Always Fighting!!!

Ok the girls are CONSTANTLY (and I mean CONSTANTLY) fighting!!! Anytime they are out of their crates they are running around bite and attacking each other. I know Hannah is just trying to play because she'll give her a little nip run away and grab a toy and wait for Lily to come and play. Lily, on the other hand, is constantly jumping and biting and growling at Hannah. I think Lily is trying to become the dominant dog in this family. Hannah will chill her out if she gets to rough and will bite and won't let go until she yelps but Lily will just keep coming right back. Lily is always showing her teeth while they are playing. If I say "knock it off" Hannah immediately covers her teeth back up and relaxs where Lily's still showing her teeth at Hannah and will jump on her two seconds later. I'm very worried about them. I have tried giving Lily time outs but she doesn't care and the second she is out she is jumping and attacking Hannah agian. She isn't drawing blood but I'm afraid that is what she is attempting to do. Is this just me being paranoid about them playing? I have never really seen these two actually get along without biting and chasing each other unless they are dog tired (excuse the pun). I'm just worried maybe Lily doesn't like Hannah. She always wants to be with her, they have to have their crates by each other and when I let Lily outside she immediately runs and sits by Hannah's so I can let Hannah out for them to play. Hannah goes outside first and gets food and treats and I TRY to give her attention first as well. Any suggestions?

I think it's just her way of playing. Boris and Tips show their teeth and bark and growl a lot when they play too. Just keep watching them, if you start seeing Hannah growl and bark too, you can start worrying, because if she thinks that Lilly is going too far, she will let her know.

That doesn't sound like fighting, you would know if they were really fighting. That sounds like normal dog play to me!!! Sounds like those two really like each other. Usually when you have two dogs around the same age that are close in size they will play like that. It's part of learning boundaries with each other and it's part of having two playful pups LOL!!! I wouldn't worry too much, even with the teeth showing, that is normal too when dogs are playing.

If they are truly fighting or trash talking each other these will probobly be your most recognizable signs




- Growling (usually more of a constant growl with a sucking sound attributed with it and deep in the throat)

- Teeth showing and ears back flat

- Mounting (from behind or proping itself over the other dogs front shoulders while growling )

- Staredowns (this one is obvious)

- Stature (standing straight up stiff and/or with hackles raised)

- Tail positioning (straight up, but this obviously depends on breed)

- Face turning (one will turn its face in front of anothers)

- Pinning (this one can be obvious or subtle depending on the dog)

- Licking (while growling and showing teeth)

Hannah will do a staredown with Lily. Usually Lily will stop staring first but Hannah will keep looking at her and then stalk up to her like a cat and pounce on her and run away. I don't think they pin each other although when one does get knocked over the other one is always there to bite them in the neck. I guess their just playing and I'm being paranoid. Just they sometimes get going so bad that it freaks me out. So far no injuries though, unless you count self inflicted injuries when they run into door frames and walls.

I think it sounds like they are playing. Puppies can play pretty rough.

When Zeus and Jake (the neighbor's akita and Zeus' best doggie-friend) play together, it sounds and looks like doomsday. They're growling, chasing each other and wrestling. Only the fact that one will occassionally jump back into a play-bow shows that they're playing. There's also a major difference in the way they growl. Play-growling is more high-pitched and "growly" sounding. When dogs really growl, the pitch drops and the sound becomes more like a roar.

yup sound like typical pups to me

Sounds fine to me...you should hear/see Aubrey when her and Sawyer are playing. She acts like she's going to kill him and it's actually freaked out a couple people at the park who saw them playing and didnt' realize they're both mine.

You can definitly tell when they stop playing and start getting serious though. The whole feel of the room will change.

Why don't you get someone who really is familiar with dogs to come observe them. They're pups aren't they? Pups play rough.....they pretend fight. Are you sure that's not what they're doing? They growl, show teeth, pounce, stalk and all the rest of the things that they do when they hunt. They need to practice these skills and manuvers for adulthood if they were wild dogs. But as pups, it's play. If it's a real fight, I think you would have seen some injuries by now and not just a little knick either.

Sounds alot like what goes on here too! Farley is extremely vocal when he is playing with alot of grumbly growling, deep barking & teeth showing. In fact he tends to put off other dogs when they first meet him until they realize it is all just play. Farley also plays using his front feet, alot like a boxer. As well as Farley & Chloe get along, just as with kids, they will have an occasional spat - usually Chloe being the one getting mad (and can she ever put Farley in his place! )but all I have to do is say ENOUGH and it's over.

That sounds like a good idea but we don't know anyone who is familar with dogs . My parent's hate them and wouldn't know a dog fight from a lawn mower and my husband's parents had dogs but didn't really pay attention (housed outside a lot of the days). I think they are just playing though I know I was paranoid the way that Hannah and Maverick would play so rough with each other as well.

Hi!

I agree with others that this is play. Dogs play very rough.. When I went to pick up my malinois he came out with wide collar like on grayhounds.. I imidiatly asked Teus if he doesent have better collar.

The collar I am talking about:


He replyed that I will understand when I will see him and malinois female play. They were playing but were very rough with eachother and Blueberry even got some wounds during it not that he noticed. So the collar was there to protect his neck from wounds... some play..

On other hand my tervueren Raider is very gentle dog and he plays very gently.

So for now I wouldn´t worry about it. One way you can check out is to take both of them to some dog training club and ask someone who is experienced there to check them out.. i am sure they will gladly play there.

Bye, Katja

Thank you! I will try and take them to a dog training club to let someone else have a look at them playing. Your dog is beautiful, if you don't mind me saying.

Julie, I would teach Lily "Knock it off" too. Because with a baby on the way, you don't want to take any chances. Whenever Harley and Dakota get too rough, I yell "HEY"! They know that I mean No.

Oh she knows "knock it off!" She will immediately stop but then two seconds later is back to jumping and biting on Hannah. We tried time outs and they don't work she's just more riled up when coming out. I'm hoping with more obedience she will become more better behaved. Right now she is HORRIBLE. She is climbing on the tables, couches, over the baby gate. She is constantly getting the "no, and off" command. I thought she might think of those as her name but she knows her name fairly well.

When first introducing Chester to Ruby I didn't use a baby gate - I went and got a large piece of collapsible lattice fencing. That way they could still sniff through and lick each other, but it was too big for them to jump over, and because of the cross-hatching design they couldn't stick their heads through it, either. Worked like a charm - Chester was terrified of Ruby when they first met but now they're like best friends.

We use time-out on Ruby when she gets too much for him, and say `Too Rough!' before we stop whatever she's doing. She calms down really quickly in time-out - but usually only after the second time...lol. It's like she almost knows what's going to happen now, she just trots into the bathroom (you have to lead her but she doesn't resist) and then sits there patiently till she gets let out - almost like, `Ah here we go again'. She's bizarre but we love her!

How old is Lily?? She does sound a little unruly but it could just be extra-puppiness! Ruby continually gets `no' and `off' as well - she certainly knows the commands but she just likes to push our buttons. The only way she responds is with LOTS of positive reinforcement when she does the right thing, treats, treats, treats - and it finally is working at last!!

When she immediately stops, what do you do then? (in those two seconds before she starts in again)

And when you put her in time-out - how long is it for? We only leave Ruby in there for a maximum of two minutes, otherwise the moment passes and she just gets jumpy from being confined for too long...

The second she stops she gets praised. Usually I will just say "good Lily" and pet her but if I can get a treat out of my pocket in time she'll get a treat. The second I turn my back she's on Hannah again though. I don't know if maybe she's doing that to get the petting attention or what but even when my husband just yells at her and doesn't give her praise after she is still right back to jumping and mauling her two seconds later. I only leave her in a couple minutes if I put her in time out but the second the gate opens she runs to Hannah and leaps on her.