I have a 12month old cocker spaniel bitch who has become extremely aggressive toward my 8 year old jack russell.  This has ended up in a the spaniel locking onto the neck of the older bitch.  Aggression is not always present, and sometimes they will lay together and clean each other. Is there anything I can do?  What might be the cause?

Has your cocker had a season? Just coming into season, and for a few weeks afterwards, is when a bitches hormones confuse them. Added to that your cocker is maturing and will test the waters, just to see who is top bitch. You will have to watch closely and see which is the boss. It may be that neither becomes top dog. I have 4 dogs at home. 1 male and 3 bitches. The youngest bitch is definately bottom of the pack. The other 2 bitches take turns, depending on what is happening. So long as they all know that I'm the boss things run relatively smoothly.

Thanks for your advice Lindylou. My wee girl is due a season in February (along with her mum), this will be her second, this all started again on Christmas day of all days!  She doesn't seem to test the water with her mum, may be she knows her place there. I'm thinking of having her spayed, but I have also been told that letting them have a litter usually settles them down, I wouldn't be planning that until at least August. Any thoughts?

> I have also been told that letting them have a litter usually settles them down

Personally I wouldn't risk it just to 'settle her down', it's just as likely to escalate the problems and isn't really a good reason for having pups which will need good homes which are difficult to find even for well known breeders.  You could then have an even worse problem on your hands ;)

Age and maturity usually settle a bitch down ;)

Thanks for that Dill that's sound advice.

Also are you sure this really is aggression as opposed to OTT rough play?

I certainly agre that breding from her will only raise her status and make these issues worse if she is a very ambitious sort.

As it started on Christmas Day it sounds more likely that the stress of the holidays is a probable cause. Dogs pick up on our stress and can react in very different ways. Added to that you have the hormones kicking in telling her she is basically an unruly teenager ;-) (Think Kevin the teenager and you won't be far wrong :-) ) I woulnd't spay any bitch until she is fully mature, but unless you really want to breed from her to improve on her breeding then I wouldn't do it. It is hard work at any time, but when you have potential bitch aggression added in to the equation you could be asking for trouble. Enjoy her as your pet bitch and spaying her in August would be a good idea.

Has anyone here experienced aggression between mother and daughter? As the OP has stated, the pup doesn't really test her mother (I'm sure the mother has set her stall out a long time ago!), but I plan to keep a bitch pup from my girl's next mating, and know that she will definitely want to stay top bitch. I'm going to be working really hard on the training with her before the litter (around 6 - 7 months' time), so there is no doubt I'm the leader. Is this a good idea?

She had a litter last year, was really chilled out, great with everyone, no issues at all, and is fine with her bitch puppy, 8 months of age (kept by my daughter) who comes around almost daily. The pup is very strong personality and there are less problems than I anticipated.

To the OP I'm sorry you're experiencing this, but I'm interested in the advice of others, as I know that bitch to bitch aggression is a difficult one.

I have mother, daughter and now daughter's bitch pup, they all get along really well.  I've made sure there are 4 years between each and kept the bitch pup who was  willing to back down and not the pushiest pup from the litter.  My oldest bitch is the pushy, ambitious one and I didn't want trouble between two ambitious bitches ;)  I don't think I could live with bitches who were challenging and grumbling at each other ;)

Thanks for that Dill, funnily enough we would have chosen another pup if they had been living with me. My daughter's pup is such a character and you can just see her pushing her mum all the time. So far no problems, except they both try and muscle in when one is playing with my boy...lol!! So funny to see the pair of them wrestling him, sitting on him, etc, poor boy (except he LOVES the attention from the girls!). I think he's the stable force in our house with all the hormones flying about... he's such a lovely boy (even though he had his 'cookies' deleted some time ago...lol).

a recent case here with a neighbour. 

A few months ago she noticed that her flat-coat was losing fur and we all put it down to recent hormone levels since being spayed, but only to find that one of her bitches was jumping on her back and ripping her coat out.  so she was seperated while they werent at home and life went back to normal.  then only 3 weeks ago the same bitch escaped from the kitchen while they were out and subjected her eldest to a violent attack resulting in 6 staples, multiple stitches, the possible loss of her ear and 2 so far painful operations to heal her wounds.  This bitch has constantly fought for dominance and was gradually creaping up the pack.  just goes to show how nature rears it head even in our domesticated environments.  total cost so far is a around £450 and this is set to rise if she has to loose the ear.

The attack was so shocking that the vets offered to put the attacking bitch to sleep if they could not find a centre willing to take her in, and our vet does not take this action as a rule of thumb.

Hope you sort it out.  She may have outgrown your pack.

Think that you will find that when bitches fight it can be to the death (sorry for saying that, but it happens), never so serious when males fight.  

Long time ago a friend with two Jack Russells (mother and daughter), there had never been a cross word between them, owners went out for a couple of hours, on returning home, there was blood everywhere and one dead dog!!

If you have two or more dogs you have a pack and sometimes, unfortunately, they can revert to behaving like dogs.

That exactly the point I made about the situation, I had warned about my friends bitch getting too big for the pack months ago now.   In the wild she would have fought to the death and then took control of the pack, that only the way of nature.  domestication doesnt get rid of this natural behaviour.  I have a terrier in my pack and she is bossing the older one about, I already can see the signs, have to be on my toes.  its like if one of the others is in pup she will try and bully her, so I have to be on my guard then too.  She is of course the most likely to take control when my old girl has gone, she was 12 this year and she is getting weaker.  (nothing against terriers by the way, love the breeds)

Your right two or more means a pack.

> Think that you will find that when bitches fight it can be to the death (sorry for saying that, but it happens), never so serious when males fight.  
>

You know the saying!

Dogs fight to breed.

Bitches fight to breathe.

Many years ago I had a friend with a lovely GSD and little collie cross. When the GSD got to about 12 months the collie became increasingly stroppy with her and the GSD would always back down. As the months rolled on the collie bitch made the GSD's life a misery. My friend (no more) found it amusing that the collie always got her own way, and wouldn't take heed of any warnings. She used to used to skit the GSD for being so soft. One lunch time she arrived home to find the GSD had killed the collie, and then promptly had the GSD put to sleep as she had 'turned'.

From my own experience and owning a breed that is renowned for its good nature, when we bought in a Large Munsterlander bitch puppy all was fine until the Munsterlander began feeling its feet, she would continually eyeball the matriach Flatcoat who was about 7 years of age at the time.   The matriach was dam of three of the other Flatcoats and granddam of another, in total there were 8 Flatcoats and 1 Munsterlander - as I said all was fine, nothing untoward had happened other than the usual play until the Munsterlander reached 18 months of age, then one lovely day as all the dogs and myself were standing in the kitchen the Munsterlander took on the matriach Flatcoat, then all hell broke loose, all the Flatcoats set on the Munsterlander and behaved as a pack, fortunately I was able, because of her colouring, get hold of her from underneath the pile and managed to throw her over the half stable door and immediately peace reigned, she was covered in bites and they had managed to peel the skin off of her in places, rather like a banana, which entailed a quick trip to the vets to have her stitched up.  How I did not get bitten I do not know, but I didn't my hands were covered in bruises but that was all, do not know what happened to have so many bruises.  Fortunately we did not have young children that would not have borne thinking about.  

We could never have the Munsterlander in the same room as the Flatcoats, and used to have them separated - it was like a red rag to a bull, fortunately I had kennels, so we used to swap them over to give them all quality time in the house, this system worked well until the matriach Flatcoat died some 5 years later, and at that stage we were able to integrate the Munsterlander back into the pack with the other Flatcoats, she was of course top bitch, never any more trouble and she lived to be in her 13th year.
Moral of the story, as you all know, is of course only 1 top bitch, all the others must be subservient to her.

yes on the whole fcr are good nature but can they to can have a problem bitch to bitch.seen it   the result.fcr to fcr.

plus some male temperment are not so good,my males i have never a problem with them.touch wood.

i think  at any brerd weather the breed has got a good temperment statues,or not.
a bitch to bitch attack will raise it head when there more than 2 in the pack,over all different issues.season. food.play flighting turning.ect
one other thing that turn the states in fights is under line health problem where one of the other dogs in pain an as a human we dont know there a problem untill it late speacly in our breed with cancer.the silent killer,

Yes Briedog, one has to be careful with the bitches, 1 dominant female is enough, it seems as you say that a number of causes can set them off, something as simple as someone ringing the doorbell.   The males we have never had a problem, and have run 3 males together without any cross words.

still love my male dogs over bitchs any time,but at the moment 5 bitches two males.
started out with males and will turn it round again.from bitches to dogs.

me too, 5 bitches and 2 males, and its always the girls that have words.  have had problems with boys though.  I had one who was as he reached maturity he challenged the older male physically all the time, so we found him a home with a bitch, and he is a happy boy now.  Fortunately apart from a little dominance with my lot all things are okay at the moment but i never take that for granted and every day is a new day!   Love my lot to bits.  Would change it around but my main show breed, the males are highly sexed and to live in a house with this many bitches would drive him insane.  One day when I have more space maybe.

I have a 12month old cocker spaniel bitch who has become extremely aggressive toward my 8 year old jack russell.  This has ended up in a the spaniel locking onto the neck of the older bitch.  Aggression is not always present, and sometimes they will lay together and clean each other. Is there anything I can do?  What might be the cause?

It is very important to work out the real cause for the problem. It may indeed be hormones and yes certainly stress also. More recent research tends to not lean towards anything pack orientated - either relating to other dogs, or owners. The reasoning is that dogs, like many other animals including ourselves, learn by interactions and conditioning as to what they can get away with and how they can behave/interact with others.

I'd tend to suggest it may also be resource guarding, however much more info would be needed to discover if this was correct. Could be relating to yourself as a resource (in which case it would only happen when you were around) or an object/toy or space/food bowl etc, or another person (in which case it would only happen if they were around). See if you can find any particular triggers...

Also, dogs can become aggressive due to a medical problem which we as owners cannot see - so my first bit of advice would be to get a vet check in case. Then medical side of things can be ruled out, and you will know at least that is is behavioural/hormonal... and then if it's not sorted out you may want to consider a professional (someone reputable) :)

Lindsay
x

Hi Lindsay would really like to know more about this

> it may also be resource guarding, however much more info would be needed to discover if this was correct. Could be relating to yourself as a resource (in which case it would only happen when you were around) or an object/toy or space/food bowl etc, or another person (in which case it would only happen if they were around).

It's too late for me and our Cocker bitch [she's got a new home] to resolve, but, if I can learn more about how to deal with this for the future [God forbid I have to deal with this again] but if I do the more info in advance the better.  I do believe Lou was resource guarding and  in her new home she is the only dog leaving us with 2 girls who get on and all dogs happy.

Hi, it's not always easy to see (sometimes needs a professional to work it out!) but if you are interested in the subject, you may want to consider buying the book "Mine" by Jean Donaldson. It goes into why dogs do this and also gives behaviour protocols. Certainly an interesting read although some may find it a bit "behaviouristy" but as far as I'm aware it's the only book out there for companion animal owners on this subject :)

Another good book which may be useful for multi dog households is the small one by Pat McConnell which explains how to create order and calm in a house with several dogs. Gives exercises on how to get dogs to be patient, etc which may help give a kind of broad overview on dogs generally relaxing and being well mannered. I believe it's called "Feeling Outnumbered?"

Hth
Lindsay
x

Thanks Lindsay - I've put these books on my 'must get' list.  I'm always interested in finding more about dogs I think I've already got one of Jean Donaldsons' - can't quite remember which though.  I'm getting/have read quite a collection.  Even going back to the Barbara Woodhouse days LOL.  I also think I've read articles by both on the internet and found them informative - thoughI  like to do a variety of activities/things with my dogs but am not very competetive so things for companion dogs are great for me.