How can I get my 2 Jack Russell Terriers from fighting each other?

Question

They are both 2 months old, and previously they often play fought with each other. However, when I was feeding them they turned aggressive on each other and one of the pups suffered a cut on the nose. How can I curb or prevent this type of aggressive behavior in the future?

Answer 1

Well possesion over food is not uncommon. Firstly, if they don't have separate dishes, do that first. Secondly, they're having a bit of competition with each other, this is fairly normal as well, especially for such high energy dogs as Jack's. You need to show them they they are both equal and YOU are the boss. The easiest way to do this is to hold them on their backs infront on each other, or two at the same time, and keep them there until they relax. There is a million other ways to do it as well, but that's the easiest and easiest to explain. Its normal growing up stuff, but make sure you curb it so you end up with the dogs you want, not terrors.

Sounds like you're on the right track and fully aware of what's acceptable and what's not. And you're seeking help in dealing with what's not. Good for you, keep on going, responsible dog owner!

Though it is true, that its harder for you to bond with the pups when to are together isn't not impossible, ask any parent with twins! Make sure that you play with them, walk them and spend some time with each one on one. So long as high energy dogs are given the chance to burn out their energy, they're wonderful pets! Keep the two of them, and keep on the right track. Pick up a few books as well for great tips on keeping two together.

Answer 2

It sounds like a dominance issue. This is something that a lot of people with more than one dog go through at one time or another. If they were play fighting a little bit ago, and now are fighting for real it's because they are trying to establish who is dominant and who is submissive. The reason why it keeps going on is because neither one of them will give in (some dogs are happy being submissive, others will never and sometimes need rehoming). They are both competeing over who is "top dog," neither is giving in. This is natural from time to time because of how dogs perceive a social heirarchy. If they are both the same sex, when you get them neutered/spayed, it will cut down the aggression. That won't be for another 3 months or so, so until then, here are some suggestions:
Give each dog their own bowl, on seperate sides of the room. Dogs should be given their own bowls anyways, but they might not be so aggressive if they aren't concerned over getting to eat. If this doesn't help, try separating them when you feed them with a gate or in different rooms.
Try to determine which dog is dominant, now (which one does not give in, which one seems to lose these little spats, which one comes into a room first, which one takes toy, etc.). As harsh as this sounds, you need to inforce this and not treat them entirely the same. Dogs are happier when they know their place in the heirarchy. If they don't know where they stand they will continue fighting and challenging each other. You can assert the dominant dog by feeding them first, greeting them first, giving them first choice for bones and toys, letting them enter a room/leave the room next after you.
Work on obedience training every day 3-5 times a day for 10-15min with each dog. Work on "down" and "stay" especially. "Down" is a command that forces your dog into a submissive position and "stay" is a self control thing. These commands may make one of the dogs a little more easy with being the submissive dog. Also, obedience will assert you as the leader, period, which is what you want. Remember, obedience serves practical purposes too: it helps your dog behave the way you want later on, establises who's boss, and it's a good way to bond.
Always make sure you make your dogs sit or down before you feed them, go out for walks, or play. They need to earn rewards, and it's a good way to practice.
As soon as you can, get them fixed. A lot of behavioral problems come out of dogs not being fixed because they have a lot of changing hormones, etc.

Don't give up yet, speak to a trainer/behaviorist when you can. If it is a dominance issue, it might take a few months to work itself out (until one dog gives in). If in 2-3 months it doesn't seem better you may have to rehome a dog. It's not uncommon that people have 2 dominant dogs and they never get along because they are always in anarchy (which is why it's important for you as the owner to pick the most dominant and assert their position and remain consistant). Good Luck!

Answer 3

It's never wise to get two pups together for this reason alone, terriers in particular are bred to be fiesty as their job was/is to hunt and kill vermin. The difficulty with having 2 pups together is that they keep each other company rather than bonding with you so ultimately you will have very little control over them as they get older. Personally, if they are getting really aggressive now at just two months old I would rehome one to another single dog family and concentrate on just one. When that pup is about 18mths to 2 years old you can see how they have turned out and whether you want to get another dog then.

Answer 4

you have to constantly watch them. If you are gone alot, it will not help them know that they are doing something wrong. I myself was raised with jack russels, and they are hyper dogs. They will always be hyper, and there is nothing that you can do about it. They might not be fighting, either. They might just be playing and it looks to you like they are fighting. But just make sure that you spend every moment that you possibly can with them. Teach them what too rough is. It's going to be hard, but it will be worth it in the end.