fenced yards, and insist that they have to stay. Which means they cannot resolve the issue in a normal way.
It's hard to know what is happening over the internet, but a good in-person trainer or behaviorist could really help you make a good decision here that will be safest for all involved.
Sandy Case BFA MEd CPDT www.positivelycanine.com