Random fight between my dogs?

[TwyfordM]

Still trying to work out what happened, late last night I was in the kitchen, dogs both asleep on their own beds in living room. No food around or toys etc. They generally don’t sleep together as they both like their own space, but they get on absolutely fine. Lucy the greyhound is in change but the pipsqueak is a gobby little thing with small dog syndrome.
All of a sudden all hell let’s loose with no warning, by the time I get in the living room Lucy is on her bed still with a small puncture wound from a bite on her face, given Pip can’t reach her face if she’s even sat up I gather he’s gone for her first while she was lying down and she’s retaliated. She’s caught him on the ear and almost ripped clean through ??‍ Blood everywhere, but he got off lightly considering the size difference between them.

I thought at first before I saw the wound on Lucy that he’s just crept up on her while she was sleeping and made her jump, but given he was the one to bite her first, and it was him growling before Lucy started, I can’t understand what made him do it ? I would hope he’s learnt his lesson but I very much doubt it.

They’ve known each other for 6 years and been living together for around 4 years with no previous issues so it’s a bit bizarre?

 

[P3LH]

Not quite to that scale of injury, but mine (past and present) often have handbags at dawn scenarios. I’ve always figured like people, they just get pissed off with each other at times

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I think you have been unlucky with the injuries but I would keep a close watch on them, rather than leaving them alone, for the foreseeable future. Are either of them crate-trained?

 

[BallyJ]

my two had a bit of a scuffle like this, they used to have the odd grumble and this has completely stopped since the little one got a big telling off by our Lab,

I put it down to siblings getting fed up of each other!

 

[Clodagh]

Ours may do a bit of a rar now and then but I totally squash it, I’m the only person allowed to call a dispute. As yours are such a size that one could kill the other i’d not leave them alone together unless you are there, you might not anyway. Neither are in any pain?

 

[poiuytrewq]

It’s scary isn’t it. When we were having problems with my daughters dog we had several random and very noisy real fights.
Ears do bleed a lot.

 

[Marnie]

I have had the odd fight between Bunny and my old two - very quick and more noise than anything with nobody getting hurt and usually over something like a chew. I don't leave them alone and no chews are allowed unless Bunny is in her run and she is in her run at night and during the day if I am not there. Fingers crossed there hasn't been one for a while but I am still very alert to the possibility.

 

[TwyfordM]

Ours may do a bit of a rar now and then but I totally squash it, I’m the only person allowed to call a dispute. As yours are such a size that one could kill the other i’d not leave them alone together unless you are there, you might not anyway. Neither are in any pain?

Pip is generally a bit of a badly put together backyard breeder nightmare, hip dysplasia in both, although he had ops on them. He gets bladder stones but that’s under control with diet and he does have seizures from time to time, so can’t rule out pain but he still runs and jumps around like a maniac and he usually sulks when he’s poorly/uncomfortable. Wasn’t a seizure as I wasn’t out the room long enough and you can tell for a while before and after they come on.

Lucy’s more of a scream the place down at the slightest bit of pain type girl ??‍ So very much doubt it.

They normally curl up on the sofa (one at each end) when we go out, so they like to keep close just not on top of each other.

 

[Sandstone1]

Still trying to work out what happened, late last night I was in the kitchen, dogs both asleep on their own beds in living room. No food around or toys etc. They generally don’t sleep together as they both like their own space, but they get on absolutely fine. Lucy the greyhound is in change but the pipsqueak is a gobby little thing with small dog syndrome.
All of a sudden all hell let’s loose with no warning, by the time I get in the living room Lucy is on her bed still with a small puncture wound from a bite on her face, given Pip can’t reach her face if she’s even sat up I gather he’s gone for her first while she was lying down and she’s retaliated. She’s caught him on the ear and almost ripped clean through ??‍ Blood everywhere, but he got off lightly considering the size difference between them.

I thought at first before I saw the wound on Lucy that he’s just crept up on her while she was sleeping and made her jump, but given he was the one to bite her first, and it was him growling before Lucy started, I can’t understand what made him do it ? I would hope he’s learnt his lesson but I very much doubt it.

They’ve known each other for 6 years and been living together for around 4 years with no previous issues so it’s a bit bizarre?

There will be a reason. Maybe one not feeling great or in pain.

 

[CorvusCorax]

Yep I'd rule out pain or discomfort if it is indeed completely out of the blue and I would not leave them unsupervised.

If, for example, one got a tweak while dismounting the sofa, they may have made an erroneous link and lashed out at the other, or if one screamed in pain the other may have snapped as something was 'wrong'.

 

[PurBee]

When i had 2 dogs, one was lead dog and the other submissive. They got on great 99% of the time, yet scuffles would occur when lead dog *thought* under dog was going to get/obtain something she thought was hers or she wasn’t getting.

for instance, they’d both be in their beds snoozing, under dog might want to get out of bed for a stretch or go lay by the door, yet top dog would wrongly assume underdog was going to lick out her empty food bowl, or go and get her stick lying at the opposite end of the room, or come to me for a fuss - so she would reprimand him quite viciously, normally he complied, but when he didnt, their faces slathering teeth at each, growling viciously, yet never ever making contact, was really quite something. He usually retaliated to her only when he was simply going to the water bowl and not going near ‘her stuff’.

Even if underdog was getting up to come and get a fuss from me, she would block him suddenly and sometimes do a quick snap at him. In the early days i had to do a lot of work with top dog to re-assure her yet also reprimand overtly aggressive territorial behaviour of me, or her empty bowl etc. It helped switch her aggressive defensive controlling behaviour to her getting up and wagging her tail, while still blocking under dog but in a ‘friendly’ way. Eventually she just chilled out and accepted the other animals get attention too.

If the underdog didnt accept underdog position the fights probably would have been real with blood drawn. They were great pals /companions 99% of the time, sleep together etc.

 

[misst]

I had something similar earlier this year with daughters dog and my youngest dog. They were besties for a couple of years and stayed at each others houses and stayed together in kennels if we were all away at the same time. We still don't know exactly what happened but I had to prise daughters dog off my dogs throat. Daughters dog is nice but can be dominant. All 3 dogs the same size all spayed/neutered etc. My dog was terrified for a while. My oldest dog (male) ignored everything.

We took lots of really good advice from here. No high value toys, no treats no food sharing. No getting onto laps or sofas and territory made clear to aggressor dog. I was convinced it would never go back to the old ways but after lots of supervision and careful monitoring and not allowing anyone to get the upper hand they are fine. Daughters dog stayed for 2 weeks last month and they shared a bed (by choice there were 3 beds and only 2 dogs to use them as my other dog uses the floor by choice). They ate nicely together, played together and were back to being besties. We think my daughters dog was feeling off colour or hurt herself that day as she was a bit out of sorts for a few days after. We will never know for sure but I would monitor closely and not leave unsupervised and watch for any dominance attempts by either dog.

I hope peace reigns again soon

 

[TwyfordM]

They’ve been fine since, hopefully a one off ??

Pipsqueak is back to trying to kiss her off the sofa (he’s too short to reach otherwise?)