need help with Sisters fighting. - Dog Forum

Momof3 · 10-10-2008, 08:45 PM

Hi everyone i'm shelly. I'm new here and in need of help. We have 2 puppies Ellie and Sunnie. They are litter mates and are 14 weeks old. My problem that i'm having with them is that they are fighting horribly! They usually get along Ok though Sunnie is mostly the dominate one, she will run from her dog bowl to Ellies bowl and won't let Ellie eat. The last few days they'd started acting like they are trying to kill each other. It's Awful to watch and try to stop! It scares my kids to death. I just don't know What to do about it. We've started training them and they are doing Great I just don't know how to stop this fighting. Thanks

Nancy · 10-10-2008, 09:38 PM

I haven't had puppies in years, and I'm sure there is a lot of info posted on the internet on puppy aggression. I would separate the one who starts it, when it starts. And I wouldn't feed them next to each other. Some people advocate feeding in their crate anyway (each in their own) - that might help. When they're together an adult needs to be present to monitor.

If it is too much for you or unsafe for the kids, you might consider returning one of the pups so you can concentrate on training one. Then bring in another later.

canadianfreespirit · 10-11-2008, 02:16 AM

have you tried any kind of methods of distraction when they fight? I don't know how well this is thought of by professional trainers, but I know some people who have had success just using a spray bottle of water. you spray the dogs face-no harm, but they don't like it. some people also put a bit of gravel in a pop can, and shake it, which distracts the dogs' attention.
something else you might want to try is keeping them leashed while they are eating, and making sure that they are well seperated.
are your sure they are actually fighting? really rough play, involving teeth and loud noise is not unheard of, especially among littermates. I have 2 and they wrestle with each other all the time. they're loud, and they make a big show of it, but neither one has ever hurt the other. they're 5 now, and still do it al the time. and I've been watching puppies around where I live, a rotti, and an akita, and they look like they're trying to kill each other, but they're actually the best of friends. they just like to play extremely rough.
you mentioned that you are training them, perhaps your trainer would have some suggestions for you, based on their knowledge of your situation. I agree that it's serious, and your kids should not have to witness that kind of aggression.
just curious, what breed are they? you didn't say.

10-10-2008, 08:45 PM	#1
Momof3 Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Arkansas Posts: 1	need help with Sisters fighting. Hi everyone i'm shelly. I'm new here and in need of help. We have 2 puppies Ellie and Sunnie. They are litter mates and are 14 weeks old. My problem that i'm having with them is that they are fighting horribly! They usually get along Ok though Sunnie is mostly the dominate one, she will run from her dog bowl to Ellies bowl and won't let Ellie eat. The last few days they'd started acting like they are trying to kill each other. It's Awful to watch and try to stop! It scares my kids to death. I just don't know What to do about it. We've started training them and they are doing Great I just don't know how to stop this fighting. Thanks

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10-10-2008, 09:38 PM	#2
Nancy Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Northern California Posts: 214	I haven't had puppies in years, and I'm sure there is a lot of info posted on the internet on puppy aggression. I would separate the one who starts it, when it starts. And I wouldn't feed them next to each other. Some people advocate feeding in their crate anyway (each in their own) - that might help. When they're together an adult needs to be present to monitor. If it is too much for you or unsafe for the kids, you might consider returning one of the pups so you can concentrate on training one. Then bring in another later.

10-11-2008, 02:16 AM	#3
canadianfreespirit Mom to J, O & M Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Toronto Ontario Posts: 435	have you tried any kind of methods of distraction when they fight? I don't know how well this is thought of by professional trainers, but I know some people who have had success just using a spray bottle of water. you spray the dogs face-no harm, but they don't like it. some people also put a bit of gravel in a pop can, and shake it, which distracts the dogs' attention. something else you might want to try is keeping them leashed while they are eating, and making sure that they are well seperated. are your sure they are actually fighting? really rough play, involving teeth and loud noise is not unheard of, especially among littermates. I have 2 and they wrestle with each other all the time. they're loud, and they make a big show of it, but neither one has ever hurt the other. they're 5 now, and still do it al the time. and I've been watching puppies around where I live, a rotti, and an akita, and they look like they're trying to kill each other, but they're actually the best of friends. they just like to play extremely rough. you mentioned that you are training them, perhaps your trainer would have some suggestions for you, based on their knowledge of your situation. I agree that it's serious, and your kids should not have to witness that kind of aggression. just curious, what breed are they? you didn't say.