Bitches fighting.. any advice?

[Starbucks]

My mum has a BT, a JRT and a Staff x, all bitches.

The two little ones have had fights in the past but have been ok recently until the last couple of weeks. They had one the other day and the JRT bit my mum and then another one on boxing day and the BT cut her face.

They are very naughty. When they started on Saturday my mum was being very dramatic and they took zero notice - I went to get my dad and he came out, shouted in a very stern voice and they stopped strait away!

I don't think the two terriers would do much damage but the worry is the Staff x joins in to stick up for the BT and she really could!

It always happens when they are excited at walk time or whatever. It's the JRT that starts it - she taunts the BT a lot and then BT will occasionally snap and have a go back.

TBH my mum has very little authority over them and they certainly don't see her as the boss - although they do my dad.

Any advice I can pass on?

 

[CorvusCorax]

Tell your mum to step up, as you say, your dad is in charge, then it sounds like the dogs, then your mum.

She needs to cut the drama, she will be unwittingly winding up the situation, any sort of high pitch, exciteable behaviour will not help, everything needs to be firm, low and calm, she must not accept any silliness from them.

When any nonsense starts, before they get into full flow, I would seperate them, starting with the aggressor, the minute hackles go up, snarling etc, just remove her, put her out of the room and shut the door. No fuss, no drama, just 'NO', then up and out.

The gradually reintroduce, again, with as little fuss as possible.

Your mum needs to extend this to every element of her treatment of the dogs - she can't play good cop, bad cop, everything must be firm but fair

 

[Starbucks]

Thank you. Not sure how I'll get that over to her.. but will try!

 

[CorvusCorax]

I know it is hard sometimes, my own mum is awful for winding up our female and it is hard to get her to realise what she thinks is normal human behaviour is very exciteable for a dog.

Bitches are horrible when they fight, that's why the term is used for humans

 

[Starbucks]

Hehe, never thought of it like that!!

When they started the other day my two were there so 5 altogether, little Alfie was the only one not interested in joining in! Funny that!

 

[ChesnutsRoasting]

At the first sign of trouble, I always find a rolled up newspaper does the trick.

 

[Starbucks]

My little dog (rescue) is PETRIFIED of rolled up newspapers!!

He is better behaved than the ones who aren't though!

 

[Parkranger]

you have my sympathies - when we bred Great Danes (I was a kid) I stood on the sidelines horrified as our harli girl tried to tear the throat out of our fawn girl....

 

[dilbert]

My two (rottie and SBT) had a few awful fights but touch wood since they were speyed there have been none (apart from the very rough play fighting)