# What more can we do???



## Konotashi (Jan 11, 2010)

Aiden and Yoda are still fighting. It's getting much, much worse, though.

Before, I could grab one by the loose skin on their lower back (whoever was closer) and they'd come apart. Then they started LATCHING to each other's faces, and two people have to break them up. My mom put her leg in between them and got bit. She didn't blame them at all - she knows what she did was stupid, but it was a 'heat of the moment' thing. 
The last fight I was here for (I've been staying at my dad's), we had to pry them off of each other, and I had to kick Aiden several times because when we got them separated, Aiden kept trying to get Yoda. I felt HORRIBLE for kicking him, but I didn't want them getting at each other again. 
Tonight was the worst. My mom was home alone and they started fighting and while she was trying to get them apart, one of her fingernails was ripped off completely. She couldn't get them apart until they were too exhausted to fight anymore.

We're crating them now, but they'll start fighting in front of us. We try to stop it before they actually fight, like when their body posture signals that they're going to fight, but sometimes that just doesn't work. I suggested for her to call a behaviorist, but I don't know what he/she could tell us that we haven't already tried. They both have very dominant dispositions (not just to each other, but to every dog they meet), not to mention they're littermates.... Help?

We will rehome one of them if we have to for their own safety, but we want to make sure we wear out our other options before we get to that point, or before they do some serious damage to one another.


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## ChristenHolden (Jan 16, 2010)

Are they Nutered? I would give them seprat times in and out of the kennel and seprat times outside and seprat family times. Keep them seprat at all times. It may be along time befor they can be together other Shepherd experts will have better advice


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## Konotashi (Jan 11, 2010)

Oh! I forgot to mention - they're both French bulldogs, not GSDs. Yes, both are neutered.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

I think you'll have to always keep them separated, or rehome one of them. Once they start fighting I don't know if you'll ever trust (or be able to train) them to get along again. If you're serious about trying to work it out, contact a behaviorist for advice.


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## Konotashi (Jan 11, 2010)

They got in another fight tonight. I tried separating them and got bit in the stomach. I don't know HOW I got bit in the stomach - I don't remember what all I did, but it hurts. I've never been bitten by a dog before....

My mom said that me getting bitten was last straw. Neither of us blame whoever bit me at all, but this isn't fair. Not to us, not to them. It's not fair that we can't pet or play with them without worrying about them fighting, and it's not fair to them to be in the kennel all the time or fighting.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

i think you should get professional help or rehome
one of them. i don't think it's fair to them that you
keep putting them together so they can fight. keep
them seperated so neither one of them can get hurt.



Konotashi said:


> They got in another fight tonight. I tried separating them and got bit in the stomach. I don't know HOW I got bit in the stomach - I don't remember what all I did, but it hurts. I've never been bitten by a dog before....
> 
> My mom said that me getting bitten was last straw. Neither of us blame whoever bit me at all, but this isn't fair. Not to us, not to them. It's not fair that we can't pet or play with them without worrying about them fighting, and it's not fair to them to be in the kennel all the time or fighting.


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

Cassidy's Mom said:


> I think you'll have to always keep them separated, or rehome one of them. Once they start fighting I don't know if you'll ever trust (or be able to train) them to get along again. If you're serious about trying to work it out, contact a behaviorist for advice.


Unless you can start in training to fix this 24/7......... I agree with the above statement.

It's already at a critical stage and well beyond any of the easy early intervention things your parents could have done that would have prevented the fighting to ever begin.

Right now it's not fair to EITHER dog to know they live in an environment that either dog can be randomly an unfairly attacked with the humans as bystanders.........and adding to the attack later by yelling and kicking to join in on the issue.

How would you feel if you were in a home that at any time your brother/sister will just all out start beating the crap out of you for no reason, and your parents are zero help and allowing it to happen...........then egging on the fight by getting into it late and kicking everyone in the middle of it all?


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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

My sister had 2 chi/rat terrier mixes and they lived together peacefully for 4 years and then they started fighting and latching onto each others faces and they fought almost everyday. This went one for 2 years until one of them bit my 1 1/2 year old nephew in the face (because the dogs were fighting) so my sister rehomed the one that bit my nephew to her friend that has no kids and no other pets. 

I would rehome the one that is starting the fight. You do not need to end up getting hurt, or anyone else.


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## Melina (Feb 20, 2010)

I started this thread as I was going to look into Lou Castle's "Crittering" technique:

http://www.germanshepherds.com/foru.../134235-lou-castle-crittering-aggression.html

Maybe send Lou an email. Apparently he's a member on this forum, see what he has to say. It's worth a try, no?


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## Konotashi (Jan 11, 2010)

The only reason I kicked Aiden at all in the first place (it wasn't really a 'kick,' but more of a foot-slap) wasn't to get Aiden off of Yoda, but to KEEP him off. It was after we got them separated and Aiden kept launching himself at Yoda. 

Before, like I said, just grabbing one of them and pulling them got them apart and they'd be fine. Now it just pulls both of them along. When my mom was alone, she tried spraying them with a hose and whistling to no avail. I tried the wheel barrel technique that someone suggested to me when they fought last night. It worked to get Aiden off of Yoda, but then Yoda latched onto Aiden. 

But the decision has been made to rehome one of them. I don't want to live with having to keep them separate their entire lives. That's not fair to us, them, or our three other dogs.


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

> But the decision has been made to rehome one of them. I don't want to live with having to keep them separate their entire lives. That's not fair to us, them, or our three other dogs.


I think it sounds like it progressed so far and gotten so bad you have now made the right decision for both dogs. Good for you.


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## Jessiewessie99 (Mar 6, 2009)

Those darn French! They are fighting over who is better looking!lol.jk

At least both will be loved.


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## elisabeth_00117 (May 17, 2009)

You said you were staying at your Dad's, is it possible that he can rehome one of them so that you may still be a part of it's life? Just throwing suggestions out there.

Sounds like the decision has been made and it was thoughout out. I wish you and your family luck.


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## Konotashi (Jan 11, 2010)

My dad's not a dog person. Actually, he's not much of an animal person, period.... But I asked him. 

I've been watching them like a hawk all day today and I've noticed a pattern, so to speak.

When I pet Yoda, they get in fighting stance (sizing each other up, hackles raised, stiff, leaning forward, etc), or Aiden just plows into Yoda and tries to kill him. But when I pet Aiden, everything's fine. So it APPEARS, to me at least, that Aiden is 'protecting' his rank above Yoda. Mom and I are both the highest ranking members in our pack and it seems like Aiden doesn't like when we don't acknowledge his ranking above Yoda. 

Or do I have it wrong and Aiden thinks that HE'S top dog and thinks that us, as lower ranking members, should be showing him affection and punishes Yoda when we pet him instead of acknowledging Aiden as alpha? 

If it's just that Aiden is protecting his rank above Yoda, but is below us, then we're fine crating one of them while we spend one-on-one time with them. But if that Aiden thinks he's at the top, how do we deal with that?


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