Advise on fighting bitches?

[Shellby27]

I have two collie x labs, they are sisters (from the same litter) and are now just over 6 years old. I purchased Holly at around 8 weeks old and she was the sweetest, most intelligent puppy I have ever known. By chance 6 months later I noticed an advert to rehome a collie x lab that looked very similar to Holly (mainly white with black circular patches). When I contacted the owner he sent me photos of her as a puppy and surely enough there she was with Holly in the same house I had purchased her from.

I stupidly thought this must be fate and took Holly along to meet "Frankie"! I had no idea that keeping two sisters is a huge NO NO!!!

Frankie, although her full sister is very different. She acts a lot calmer and older than her years. However, in her old home she was the alpha dog, just like Holly. They were left together for a few hours and they both got on fine, so I decided to take her on.

Six years have past and I have lost count of how many fights/damage etc they have done to each other and my properties!!! Please don't think I am a bad owner, I have tried behaviourists, vets, training etc! I have coped with this simply because I seem to be able to control it (sometimes upto a year at a time with no fights) by seperating the dogs whilst we are not at home. Frankie lives upstairs and Holly downstairs. This has worked fine until Holly decided to tear the carpet off the stairs, loosening the stairgate, therefore getting upstairs and attacking Frankie for no reason whatsoever!

It really doesn't make sense as they dogs behave perfetly whilst walking together, off the lead, in other peoples houses, pubs and doggy hotels, in the car, even at night the sleep together. Just every now and again they kick off and it breaks my heart!

I know you are probably thinking I should have never taken on another dog in the first place, but I wanted Holly to have some doggy company and I do regret that I didn't do any research on keeping litter mates together. But that is the past and I love both my dogs dearly and want the best for them! At least once a year I think the best thing would be to rehome Frankie, but I just can't do it! I'm so scared she will end being passed from pillar to post and she is 6 now. Plus I feel guilty and responsible for putting her in this position because I rehomed her. She is such a loving dog, but she too will not back down in a fight!

They had a bit of a scrap this morning and Holly has only just been let in from the garden. They are both best friends again now! Is there anything else I could try, other than rehoming? They have both been spayed. They are never usually left in the house any longer than 2 hours as my partner and I work shifts.

 

[CorvusCorax]

If you have tried behaviourists, trainers etc, if they are both spayed, then I would just keep doing what you are doing.

The house seems to be the flashpoint, so make sure they have their own space in the house.

I have mentioned my friends who have dominant males who just rotate them when in the house, it works well. My own two males are not together (my older one dislikes the younger one and I am not going to force a young, boisterous, in-your-face dog to be in the company of an older, insecure, dog who does not like rudeness, it stresses him out) Sometimes we have to realise that not all dogs, like people, are going to be bosom buddies.
I see no reason to rehome her as long as you can work out a better system where they each get the amount of attention and exercise and socialisation they need and you are very vigilant when they are together.

You could also look into getting a dog run outside or a crate or two in the house so they can be kept apart securely.

 

[BigRed]

I am sorry you are having these problems, but it is not correct to assume you cannot keep sisters or multiple bitches in a house together. I have kept litter sisters and I have always had bitches and at one time I had 5 of them living happily together.

My sister has two bitches who were acquired at different times, they will fight unless my sister keeps very strict house rules. These dogs cannot have toys or treats, or they fight over them. She cannot leave food down, or they will fight over it. She feeds them at the same time and then any remains have to be lifted up. She can throw balls outside the home environment, but not inside it. Her dogs need LOTS and LOTS of exercise, otherwise they start on each other at the drop of a hat. They are both JR's.

 

[misterjinglejay]

I've kept bitches together, and at the moment have a brother and sister - malamutes, and they scrap evry now and then, ususally when the adrenalin is flowing!!

Distracting them works well - the only thing that seems to. My friend is a behaviorist, and suggested having a tennis ball to bounce and throw around when they get the 'starey, I'm gonna kill you' look. Never let them have the ball, and use a fun, happy voice whilst bouncing it.
I didn't think it would work, as in that situation, they seem intent on attacking, but it does, and has stopped nearly all fights.

 

[Dobiegirl]

Diesel and Darcy are both siblings and had to go together as a condition of rescue. They get on very well together but being very high energy have lots of play fights but just occasionly Darcy will escalate it by nipping Diesel hard. He responds with raised hackles and a wtf bark as if asking her why she did it as he didnt deserve it. Also they can both be looking out the window and barking at someone coming up the drive and she will attack him and him responding as before. It never descends into a fight but Im sure if they were the same sex it would. I can call Darcy at these moments and she will stop then go and start grooming him its very bizaare.

I think as others have suggested no access to toys and feeding in separate rooms, when dolling out treats,bones etc to be carefully supervised, its just a case of removing anything which is likely to cause conflict. I would also if going out leave them in separate rooms with doors closed or use a crate.

 

[CAYLA]

Bitch fighting is hard to solve once it becomes an issue, but I have to say I believe it to be more of a problem in a household with unbalanced leadership, as in if you yourself are not seen to be a stable leader then the problems will be more apparent.
Generally you will see the fights occur during times of excitement in an enclosed space with little else for distraction or upon humans entering the area the dog have most probably been fine together before the human presence.
Would you say there is a clear aggressor/one that starts the fights and when do the fights occur is their a trigger/pattern in the fights?

I have never had problems with bitches fighting and I have an equal amount of dogs and bitches at present 5 bitches, you have to strike a balance and there has to also be control and or a consiquence for this unwanted behaviour to the point that you should beable to stop it in your presence but keep them apart when you cannot supervise. Parting them perminantly never solves the issues (It actually makes it worse) if they ever do come into contact but for some this is an only option.

 

[Shellby27]

Thank you all sooooooooooooooo much for all the fantastic advise! To be honest that is the best and "friendliest" advice I have had in the 6 years of owning them! I have lost count of how many times I have been called a "silly girl, you never keep siblings together!" and that was from a behaviourist!!! So it is nice to know I didn't continue with her as she was obviously talking out of her bottom!

I believe both dogs want to be the top dog. I have always treated Holly (the one I have had from a pup) as the aplha dog, but Frankie doesn't alway approve. However, I believe 50% of fights are started by Holly with the other 50% starting with each other at the same time. They have had all toys banned inside the house, bar one Ragga bone which they both play happily with and don't destroy. Anything else lasts about a minute and gets deconstructed all over the floor!

They are fed together outside on the patio (in all weathers) and I've not had any problems there. Holly has huge jeaously issues. I have other pets outside (shed with rabbits, and enclosure with 2 ducks) and if both dogs are outside while I feed them Holly will start a fight. So I seperate the dogs when I feed the rabbits etc.

I think they could do with more exercise to be honest. They go for one long walk a day and have access to the garden whilst we are there. Maybe increasing the walks would help!