QuestionQUESTION: Hi Dave,
We have two 5 1/2 old Sheltie males who were litter mates. We had no idea that having same-sex littermates would fuel aggression. They get along well for the most part and enjoy romping and playing with each other. However, we can no longer put out chew toys for them (they can only have them in their crates and then we must remove them when they get out of the crates so that one dog doesn't go into the other dog's crate to sniff the toy which leads to a fight). We must also feed them separately and then crate them afterwards for 10 minutes. They have been in numerous fights over the past month.
Taking them out has been horrible (we take them for walks separately and to places like PetSmart separately). They growl and charge at every dog they see. I started a beginner training class at PetSmart with one of the dogs last night. His tail was straight down the whole time and he growled and barked at all of the dogs. Whenever another dog in the group barked, my dog would bark, growl and show his teeth. If he had any small lead on the leash, he would try to charge at the dog.
I'm worried that about this aggression at such a young age and that because the pups have had several fights, they are now go into attack mode when they see other dogs. I've consulted a dog behaviorist who suggested we get rid of one of the dogs. The family loves both dogs though, so we are trying to work things out if possible. Any suggestions?
ANSWER: Hi Mary,
Assumptions: 5.5 month olds (not year? it's easy to let your fingers get ahead of you sometimes) and you should neuter them both before you kick one out of the house. Neutering should solve most of the intensity of the aggression issues.
Next, who is in charge of your pack? Are they battling for top dog in the house or is there a stronger personality that they respect? Dogs always have pack order. The "twins" here are trying to determine their spot in the pack. You need to be head dog and let them figure out who is who to some extent.
I say that because we don't want them hurting each other.
What mama dog needs to do if they misbehave is jump on both of them, grab their necks and shove them to the floor while growling at them in a very mean low voice. Go ahead and be a little rough the first time as it is unlikely you will cause harm. Make sure you have a firm grip and are controlling the direction of their snouts in case there is some confusion as to who is in charge they won't be able to bite you. I also would hold their heads together and growl at them together. You will be speaking their language that this is unacceptable behavior in your pack and to settle down. Humble them by making them show their bellies to you and be submissive.
Leave no doubt that they need to respect you.
Go to petsmart and ask for a reference for serious obedience help. Get them to obey you and not focus on each other. You want these dogs need to quit being puppy-teenagers and start being a little more grown up in their behavior. Right now it's all "me-me-me" and not pleasing you. Your goal will be to take the focus off of them and onto pleasing you. Through an extensive obedience course with both dogs you should be able to work through this.
I hope this has helped you!
Dave
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Thanks for your response. Both dogs were neutered 5 weeks ago. The vet said the neutering would not change their personalities or stop the aggression, but would stop them from marking territory (which they haven't done yet) and so far she is right! We were told 6 to 8 weeks for the testosterone to be out of their systems.
How do you get in the face of two dogs that are fiercely attacking each other? We put them in their crates as soon as possible and leave them there for about 30 minutes. When they come out, they seem to have forgotten about their fight.
We are very firm and tell them no. I have done holds on the more dominant dog (laying him on his side and making eye contact and holding him down until he releases tension) when he is putting his head or front paws over the other dog. They see to go back & forth with the power trip, but overall, one dog is more dominant. We feed him first, pet him first, etc...
I want to have them socialized so they are not fear biters, and am hoping it's not too late! They are fine with people, but no way with other dogs. I hope we don't get asked to leave from the training class. I will ask the trainer for a recommendation.
Thanks again for your help.
AnswerFiercely attacking: If they are really fighting and not just doing extreme roughhousing (it is tough to tell, but playing rough leaves wet fur spots and a little yelping, fierce is torn clumps of fur and ...). I would use the coins-in-a-coke-can noisemaker and/or water bottle technique to break them up. I do not advise placing them directly into the crates as some kind of punishment, we want the crates to be good places to go not bad. Put them in separate rooms instead to calm them down.
I would then put them both on the ground after you have their attention with the water/noise maker. Be aggressive but also use good judgment, I'm not there-you are. A Sheltie is a dog and will bite a person; unlikely to bite but it can and does happen. Having confidence over your control is better than being afraid as they will sense and respond to this.
I see in your answer that there is a more dominant dog of the pair. If you make sure you honor that dominance as head of the pack then they should fight less. You are doing the right thing by giving the dominant dog the attention first. If I were to put one of the dogs with his belly up it would be the less dominant one more often than the other. I would avoid putting the more dominant one on his back with the other dog present. However I would still do it to show that I am the head dog if I thought the situation called for it.
On the training class please get a one-on-one session as your dogs are special needs cases until they can get their focus on obeying you. When they are more in control you should be able to take them out to meet other dogs.
Dave
