Fighting

Question
QUESTION: I lost my Dane,Magic at 6 years old.I missed him so bad so I got Mable a 2 year old spayed female from MAGDRL.I have her a little over a year.She also had a sister in rescue but from a different litter.Her name is Gabby, a 4 year old spayed female.We felt sorry for her because she was crated 12 hours a day.3 months later we adopted Gabby also.They remembered each other %26 got along great.Suddenly there are fights between them.Not really over much of anything.Usually Mable will start growling %26 I can distract her before anything starts.If my husband is home he can pull them apart but I have 2 knee replacements %26 I am afraid they will knock me down.Also my Mother lives with us %26 sometimes she is alone with them.How can I stop this behavior?Please help.Thanks

ANSWER: Have you ever noticed anything that they may be fighting over? I know you said it is not much of anything, but even something small may be causing fights. Has anything changed recently in their routine, diet, something abnormal in things that they do on a daily basis? I cannot really tell you the reason why they are fighting. I know that you said that they are half sisters, and honestly that doesn't really matter either way because they do not know they are sisters, but the fact that they are both females maybe a reason as to why they are fighting. Sometimes in a lot of cases two females will just begin to fight over pack hierarchy, attention, food, toys or treats.

If you can think of anything that would case it, I may be able to help you fix it, otherwise, it is just something that you either have to learn to live with, or keep them separated when you start to see tension between them.

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QUESTION: The only thing I can think of is that they are not getting the exersise that they used to get.We have a lot of snow & I just don't trust walking them with snow on the ground because I walk them on a coupler & I have 2 knee replacements.I try to excersise them in the yard but with temps in the teens they don't want to stay out very long.They are fed at opposite ends of two rooms.I know better that to give treats close together & they both have identical toys.They may be trying to dominate me cause somtimes it happens when one is lying on the sofa with her head in my lap & the other one is on the floor.Whoever is on the sofa will snarl & show teeth& I can smooth it over right then.They have never done this outside or when left alone only when I'm right there with them.I really think they are jealous over me.When I first got Mable she was a true velcro Dane until Gabby came.She had to have surgery right after we got her & she became my big baby.Then she became & still is my velcro Dane.They usually respect each others space especially if one of them is in our bed.The other knows not to step foot in that room & they never try.But boy when they do get into it it scares the bejesus out of me.I mean chairs topple over tables move as does anything or anyone that gets in the way.That's what scares me.I'm afraid it will be me or worse yet my Mother.Thanks so much for your help & I will try anything that you suggest.Sharon

Answer
Exercise does play a big role in how your dogs interact with each other. Built up energy can be transferred into aggression. If they are showing aggression towards one another when laying on the sofa, they are actually trying to claim the space and you, which is why they growl at each other. To eliminate this and the possibility of a fight, I would not allow them on the couches. I know it can be hard because you want to love on your dog, but if they cannot act appropriately around each other and it is sparking any sort of aggression, the privilege has to be eliminated.

You are very correct, they are jealous over you and are fighting for your attention. This can become a very dangerous situation and you can have a major fight on your hands. Another thing that I would discontinue is letting them onto the bed altogether, all these things make a dog think that they are at a higher power then the other dog in the pack hierarchy. To avoid confrontation in these instances, I would just not allow them onto furniture and beds period.

I forgot to add that I apologize for not getting back to you right away, usually I answer questions the same day or the following morning but my son was born two weeks ago the day before Christmas Eve and I am having to adjust my schedule in order to have time to answer everyone's questions on here between feeding and sleeping when my son is taking his naps.

Good Luck with your dogs and hopefully the issues will get resolved. Please send an update when you have a chance.