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Okay, as a lot of you already know, my husband and I own three American Pit Bull Terriers. APBTs are very, very, very dog aggressive unless they are very well socialized starting at a young age and even then you have to be careful when their around other dogs because they get mad more easily than some other breeds. Well, we got Brooklyn, our only male, when he was about 8 weeks old and we made sure to train and socialize him as well as absolutely possible! When Brooklyn got a little older and was calmed down a bit, we decided to get a second dog and we got Destiny. Destiny was about 8 weeks old when we got her as well and we did the same thing with her as we did with Brooklyn. We made sure that she was as well trained and socialized as absolutely possible! Then about 2 months ago we took in a third APBT, Jayda. The people that lived a few houses down from us got her because they thought they would look cool or tough if they had a "pit bull" I guess, but once they saw how much work owning a dog is and on top of that, a terrier, they just ended up treating her like crap! They abused her, neglected her, chained her up on the back porch then moved away and left her! So we were originally just going to take her in and find her a good home, but we feel in love with her and just had to keep her! Ever since day one pretty much, they have all gotten along wonderfully! We have never had a problem until now.
Just last night, Brooklyn and Jayda got in a little scuffle. It wasn't really a fight, but they definitely weren't happy with each other! Jayda is about 9 months old and no one ever house broke her, taught her to walk on a leash, nothing! No one trained her at all! Her owners hardly ever fed her and she never got any kind of attention, so we had to start from square one with her and completely train her! She is also very timid because of being abused, so we have to be quite and calm around her as much as we can. So Jayda has gotten a lot better, she is house broken, she walks on a leash better than Brooklyn and Destiny do, she knows her name, she can sit and stay, all of the basic stuff, but there are still some things that we are working on with her. She freaks out when it comes to food because she was hardly ever fed before she came to live with us and she tends to play pretty rough with other dogs.
When it's time for them to eat, I take all three of their bowls and their food in the kitchen and I make them all sit and stay outside of the kitchen. That way no one gets too close to the food before the others and starts a fight. So, last night I was fixing their food and I heard Brooklyn growl quietly, so I looked to see what he was growling about and Jayda was standing up instead of sitting like she was told and Brooklyn was staring her down, just waiting for he to get close to the food. So, I told Brooklyn to stop and I made Jayda sit and everything seemed fine. I finished fixing their food and Jayda stood up again, so Brooklyn growled again! So, again, I made her sit and told him to stop. Now, when I walk out of the kitchen to start handing out food they all get really excited and start jumping around, so I always walk over to where they eat and then make them sit and stay while I put the food down and then I will tell them okay and they eat. Brooklyn has always been a little weired when dogs get near his food so we feed Jayda and Destiny on the same side of the room as each other, but they have something in between them and then we feed Brooklyn on the other side of the room and we have never had any problems! I go over to the girls, make them sit and stay and then I give them their food and then right away I call Brooklyn over and do the same with him. I really give the girls their food before Brooklyn, but they all start eating at the same time. If we set Brooklyn's food down first, the girls go crazy and want to eat his food, they both act like they have never eaten before, so to avoid fights we make sure they are focused on their food so that I can feed Brooklyn with no problems. So, yesterday when I was about to give them their food, they did what they always do and started to jump around all excited like they have never had food before. So, I started to walk out of the kitchen and next thing I knew, Destiny ran and jumped on the sofa (to get away from the other two), Brooklyn had Jayda cornered and he was growling and going crazy and Jayda was going right back at him! They weren't fighting like "pit bulls" normally do though, they were just being really, really, really loud and snapping at each other back and forth! So, I ran over and grabbed Brooklyn with one hand and Jayda with the other so that I could get in the middle until my husband could come get Jayda (this all happened in a matter of maybe 3 seconds). We put them each in their own crate for a few minutes so they could calm down and then when we took them out and fed them, we fed them all in separate rooms with the doors closed! After they were done eating everything was okay, we all sat on the sofa to watch some tv before bed and all of the dogs just went to sleep. Then when I went to let them out to go potty before bed, Brooklyn started to growl at Jayda again, so I just rushed them outside, let them go potty and put them straight in their crates!
I was soooo worried about having to be home with them by myself today because if they did get in a fight it would not be fun to break it up by myself, but they have all been playing together today and sleeping on the sofa together and I haven't had one problem! I am sure that Brooklyn was acting like that because of the food, but we cannot have that! Thank God they weren't really fighting because Brooklyn could have easily just latched onto Jada's neck and then I don't know how we would have gotten him off! I'm just going to start feeding all three of them in separate rooms from now on because we cannot have them fighting over food! Anyway, I wanted to see if anyone has had to deal with stuff like this before and I wanted to ask if you thought that feeding them in separate rooms would help? They have never done that before, so if it's just because of the food, I'm sure feeding them in separate rooms is the answer, but now I'm worried that they will just fight all of the time! Right now, they are all asleep on the floor next to me, Jayda has her head on Brooklyn and Brooklyn doesn't care. Like I said, they have been acting completely normal all day, but I'm still worried! Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Oh.. if I'm doing something wrong, please let me know! I have owned many dogs before, but I have only had one dog at a time. My husband has owned many dogs before as well and before he met me he owned 2 APBTs and a lab all at the same time, but he never had any problems like this. I have done sooooo much research on this breed, but I'm definitely not an expert on APBTs or dogs in general, so any help would be wonderful!
I have always had more than one dog at a time. They are so much like human siblings! They will argue and they will occasionally really get into it. It's how you respond that matters the most. Make sure they all know that this behaviour is NOT o.k. Really fuss at them. Every time. They'll soon understand why they are getting into trouble.
This may not entirely stop all squabbles but it will certainly relieve some of the potential severity of one. If they know that mamma's going to be mad then they will restrain themselves more.
oh yea.... I forgot... When Tucker and Elvis get into it, I grab a can of air and spray in their faces. It startles them enough that I can safely grab a collar to separate them.
oh no it sounds like you had a bad night with your 3. I have 2 myself but they've only fought over food once and that was when jazzy (my youngest) was added to our pack. I don't even need my whole hand to count the number of fights they've had over treats but they have had fights and I quickly take them away and that's the end of THAT!
I understand why you need to feed brooklyn last (because the girls get all excited) but is he alpha dog? While yes you and your husband are alpha above all the dogs, there is an order between the dogs themselves so who in the dog line would be alpha? if it's brooklyn my suggestion would be to figure out a way to feed him first because he's next in line from you and your husband he feeds next in line. it also sounds like destiny is next in line from brooklyn because before jayda came along it was okay with brooklyn for you to feed the two of them at the same time (yes?). Jayda is low on the pack order to brooklyn, he didn't like the idea she was NOT listening to you (by standing up) and he just got "tired" of her disobeying the orders so the bickering started. To me it sounds like Brooklyn was making it clear to Jayda you obey the orders that's probably why it wasn't a "true" fight more of a warning fight. 2 months is not a long time.
I've never been owned by APBTs but I am owned by an akita/malamute and a malamute/shepard.
Good luck with tonights dinner. stay calm and remember you are in charge.
I have always had more than one dog at a time. They are so much like human siblings! They will argue and they will occasionally really get into it. It's how you respond that matters the most. Make sure they all know that this behaviour is NOT o.k. Really fuss at them. Every time. They'll soon understand why they are getting into trouble.
This may not entirely stop all squabbles but it will certainly relieve some of the potential severity of one. If they know that mamma's going to be mad then they will restrain themselves more.
Good luck to you!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Triplewillow
oh yea.... I forgot... When Tucker and Elvis get into it, I grab a can of air and spray in their faces. It startles them enough that I can safely grab a collar to separate them.
Thanks so much for the posts! We use something to startle them and get their attention too, but we use a can that has some coins in it! They HATE that can! All I have to do is say "Do you want me to get the can?!" and they stop whatever they are doing and look at me like, please don't! lol! I know that they aren't going to get along all day everyday, but that really scared me! It almost looked like the beginning of a "pit bull" fight! Well, I guess it was the beginning of a "pit bull" fight! I just know that APBTs (and other breeds that were bred to fight animals) can be really, really hard to separate if they really want to hurt the other dog and I don't ever want to have to deal with that! Last night was enough! I was the first one to get to them and I wasn't really thinking, so I just got in the middle of them! I got a little scratched up when I was pulling them apart. I grabbed Brooklyn first because he is the biggest and when I grabbed Brooklyn, Jayda jumped at Brooklyn to bit him or snap at him and I got in front of Brooklyn, so she smashed into my leg with her teeth! I thought she accidentally bit me, but when it was all over and I looked at my leg there was no marks or anything, so it's not a big deal. I just wouldn't want to break up a full blown fight! They won't bite me though and I think that jumping in the middle of it, though dumb, was a good idea! As soon as I got a hold of Brooklyn, he stopped and when Jayda hit my leg I yelled because it hurt and she crouched down on the ground with her tail in between her legs and started licking me! I don't know, I guess all I really can do is feed them in separate rooms to try to avoid a fight and then like you said, just make sure they know that's not okay.
oh no it sounds like you had a bad night with your 3. I have 2 myself but they've only fought over food once and that was when jazzy (my youngest) was added to our pack. I don't even need my whole hand to count the number of fights they've had over treats but they have had fights and I quickly take them away and that's the end of THAT!
I understand why you need to feed brooklyn last (because the girls get all excited) but is he alpha dog? While yes you and your husband are alpha above all the dogs, there is an order between the dogs themselves so who in the dog line would be alpha? if it's brooklyn my suggestion would be to figure out a way to feed him first because he's next in line from you and your husband he feeds next in line. it also sounds like destiny is next in line from brooklyn because before jayda came along it was okay with brooklyn for you to feed the two of them at the same time (yes?). Jayda is low on the pack order to brooklyn, he didn't like the idea she was NOT listening to you (by standing up) and he just got "tired" of her disobeying the orders so the bickering started. To me it sounds like Brooklyn was making it clear to Jayda you obey the orders that's probably why it wasn't a "true" fight more of a warning fight. 2 months is not a long time.
I've never been owned by APBTs but I am owned by an akita/malamute and a malamute/shepard.
Good luck with tonights dinner. stay calm and remember you are in charge.
That's something that we thought about. We have never had any problems with the way we feed them, but I always feel bad feeding them the way we do, because I don't want Brooklyn to think Jayda just came in here and is taking over! Really the only way to feed Brooklyn first is if we put them in different rooms. I'm definitely going to start feeding Brooklyn, then Destiny and then Jayda and if they don't like it, oh well! lol! They will just have to eat in different rooms and deal with it because I'm not going to put up with the fighting! Brooklyn has always been like my little helper! I always thought it was so cute, but last night it wasn't cute! He has always kept Desy in line and now he does the same with Jayda. Anyway, thanks so much for the post!
Well, the Six Rottweiler Woman weighs in.....I have a female that came to us extremely underweight, every bone showing, and she doesn't do food guarding or get aggressive, she just swallows everything whole! She's through long before anyone else and sort of paces around....one word and she drops her head and goes and gets her bowl and carries it into the other room like she expects it to refill on it's own.
All of mine are fed in the same room - the kitchen - except for the blind boy. I feed him in the laundry room because he wouldn't know if anyone was headed for his bowl. Because he can't see, he's probably the worst guarder I've got. The mutt gets fed right off the kitchen in an extra mudroom because he's a little guy and very submissive - if someone even looked like they wanted his food he'd just slink off (good move, Clancey...!)
The other four are fed within 5 feet of each other - I have a senior that is 15 1/2 years old that could be easily overpowered but no one messes with The Queen. They are all fed in the same order, in the same spot. When I start filling the bowls, they start gravitating toward their appointed place on the planet to get food.
Sounds like there's a definite pecking order and someone isn't playing right - have you thought about just feeding them in their respective crates? Might make things easier - and PBM, what I am going to say is not popular but it helped us regain sanity in our household when our dog that was pulled from the fighting pit came along and wanted to kick everyone's butt for no reason whatsoever....get a 42" cattle prod. There is NO WAY one human can break up a large dog fight. Theoretically it should never happen - yes, you should be the pack leader, blah, blah, blah - but there are pack "rules" we can't possibly know, and we don't know who is muttering under their breath at the other one. When the fighter came to us, we had some serious wars...he was quite the pistol britches...and my husband was VERY worried about me and 550 lbs. of Rottweilers if a fight should break out. A breeder with multiples told me to get the prod. And we have had it three years and had to use it ONE time - ONE, about a month after we got it. I popped one of them and they got a decent shock, yelped, turned around to start in again, and got zapped again......and that was the end of that. Apparently the one acting a fool told the others it just wasn't worth it. I don't mean put it on there and hold it - just a quick touch, and only if it's a fight that has gone out of your control.
There's too much power there to put yourself in the middle. As sissified as my dogs are, I am aware that there is a LOT of muscle and teeth and that when something happens to completely get one sideways, they may or may not hear what I have to say.
Like I said, we don't have to use it - but we make sure it is charged and it hangs in the pantry. I would not hesitate to use it again if the situation warranted.
Brooklyn is squaring off to show his butt. You can always put him on the NILIF plan and have him latched to you all the time on a short lead and correct him immediately if he gets tooty with the girls, but right now I would be very cautious. You can't in any way let him think he could get the upper hand or he will surely try....one thing you might do that I found handy when the dogs were younger was to keep a various assortment of pie tins everywhere.....the second someone looked froggy at the other one, or if there was a quick bark or growl, I'd slam that metal pie pan down on the closest surface - it got some attention QUICK! I find a loud noise will usually stop everything long enough for me to regain control of a bunch of grumblers, but I keep The Stick handy. I'm not going to let myself or any of my dogs get to th point of injury because I thought that was "mean".
People who have beagles really can't understand this one, although I wouldn't want to be in the middle of a beagle fight. Any dog can inflict serious injury, but by virtue of the fact of the sheer size of our dogs and the fact that we have multiples, I think we have to be ever vigilant about staying in control. When I walk mine, the stick goes with us just in case another dog is out wandering and decides to act a fool. It doesn't permanently injure a dog, but it certainly gets their attention very quickly. After that first time, now all I have to do is walk toward the pantry muttering about The Stick and everyone certainly gets a new attitude in a heartbeat.
Again, not popular, but maybe necessary. It also gives you that extra measure of confidence - I don't know why, but having something bigger than me to use in case everything went south makes me more confident in my own ability to talk them down off the ledge before we have a problem.
Okay, bring it on.......that's probably too much information!
Sounds like Brooklyn is just asserting his alpha status.
Quote:
Originally Posted by PitBullMommie1206
That's something that we thought about. We have never had any problems with the way we feed them, but I always feel bad feeding them the way we do, because I don't want Brooklyn to think Jayda just came in here and is taking over! Really the only way to feed Brooklyn first is if we put them in different rooms. I'm definitely going to start feeding Brooklyn, then Destiny and then Jayda and if they don't like it, oh well! lol! They will just have to eat in different rooms and deal with it because I'm not going to put up with the fighting! Brooklyn has always been like my little helper! I always thought it was so cute, but last night it wasn't cute! He has always kept Desy in line and now he does the same with Jayda. Anyway, thanks so much for the post!
We had two dogs before our older male passed, but we have also been doing a lot of research as we anticipate bringing at least one more dog into our family.
I think that what you really have going on her is exactly what Surfingatwork said, a pecking order issue. Dogs are continually trying to either maintain their status in the pack, and when possible elevate that status.
If Brooklyn is sensing that either Destiny or Jada are not respecting his position in the pack, he is going to set them straight. In the wild, the alpha always eats first and other pack members only get to eat if the alpha allows it. I think that Sam I Am's suggestion of feeding them in their crates might be a good idea. That way Brooklyn doesn't have to establish his alpha status at each meal and it will further establish your role as the pack leader since you will decided when each pack member gets to eat.
In any case, it probably looked far more aggressive than it really was but you certainly don't want it to escalate.
Good luck. Your a good mommy and you will work through this. I am sure of it.
Sounds like you put hte foot down and showed whos boss. Seperate feedings might be a good idea, but as was mentioned earlier, theyre like siblings and can just act like that from time to time.
I so agree with the Alpha order. We had four dogs at one time, a cockapoo (big one and the only male, he was Alpha). Then we had a Boston, cocker, and a lab/golden mix. After the Alpha passed the Boston took on the Alpha role and was she ever a demon when she got an attitude. It did not matter one bit that the other dogs out weighed her, she went for the throat. The bad part was that my lab/golden would side with her and get in to the fight. I had a few bad times because I did not realize that they had Alpha order, once I spoke to a trainer we straightened out the fighting.
Good luck.
Sandy
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Well, we got Brooklyn, our only male, when he was about 8 weeks old and we made sure to train and socialize him as well as absolutely possible! When Brooklyn got a little older and was calmed down a bit, we decided to get a second dog and we got Destiny. Destiny was about 8 weeks old when we got her as well and we did the same thing with her as we did with Brooklyn. We made sure that she was as well trained and socialized as absolutely possible! Then about 2 months ago we took in a third APBT, Jayda. The people that lived a few houses down from us got her because they thought they would look cool or tough if they had a "pit bull" I guess, but once they saw how much work owning a dog is and on top of that, a terrier, they just ended up treating her like crap! They abused her, neglected her, chained her up on the back porch then moved away and left her! 
So we were originally just going to take her in and find her a good home, but we feel in love with her and just had to keep her! 
Jayda is about 9 months old and no one ever house broke her, taught her to walk on a leash, nothing! No one trained her at all! Her owners hardly ever fed her and she never got any kind of attention, so we had to start from square one with her and completely train her! She is also very timid because of being abused, so we have to be quite and calm around her as much as we can. So Jayda has gotten a lot better, she is house broken, she walks on a leash better than Brooklyn and Destiny do, she knows her name, she can sit and stay, all of the basic stuff, but there are still some things that we are working on with her. She freaks out when it comes to food because she was hardly ever fed before she came to live with us and she tends to play pretty rough with other dogs. 
They weren't fighting like "pit bulls" normally do though, they were just being really, really, really loud and snapping at each other back and forth! 
So, I ran over and grabbed Brooklyn with one hand and Jayda with the other so that I could get in the middle until my husband could come get Jayda (this all happened in a matter of maybe 3 seconds). We put them each in their own crate for a few minutes so they could calm down and then when we took them out and fed them, we fed them all in separate rooms with the doors closed! After they were done eating everything was okay, we all sat on the sofa to watch some tv before bed and all of the dogs just went to sleep. Then when I went to let them out to go potty before bed, Brooklyn started to growl at Jayda again, so I just rushed them outside, let them go potty and put them straight in their crates! 
We use something to startle them and get their attention too, but we use a can that has some coins in it! 
They HATE that can! All I have to do is say "Do you want me to get the can?!" and they stop whatever they are doing and look at me like, please don't! lol! 
Sounds like Brooklyn is just asserting his alpha status.
