My 2 yr Dobie & 5 yr old Rottie, both female, both rescue dogs have recently started fighting viciously.?

Question

The Dobie, who had been abused and left tied up outside, no food/water has started snapping at me again. How can I get them to stop while I still have at least one unpunctured body part left 7 before they've crashed into & broken all the furniture?

Answer 1

Dogs that fight most are spayed females. I don't know why. I would crate train them both and keep them seperated as much as possible, socializing them (on leashes & with SOFT muzzles) every day a little bit. Both breeds can be very sweet (esp. Rotties, they are actually a herding dog). Dobies can be very intense as they are guard dogs. Really and truly I would read Cesar Milan's book or contact an animal professional. Two female dogs are very hard to keep togethor at first. Make sure they know that YOU are The Boss and don't approve of fighting.

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR RESCUE DOGGIES!!! :D

Remember, choke chains are a good thing as long as there are no spikes!

Answer 2

Oh my goodness. I feel so sorry for you. I can just imagine these fights since I have had to break up two male Dobermans fighting many a times. Thank God that part of my life is over. I have told many people a Dobie is not a dog to be tied up outside, that they need to be socialized and your situation is the perfect example as to why they shouldn't be.I do want to bless you for saving their lives!!!!! I do think these dogs will have to be separated. Sometimes a Doberman does not get along with the same sex. Is there another family member or friend that may be willing to adopt this dog from you? She may be a dog that has to be the only dog in a home. It makes me sick to know that someone has made this dog feel as it does. How long have you had her before she started snapping at you? When and why does she snap at you? I wish there was some way I could really help you. Good luck to you and the Dobie!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 3

They are probably fighting for dominance, since the Dobie is now old enough to think she should run stuff. Females are notorious for not getting along and if the Dobie is snapping at YOU that's a problem. They are pretty high-strung anyway and if she was abused/neglected she probably has issues. Not having had both breeds at one time, I can't really help ya, except that you may want to separate them when you are not home. Also, you may want to talk to a vet or trainer (or grab a book at the library) to figure out a game plan for socializing them better. Otherwise, your only options may be to (1) let them fight it out until one is the clear alpha or (2) get rid of one of them. Good luck!

Answer 4

First you need to separate the dogs and work with each of them singly. Work on trust issues first. Have you be the one bringing food, giving treats, etc. Always talk in a calm confident voice.
Also- you sound like you might be slightly afraid of them. Even the littlest bit can make a dog turn on you, especially one that has been abused. They are scared because you are scared and want to take advantage of the situation. If you need to, put a muzzle on them for a week or so until you feel more comfortable.
A friends rottweiler, for instance, is a lovable dog who will flop over to get pet all the time. When she meets a new person, she will growl to see their reaction (its a game for her). If they jump and run, she will snap at them. If they tell her to knock it off- she walks over tail wagging trying to get pet.
Dogs are very smart and can easily tell emotions. If you are even a little aprehensive, most will take advantage of the situation.

Answer 5

Have you taught basic commands such as "sit". First of all, do not even give your dogs food unless they "work" for it. At feeding time when you have filled the bowl, hold the bowl over the dog's head/nose, out of reach, and no matter how much they jump and beg, do not set the bowl down. The dog will eventually sit down, looking at you. Then say "sit" and put the bowl down. Do this every feeding time and before long your dog will sit on command, food or no food.

There is a website called canismajor.com that has exercises you can do to establish dominance with your dog, sound like you really need it.

Answer 6

oooooo... you poor thing, that's the worst fight, and dogs to have fight with you. What you may need to do is buy a soft muzzle for them, and try to go out and re-socialized the dobe, and rottie together and maybe they wont be sippy, and maybe if you wanted to really help them, go to a behavioral specialist.

and spend some time with them individually. Maybe the doberman thinks you like the rottie more, and he snipping at you. Dobermans are extremely smart animals, and like children though, they mistake things. They have the mental capacity of a 7 year old. And can get very jealous. My dobermans get very jealous too. you just have to sit with them on th couch with some treats, and spend a whole episode or 2 of t.v togther, and its just to them a long time, but short for bc your not paying attention. Sit on the couch, grab a could peices of cheese, and sit the dobie more importanly bc thats the one snipping at you, and pet him, and Sctrach his ears. but dont do anyhting to scare him, or get him angry. Just relax =]
I hope i helped and save my e-mail and e-mail em for ANYTHING!

Answer 7

Go to your vet and ask them to recommend a dog behaviorist to retrain them. Meanwhile, it may be a good idea to keep them separated when they are unsupervised and make sure they are fed in different areas and keep their beds far apart.

Answer 8

temperament is genetic,, chances are highly likely that these dogs were from poorly bred dogs, with ill temperaments and it was passed on to them,, will take tons and tons of patience and expert training on your part to deal with this,,,,, this is why choosing from a reputable breeder is so very important for you and the dog.

Answer 9

See below link 4 all your queries

http://www.freewebs.com/bringing-pet/

Answer 10

if they havent been spade get them done