Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Naala and Abby went at it like they were going to kill each other . I have absolutely no idea what triggered this and I'm really freaked out. They're buddies and were playing, even napping together all day just like normal. All three dogs ate dinner and they were all in the living room when the two girls just suddenly lunged at each other. Obviously, something happened that I can't recognize.
I seriously thought they were going to tear each other apart. When I couldn't get them separated, I ran and got a pot of cold water to throw on them because I couldn't think of anything else. They didn't even notice. I finally got between them enough to get one in another room and closed the door with my foot while I dragged the other one away. They were still growling and trying to get each other the whole time. They're both cut and bleeding and Abby is going to need stitches in her arm.
I have them separated now and they're calm, but I'm afraid to let them near each other. I don't want them picking up on my fear, but I am afraid of them fighting again, especially since I don't know what caused it. They play together, they sleep snuggled together. There has been no sign of anything wrong between the two of them, at least nothing that I picked up on.
I would love any advice.
The other thing I'm worried about is that my hand ended up in someone's mouth and got chomped pretty good. The dog did not intend to bite me, I was in the way when she lunged. I'm terrified that if I go to the doctor with a dog bite, they'll take my dogs. I couldn't handle that.
I am not someone who studies dog behavior, but a couple of things come to mind.
It could have been the heat that bothered one of them, or it may have been one of them was suffering some internal disorder such as pain.
Obviously two dogs that get along usually, is much cause for concern when something like this happens.
I would get both of them (not together) to be checked out at the vet A.S.A.P.
As for your arm being bitten,dog bites can be extremely serious,as well as infectious, and I would suggest you get immediate medical care, also A.S.A.P.
Don't worry about your dogs being taken away from you, that isn't going to happen.
Bob.
The previous poster is right...if it's your own dog who bit you, it will not be taken away. At the most, they might quarantine the dog in your home for a set number of days.
Since you saw no triggers nor were aware of anything going on, it's hard to say what it might have been. How old are these two dogs and have you had them since they were puppies? Has either ever shown any resource guarding...food, toys, humans? Do you know if either had any small injury or wound that could cause pain? Like CALGUY posted, maybe a nudge caught one off guard...who knows.
I'm not a behaviorist either, but you will have to be on guard so this won't happen again. Be watchful and see if you can gather any clues. Some will tell you females cannot live together but that's not true. I have three females (9, 8 and 7) and they all get along.
Do have your hand looked at. Good luck and please update and let us know how things are going.
Years ago I had two large males {55 and 85 pounds}. They started to fight when the older female passed away.....up until then they were best buddies.
One vet said I was going to have to choose.....I told him that wasn't going to happen.....I would have their canine teeth smoothed down and capped first.....at least they couldn't hurt each other. The 55 pounder needed stitches at the vets twice.
Then I spoke to another vet.....he said they were now fighting to be the top dog.....a place that had been held by the older female.
He told me to choose who I thought should be top dog.....I chose the 55 pounder since he had seniority. lol
He told me to show him preference.....always feed him first.....give him his treat first.....and I chose him to take the female's place in my bedroom........and it worked.
This obviously isn't your situation.....just an example of how once you figure out WHY they are fighting you can set out to solve the problem......and I don't know how you are going to figure it out.....I wish I did.
BTW......the BEST way I found to break up their fights was to run out the side door around to the front porch and knock on the front door and ring the doorbell.......it worked EVERY TIME! They were more concerned about who could be at the door than they were with continuing their fight! LOL
I often wondered if a neighbor ever saw me do this........I wouldn't have been surprised if the men in little white coats showed up to take me into protective custody.
They are ages 5 (Siberian Husky) and 3 (GSD/Boxer) and have lived together since the younger one was 4 weeks old.
The older one has guarding issues. She's a puppy mill rescue who learned that if you didn't get the food first, you might not eat. We worked with a behaviorist and she's been doing great for a very long time. I never let them eat unsupervised and always make sure I know exactly where any high value items are, but we haven't had a problem. Maybe I missed a treat on the floor, or something.
I'm keeping them separated right now. I tried to reintroduce them a little while ago and they both started growling and their ears went back as soon as they saw each other. I wish they could talk and tell me what's wrong so I could fix it
I'm in the same situation, Annie53. I'll figure something out, because they both have a home with me forever.
One more thing.....a boyfriend of mine was bitten in the face by his dog when she fell into a ravine and he was trying to get her out.....she was scared.
Anyway, we told them at the emergency room that he tripped and fell on a rake that was left in the yard.
The nurse said: "Yea.....it looks like that rake jumped right up and bit you." LOL
He stuck to his story and she just dropped it. We didn't want the dog to have a bite on her record.
Really....they aren't going to call the cops and have you interrogated.....I was going to tell them I tripped and fell into a pile of gardening tools in the garage if I was ever bitten breaking up a fight between my two boys. I did break up a few fights before I thought of the doorbell idea.....I was just lucky I never got bit.
They are ages 5 (Siberian Husky) and 3 (GSD/Boxer) and have lived together since the younger one was 4 weeks old.
The older one has guarding issues. She's a puppy mill rescue who learned that if you didn't get the food first, you might not eat. We worked with a behaviorist and she's been doing great for a very long time. I never let them eat unsupervised and always make sure I know exactly where any high value items are, but we haven't had a problem. Maybe I missed a treat on the floor, or something.
I'm keeping them separated right now. I tried to reintroduce them a little while ago and they both started growling and their ears went back as soon as they saw each other. I wish they could talk and tell me what's wrong so I could fix it
I'm in the same situation, Annie53. I'll figure something out, because they both have a home with me forever.
Again, thanks.
That's great that you have a behaviorist.
Maybe just start feeding the puppy mill rescue in a seperate room. Once the fighting started, that's what I did. The 55 pounder got his dinner first.....I fed one in the bathroom and one in the kitchen.
I am having this problem with one of my cats now........he has sent two of my other cats to the vets with bites in the last three months.......I am working on his attitude. He is getting a 30 minute time out in a carrier in the back bedroom whenever I see him looking for trouble. I keep them seperated whenever I can't supervise......which is mostly when I go to bed or the store since I am retired. If I can't stop his behavior, the next step is meds......and I can always get his fangs capped if I absolutely have to. So far, so good....but it is still early in the process.
One more thing.....a boyfriend of mine was bitten in the face by his dog when she fell into a ravine and he was trying to get her out.....she was scared.
Anyway, we told them at the emergency room that he tripped and fell on a rake that was left in the yard.
The nurse said: "Yea.....it looks like that rake jumped right up and bit you." LOL
He stuck to his story and she just dropped it. We didn't want the dog to have a bite on her record.
Really....they aren't going to call the cops and have you interrogated.....I was going to tell them I tripped and fell into a pile of gardening tools in the garage if I was ever bitten breaking up a fight between my two boys. I did break up a few fights before I thought of the doorbell idea.....I was just lucky I never got bit.
That's funny. I was thinking what story I could tell to explain what happened. I only have a few punctures, but I think it might be broken. I'm not paying ER rates, so I'll go the clinic tomorrow.
That's funny. I was thinking what story I could tell to explain what happened. I only have a few punctures, but I think it might be broken. I'm not paying ER rates, so I'll go the clinic tomorrow.
LOL That's why I was going to say gardening tools......like those claw things you use to dig up the dirt.....could make wounds that look like a bite.....and your could break you hand in a fall too.....just sayin.
Dogs fight for dominance, if you have two dogs of the same gender (or cats, but less often) they will fight for it, unless one is willing to 'step down'.
We had a dog that once would NOT stop challenging for dominance. She lost her ear over it - and it took more than 3 years for her to give up. She would only challenge the other when my parents weren't home. We learned to throw buckets of water on them, to break them up - and once, Mom had to come home from work and dragged the hose in through the window to spray them til they stopped. That was the worst fight, and the last.
A vet may have other suggestions you can try, but one of the best I can give you is that when the person the dogs recognize as 'top dog' in your home is out, keep the dogs seperated.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
. I have absolutely no idea what triggered this and I'm really freaked out. They're buddies and were playing, even napping together all day just like normal. All three dogs ate dinner and they were all in the living room when the two girls just suddenly lunged at each other. Obviously, something happened that I can't recognize.
