Hi

I'm posting this in behalf of a friend who has asked me for help.  The lady has 3 dogs, a Border collie bitch (entire) a Westie bitch (entire) and a neutered Westie dog, the wwestie bitch and the collie have always fought a bit but the wesite is in season at the moment and its a nightmare, she's been keeping the 2 separate but then when the westie gets to the collie its a lot worse she grabs at the collies neck/ears and rats at her.  Any ideas? i know the westie is 6 and the collie is older, mught getting the westie spayed help at all the owner is willing to go to a behaviourist if they can help.

Jessy

From my experience, once bitches fight then they will always fight, sometimes to the death.  They always have to be kept seperate.  I may be wrong, but I am sure that having a bitch spayed will only make matters worse.  There are a lot more knowledgable people on here than me who may be able to correct me if I am wrong and point you in the right direction for help.

Unfortunately I have two girls like this and they are worse during seasons!  They would fight until the death so one now lives with me and the other with my mum.  I also have the daughter of the one who lives with me at home and they get on brilliantly, they are never any trouble. 

With bitches figthing you are taking a big risk as they will indeed fight to the death.  Spaying may help but it must be the weaker of the two dogs, not the stronger so careful consideration must be given to this.  Has your friend had these two since they were pups??  If so it seems a bit late in the day for a dominance struggle - is it only intensified when one or other of the bitches is in season??

Keeping them seperate is probably helping but it must be a fretful place to be.  Your  friend could probably do with some professional advice as there are many considerations - is she inadvertantly raising the status of the weaker bitch and adding to the conflict??  If the bitches have always lived to together and this is a new problem then why?? what has changed?? 

A couple of baskerville muzzles might make your friend feel better in the short term as well.

Best of luck to your friend!!

I had 2 dachsie bitches - one was a bit of a bully, she had started to get quite agressive with other dogs in our road, was spayed at 6 years and unmercifully attached the 2 year old girl (who was very docile and non-confrontational).  If my husband hadnt' intervened one of them would definitely have been killed.  We had had the older girl spayed about a month before this happened and noticed that she had been getting more aggressive since the spay.  We were told that the problem was because the younger was coming into breeding maturity.  We don't have the facilities to keep them separated and even if we did we would just have worried every time we went out in case they got together.  Luckily my friend runs a sanctuary and took her in.  And she went to a lovely couple with a very elderly little male dog - no problems at all - they are delighted with her.  It broke our hearts; I hate to admit it but she was my favourite and was a good little show dog.  But speaking to others who have had this experience I echo the earlier post that once they fight they always will and it will be to the death.

I seems every one has a different 2 bitch experience.  My last pair consisted of 1 bosy, dominant unspeyed bitch and one placid, speyed bitch who lived together for 8 years with the occasional spat.  I always dealt with it against the general advise given by lowering the status of the dominant one, not allowing her on the furniture etc but not taking any extra notice of the under one which I felt reasserted the fact that I was ultimately in charge.  The under one would avoid her for a few hours and then peace would reign.  The unspeyed one would, however get much nastier to her as a season approached, the fights then being very fierce if I didn't not get there very quickly.  Following the speying of the dominant one at the age of 8 I don't remember them having any more serious fights for the remaining couple of years they were together.  Sorry my story doesn't help really :)  I think it just serves to show that every pairing is different and will not necessarily follow prophesy :)

hi jessy,
I have 2 bitches and I put a baby safety gate on my kitchen door and keep them seperated, failing this she could get a big cage and put them in it alternate so they both get to stretch out.
Goog Luck
Maria

Hi There is a saying "dogs fight for breeding rights bitches for breathing rights" but there again I myself have two bitches.

Thanks everyone.
I think from memory these 2 have always fought a bit but it has now got worse.  I don't know if the collie fights back or not,

Jessy

In my experience, spaying either one of the bitches is likely to make matters worse.

Your ownly safe option is to rehome one of the dogs to a home with no other bitches.

Yeah, some people manage to keep them seperated, but having done this myself id say its not for the fainthearted -- and my two would fight THROUGH the bars of a crate, incurring more injuries in the process.

Anyone trying to seperate these two was in serious danger (unlike minor danger when seperating two fighting dogs), and i still bear the scars today.

Em

It is hard trying to keep two dogs separated, we had two entire males a dobermann and a german shephard, once my mother was putting the washing out the german shephard was in the back garden and the dobermann was in the house she forgot to shut the door behind her and all hell broke loose, in the process of them fighting my mum had her leg bitten quite badly trying to separate the two.  Depending how bad the fighting is they never stop and will always try to find the opportunity to fight with one another.

Warm regards Susan

I had 4 entire bitches with the 2 older ones fighting when seasons were due.  For medical reasons I had to get the older bitch spayed and when the younger one came in she didnt even try and challenge. I then had the second bitch spayed and they now get on like a house on fire.   The 2 younger ones have now taken to fighting when the seasons are due.  The youngest of all being the worst one, always trying to challenge the other one.  She will even try and challenge her mother and grandmother (the 2 that are spayed) but they take no notice of her.  I have problems when I seperate them, getting them back together can cause a fight. I have to try and stay 2 steps ahead of them and constantly watch to see any hint of a forthcoming fight.  The real problems are when they are due or are in season, the rest of the time they are ok. So maybe getting the bitches spayed may help as they wont feel the need to compete.??

The 2 males run for cover when the girls start with each other....lol

Lynn