Lately I've noticed Roxy and Hades getting into some more "serious" fights lately. I've been very observant with their interactions together and am not quite convinced that he's challenging her "dominance" but am looking for some honest opinions.
(They have not been left alone since their last big fight which left Hades with a gash on his head, (I make it sound a lot worse than it really was, a half inch mark that only produced blood when I pushed on it with a warm cloth. My parents baby sit them if we have to go out.)
Okay so the circumstances revolving around the event, when Hades got his gash are pretty clear that it wasn't dominance. They were stuck together with their harness' on and Hades was in what me and my trainer call "terrier mode". Pupils dialated, high energy just wanting to pull, pull, pull. Roxy doesn't enjoy sledding and was the one that actually instigated the fight which ended after Roxy pinned him down and he stopped protesting within seconds.
Lately, more commonly their fights happen at the park when I have my parents dog Brutus. We play a lot of frisbee, another game that puts him into that mode. He still doesn't instigate the fights, nor does he finish them, but I guess my question is, should I break it up? (Roxy doesn't play frisbee, just Hades)
They always end in the same manner with Hades on his back, and Roxy holding him there. They seem like they go on forever, but in reality they probably last about 10 seconds. Just long enough for Roxy to take him down.
Roxy hasn't suffered any scars/scrapes and the only time Hades did was in the above described time which was probably 2 months or more ago.
Why all of sudden is Roxy doing this?
It's pretty clear that Hades isn't starting the fights, could Roxy just be annoyed with him?
When we play frisbee, often enough he slams into her, or they jostle for position, Roxy usually loses. Is it possible that she's annoyed? He never nips at her, bites her or tries to take her down and submit her.
I guess to be a little more clear, Roxy usually instigates these fights, when either I or my bf have the frisbee. Roxy usually hangs around us, sniffing or waiting her turn to fetch the stick. Hades will return with the frisbee and as we're getting ready to throw it again, he jumps around all excited and that's when Roxy starts the fight.
Should I be correcting Roxy?
Should I be working on Hades, keeping him calm?
So far I've just been letting Roxy start/finish the fights because they haven't caused any serious damage either than the little scab on his head. But lately I've been leaning towards her just being annoyed and I've been contemplating reprimading her verbally...
Any ideas?
(They have not been left alone since their last big fight which left Hades with a gash on his head, (I make it sound a lot worse than it really was, a half inch mark that only produced blood when I pushed on it with a warm cloth. My parents baby sit them if we have to go out.)
Okay so the circumstances revolving around the event, when Hades got his gash are pretty clear that it wasn't dominance. They were stuck together with their harness' on and Hades was in what me and my trainer call "terrier mode". Pupils dialated, high energy just wanting to pull, pull, pull. Roxy doesn't enjoy sledding and was the one that actually instigated the fight which ended after Roxy pinned him down and he stopped protesting within seconds.
Lately, more commonly their fights happen at the park when I have my parents dog Brutus. We play a lot of frisbee, another game that puts him into that mode. He still doesn't instigate the fights, nor does he finish them, but I guess my question is, should I break it up? (Roxy doesn't play frisbee, just Hades)
They always end in the same manner with Hades on his back, and Roxy holding him there. They seem like they go on forever, but in reality they probably last about 10 seconds. Just long enough for Roxy to take him down.
Roxy hasn't suffered any scars/scrapes and the only time Hades did was in the above described time which was probably 2 months or more ago.
Why all of sudden is Roxy doing this?
It's pretty clear that Hades isn't starting the fights, could Roxy just be annoyed with him?
When we play frisbee, often enough he slams into her, or they jostle for position, Roxy usually loses. Is it possible that she's annoyed? He never nips at her, bites her or tries to take her down and submit her.
I guess to be a little more clear, Roxy usually instigates these fights, when either I or my bf have the frisbee. Roxy usually hangs around us, sniffing or waiting her turn to fetch the stick. Hades will return with the frisbee and as we're getting ready to throw it again, he jumps around all excited and that's when Roxy starts the fight.
Should I be correcting Roxy?
Should I be working on Hades, keeping him calm?
So far I've just been letting Roxy start/finish the fights because they haven't caused any serious damage either than the little scab on his head. But lately I've been leaning towards her just being annoyed and I've been contemplating reprimading her verbally...
Any ideas?