Help Help Help - Need Advice

[pointydogs]

I have a real problem and need advice. One of my Dogs (flax) has started attacking my other dogs, first it was woody and now bibi. The instances in which she's done it is when my parter has grabbed one of the others, Woody when he slipped his collar and he grabbed hold of him to stop him getting away on the road, and bibi when he grabbed her to retrieve a stolen chicken breast. She's properly gone in and caused real injuries I seem to have spent nearly all this week sitting in the vets waiting room with bleeding dogs! what the hell do I do???? Woody has ten stiches in his shoulder- not from a bite but from going down on the road when she went for him, and bibi is on three legs because of a bite and is still in quite a lot of pain dispite painkillers and antibiotics from the vets. There is tension in the air when bibi and flax meet in the garden and I really don't want it to happen again while bibi is so injured as she doesn't stand a chance against her. This has been coming for a few weeks since they were in season at the same time they've been a bit snappy with each other, but this was a full on fight and I don't understand why she would cuase serious injuries to a dog that a few weeks ago was her best friend?? what the hell do I do, I can't sit back and watch the others get injured- and I don't think me or my bank account can take anymore

Advice on what I can do please, has anyone else been in this situation?

 

[Hula]

I have had this problem before with unspayed bitches but since I started having all my bitches spayed never had any cross words between them

 

[pointydogs]

HMMM maybe its time to consider it? been putting it off as I do want to breed from them for myself and friends and family. Have you ever seen any change in personality in bitches that are spayed late, I do not want to change a single thing about them as before this they were both just the perfect dogs- to me anyways. I've been told that they'll lose the aspects of their personality that make them individual?

I've got a muzzle on flax for the minute, thanks for the reply

 

[Hula]

My dogs past and present were spayed between the ages of 2-8 , it never affected their amazing personalities and I will have no hesitation having my future dogs done

I honestly have never heard that bitches lose aspects of their personality and it didn't make them fat either

 

[vs1]

Hi there. This sounds like an extreme case of Flax assuming the role of pack leader. It seems like she recognises the others have 'done wrong' when your partner has had to grab them and she is reprimanding them. There may be something underlying the change in behaviour for it to be so sudden and extreme. Whereabouts are you based? I would recommend you get the help of a dog whisperer/listener quick. They are great at objectively observing you and your dogs and understanding what's going wrong and how to fix it. If you are anywhere near Bucks/Beds/Herts I can recommend a really good one. PM me if you want the details. Try not to get too stressed out as this may make the situation worse. Be cool and remind Flax you are the boss and don't need her help with the discipline!

Vicky

x

 

[Whippets4eva]

Sorry no advice to offer as i've never been in this situation, but just wanted to say that i really hope things improve for you very soon it

must be very stressfull.

:luck: and these are for you :huggles:

 

[fallenangel]

iv got spayed and unspayed bitches here our lacey was spayed as a result of a bad labout aged 5 and she not change personality non of my girls have. I allso ahve bitches that come in season within 24 hours of each other and they dont fight at all so if its a dominace issue an spaying will help you have to decine whats more importnat puppys or your dogs fighting niobody can decied for you but assoon as my bitches finsh racing if i dont wnat to breed form them there spayed no messing they seam much happer for it in my opinion

 

[Esty]

If it helps ( :thumbsup: )we are considering getting Roscoe and Grover done as we've had some horrible fights here in the last month or two and we have to feed them separately now as well. I'm going to wait til they're a bit older to see if they settle back down again but it's seeming more and more inevitable. Poor Grover spends a large part of his time getting humped very vigorously by Roscoe....can't be much fun!

 

[liza]

If it helps ( :thumbsup: )we are considering getting Roscoe and Grover done as we've had some horrible fights here in the last month or two and we have to feed them separately now as well. I'm going to wait til they're a bit older to see if they settle back down again but it's seeming more and more inevitable. Poor Grover spends a large part of his time getting humped very vigorously by Roscoe....can't be much fun!

i have had this problem with bitches at the moment i have two litter sisters they have been fine until this season katie kept attacking her sister everytime she saw her

the way i have stoppef her from attacking her sister was to go out in the garden with them i just kept saying no to katie i just took the role of top dog now they are fine it took a couple of weeks l myself dont think spaying works unless they are done at an early age a muzzle can make things worse

do you ever watch the dog whisperer you might get ome tips of him

hope you get your girls sorted out

 

[pointydogs]

Cheers for all your help everyone, I was in such a tizz yesterday and you've all really helped me out and given me loads of great advice. I agree totaly with what some people have said about her taking the pack leader role, because she is very pushy like that, and we've been forgetting she was once a rescue dog with issues. I'm going to take her the obidience class that I usually take Bibi to tonight and see what the trainer thinks aswell, he knows flax from when we first got her

I found this yesterday and would love to know what people think bout these training methods - its called nothing in life is free

http://k9deb.com/nilif.htm

And I also found this poem about rescue dogs on another forum which really made me think about flax and what she was like when I first got her, and that with rescue dogs you never really know the full story about the issues that are in their heads. I'd thought about very breifly the dreaded word re-home, and this helped me put things in prespective

http://www.lurcherlink.org/llink/forum/viewtopic.php?t=11254

 

[jinnyfizz]

A couple of good links there, thank you!

The poem is heart-rending and so true

 

[eve]

Spaying my girls has not changed the presonality of any of them over the years. Being whippets I have had to watch their weight more closely. I am not sure if neutering Flax would change her perceived position in the pack. It may if your other bitch is not nueutered. All my bitches are neutered and the one nearest 3 -6 years seems to take the pack lead in hunts and be more defensive of me. This used to be Misty and she was bad for fighting with her brother. When she was neutered, this did not change much. We still had to watch them at feeding times and with bones etc. She changed completely when she was 9 and a younger female came into the pack. She is now a calm submissive whippet.

It could be worth a try having her neutered if you are not going to breed from her anyway. It makes life easier, no mess, no worrying about 'visitors' and a reduced risk of mammary tumors later in life. The Dog Listener by Jan Fennell is an excellent book. I live too far away to lend you my copy

I do hope that Woody and Bibi are better soon :huggles: :huggles: