Bummed about my dogs.

History.... got a mix puppy from a rescue shelter. Samantha (Sammi). Cutest ever. Excellent demeanor. Some Akita maybe. She is like a cat at times. Comfortable on her own. Very playful though, so she needed a sister.

Got a Lab/Pit Bull puppy mix from same rescue shelter. Java. Was a little shy, but not scared. Figured my other dog would socialize her well. Well... she is a very scardy cat dog. She is my little "special needs" girl. We worried about her turning agressive when she grew up. So far so good.

Both dogs are about 2. They are BFF. Play excellent together. Niether are food agressive. Both will steal bones from the other. No real clear Alpha. Figured it was Sammy since the other is so timid. Java has about 10 pounds on Sammy and very strong.

So here is the problem....... Go out of town for the week end. Get into town 30 minutes after they get into a fight over a bone they were given earlier in the day. Java snaps and tears into Sammy. MIL said she would not let up. Sammy goes to the ER with some punctures on her chest and a bite on the arm. Doc says could be broke. Not broke but has Java's tooth in her. Stiched her up just to have surgery the next day to remove the tooth. Sammy gets home from ER and her and Java are BFF again like it never happened. Java is all freaked out. Java's broke tooth will have to be taken out. The fight over the bone cost my $2000 so far.

Questions... I realize dogs get in fights, but I'm worried about Java. I can't have her tearing into Sammy. I don't want to get rid of Java, but will if I have to. I really hope this is just a freak thing and not a sign of things to come. I guess I'm just looking for perspective. What are your experiences with this sort of thing? Any input? I love them both to death. Nobody will ever adopt Java so her prospects are not good if she turns fear agressive. Thanks for listening.

 

Oh dear

In my opinoin dogs shouldnt be aggressive to each other if they co-habitat a territory. Exactly the same as dogs that dont atatck cats that share the same territory.
The fact that she has attacked your other dog shows the aggressive pit bull nature inside her resides, and if she has done it once she could very well do it again, she sounds temperamental and unpredictable to me. What if she attacks a person? Worse yet a child?
Personally i would get rid, but good luck with what ever you choose to do. I understand that these decisions are hard when it involves loved pets.
If you do keep her - perhaps giving them a bone each would prevent the situation arising again.

 

They always both get a bone and they have about ten others laying around the yard. They both give as good as they get all day. Sammy messes with Java and takes her bone all the time. I have no idea what was different about this time. Wasn't home.

As far as Java, she does not go around anyone or is snappy. She is too afraid to come close to people. She plays well with any other dogs. We take them to the dog park all the time.

 

I think the aggression was over the bone when the more dominate human was absent. Be sure to remove food and favorite toys from their area when you aren't there. Especially on holiday.

I had a German Shepherd breeder warn me about what happened with your dogs. I thought she was imagining trouble. Your story proves me wrong.

You can give them each a bone, but be sure to remove it when you go away. Not there, cannot fight over it.

You sound as if you are an excellent dog owner and maintain control over them around people and other dogs. The dog park socialization is pure gold wonderful for them.

Sorry for your problem.

Worse case, keep them separated if you have to leave town. I personally think it was all about food fighting.

I know a female rotweiller who aggressively attacked the younger male when his lease got tangled up with her. She was telling him to bug off and he was physically unable to do it. Both dogs lived and shared companionable lives together.

Good luck

 

ok, i think that this nonsense about pitbulls being killer dogs is getting out of hand. a dog raised from birth with no fighting experience is NOT the same as one that is trained and raised to fight. and this BS of getting rid of the problem dog?!!! dogs are not commodities to be used and thrown away. thats the problem with people, one small mistake and people are ready to give up on them. who knows what the fight was about and whether it was even the lab/pits fault. has she even ever shown aggression to people or the other dog before? theyre young, it was a fight that got outta hand, they were not aggressive towards each other after the fight, right? i used to have a pack of 6 german shepherd's and they would tear another dog up if it ever came onto our property, but put a baby with them and they turned into teddy bears, kids would come over pulls their tails, hair...nothing. its just how you raise them. one small fight is nothing. we had plenty. but as long as they respect you, listen to you, and YOU are the ALPHA, i think that they can be taught.

 

I completely agree with lfckenya. To say that a "pit bull" has an agressive nature is a natural born killer is beyond rediculous, and wrong. I too have been warned about this happening with my dogs and luckily, it hasn't yet. Mostly because i avoid it. I currently own two pits and a yellow lab. All rescues. When i leave the house, the male pit and male yellow lab are ALWAYS separated. They are the best of friends but i have seen situations escalate over a bone or favorite toy. Dogs are dogs. From what it sounds like these two dogs generally are fine together, as long as your the leader of the pack and establish your dominance they should fall right into place. To give up and get rid of one of your babies would be sad, especially due to the fact that it has an even less chance of finding a home a second time around. I know that your probably scared it might happen again, but dogs are dogs. i wouldn't let one accident (as tragic and expensive as it was) dictate the dogs entire future, especially because you don't really even know who started the fight or how it happened. I've been guilty of accusing the wrong dog more than once. IMO don't give up on either of your dogs, your all they have. When your around let them romp all they want, but when your gone for the day simply put them in separate rooms. this doesnt mean they would deff rip each others heads off if you didnt, but you never know how something could escalate if you arent there to stop it. besides, my dogs like having some relaxing alone time every once in a while...

read up on some of this behavior and/or pit bulls and their "nature" at
The Most Complete Pit Bull Website for Owners on the Web

and my site

JUDGE DEEDS NOT BREEDS - Home

 

I would say just take the bones away, unless you are there. They see you as the dominant male, so even if your wife is home they still may act up.

 

i was thinking along the lines of fielding. alpha human away, dogs will play. lol. kinda like siblings, always when parents arent around the one or the gives the other a shot or such. parents around they wouldnt do it. also i think the part they are back to normal in regards to their behaviour to one another. i think id let this play out andsee how it goes. hopefully all stays calm and good between them.

 

I certainly hope you are not referring to me when you talk of "people". Every dog I have ever had is family. Period.

We had a Rottie before these and she had some issues as she got older. We loved her to death, (actually best dog I ever had) but we didn't want more "issues". Honestly, I would not have signed up for a timid dog, but it is what it it. I figured her and Sammy are best buds, they have a great home, and she has a better life than living at a rescue. We have tried plenty to help her, but she is how she is. She has not shown signs of fear aggression, but it is a concern of ours. Not aggression because she is part Pit, but fear aggression because she is so timid. She is part Lab too.

Sammy can be a real pain at times. She very well may have caused the fight, but it sounds like Java took it too far. I'm certainly not deciding Java's fate on this one incident, just looking for some context from others. The sugestions I have read so far are exactly what I was looking for.

I never really considered what effect my absence may have on their behavor. It is something I will be considering in the future.

 

I have a 2 year old pit/rottie mix i resured from a shelter when she was 2 months old, i also have a 4 month old bealge. they get along PERFECT! Laela(pit) and ace(bealge) never fight UNLESS there is a bone! laela has never been aggressive ever! nicest pup ive ever met! but you give her a bone and if any animal(even the cats) get near her she FLIPS! so, problem solved, laela no longer gets rawhide bones since then they have been fine!