# What would you do if you had two dogs that did not get along?



## Castlemaid

Have you been in this situation? How did you deal with it? 
Rehome? Rotate? Crate? Training? Other? 


Do you think it was the best thing to do? How did you come to that decision? 
What would you do differently now? What would you do to avoid this issue in the future?

Do you think it is possible for two dogs that don't like each other to co-exist? If you only have one dog, would you consider getting another one if there was a chance that they would not get along? 

No right or wrong answers here - looking for some open and honest discussions, suggestions, and stories.


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## onyx'girl

I would probably re-home the one that would be easiest to re-home. I don't think I would want to crate/rotate for the life of the dogs. 
I have the dogs as companions only(not sport dogs and I am not a breeder)
If I were a breeder or had these dogs for competition it would be no big deal to crate/kennel and rotate. But for family pets, I don't think it would be fair to any one to be crated due to friction between pets.

I have two females that get along ok, but every now and then posturing or attitude shows up. 
One is more submissive luckily and if she decided not to back down, there would be bloodshed.
I know females tend to not forgive when that happens so I dread the day if that ever happened.


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## arycrest

I have this problem with Slider & Mac. They started fighting a few years ago and it took me a while to pinpoint what was triggering the fights ... toys. Slider would take Mac's toy away from him and a fight would start.

I banned them from playing with toys inside the house, so those fights stopped.

Outside they can have all the toys they want BUT I keep them separated. I set up a dog pen (it's about 24x32) and put Slider in it (along with Bruiser for company). This kept peace in the family until ...

I hadn't had a fight in a few years, so late last November I started letting the dogs out together. 

Things went along nicely until about a month ago when Slider took Mac's toy and the fight began. Faith entered it, and Bruiser also got into the ruckus. Bruiser dropped out, but I still had a very nasty, very bloody 3 dog fight. Water didn't work, blood was flowing, and I was scared to death. 

I was wearing a cord jacket, took it off, wrapped it around Slider's head like a blindfold/hood, held onto it, and punched Faith & Mac in the head until they backed off. I walked Slider back to the pen, removed the jacket, washed the blood off everyone and had a nervous breakdown.

Though it seemed like an eternity, I guess the fight lasted about 10 minutes.

They'll remain separated outdoors for the rest of their lives (Mac's 10-1/2, Slider is 8-1/2).

If the problem had continued indoors, I would have kept them separated, alternating them with being with the rest of us or being locked up.


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## Jax08

Sierra and Jax can't be trusted along. We crate Sierra when we aren't here (because she likes to tear things apart) and monitor them when we are here. The main problem is if anyone gets to loud, or gets near DH, she attacks Jax.


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## cshepherd9

Fortunately I have never had to deal with this issue with my dogs at home but on the few instances I have had to take my dogs with me to my parents house (weekends or holidays) it has been an issue. My dog Dallas HATES my mom's dog so we have to do the crate/rotate method. In doing this just for the weekend I know it is an issue that I wouldn't want to deal with for the life of either dog. As Onyx'girl stated my dogs are pets so I want them out with me to enjoy. 
I guess if the situtation ever arose at my house I would consider rehoming but I am praying that I never have to deal with that scenario.


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## krystyne73

I had this problem when I adopted Sasha almost 2 yrs ago. first they all got along but then as the weeks went by Sasha began testing the leadership in the pack. she attacked Meika, she had to have her eye stitched back together ( I was right there when it happened and it was one quick bite).
Meika held a grudge and Wouldn't play much when Sasha was around. Later on Macy was found with A gash on her neck needing 5 stitches. I began crating Sasha when unattended. Put her with 2 trainers over these 2 yrs. We have made great progress.
Macy being oppressed became the oppressor then we had huge fights with her and sasha. I had contemplated rehoming but I couldn't find a family that met my requirements.

I checked medical issues first, found out Macy was is pain, changed their diet.

I also bought a treadmill and run all 3 girls on it weekly. It's been pure bliss lately. Not a fight in months! The training also let me focus on my behavior also the trainer explained even though the dogs had stitches Sasha was not " dog aggressive" but nervous. Now we almost whisper in the house to keep the dogs relaxed. lol life is good now


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## Rerun

Akira is very SSA. She's great with males. She's indifferent to females if I'm there, but walk out of the room and all bets are off. The last attack happened when my SO was home with the dogs, and walked down the hallway to our room. It was almost INSTANT that a fight broke out, and it was a very bad fight. He's a police officer of 15 yrs and 6'3, and very strong, and it was all he could do to get Akira off Audrey. Akira attacks even when Audrey submits. I should also mention here that Akira was trained for leader dogs for the blind and was HIGHLY socialized and well trained. once maturity hit, the SSA kicked in.

She is terrible with Audrey, though originally fine, and began attacking her. I successfully kept them seperated in the house via reliable gates, and crate rotation when we weren't here. Akira can jump them but won't jump them to attack Audrey. Twice in a year and a half she got to her, and both times it was pretty bad - requiring immediate vet care. Once when I made a nearly fatal error of letting Akira out back when I didn't realize Audrey was out there already, and the fight mentioned above.

Tried every training technique and theory in the book. Even tried reintegrating them for months with the use of a wire basket muzzle from leerburg. It wasn't successful. Akira would be very submissive with the muzzle, but clearly uncomfortable around Audrey, and by then Audrey was scared and skittish around Akira. I devoted to a life of keeping them seperate, which was fine, but then my son came along and I began to worry about what would happen if he was in the room and Akira suddenly decided to jump a gate, or if someone goofed and left a gate or door open. It happens to the best of us. Finally, a month ago, my mother convinced me to let her take Audrey at least for awhile to ease things on us. She lives in the same neighborhood, so I still see her almost daily, and mom has other GSD's that are good with Audrey so she still has buddies and someone she knows well. Would I have given her to someone I didn't know? Absolutely not, I love that little girl dearly. But mom has another female, so giving Akira to her wasn't an option. Audrey is easy - she gets along with everyone, is a very mild mannered easy going girl. If mom ever can't keep her, I'll take her back and go back to crate and gate rotation.

I'm not looking for any feedback or options on training from anyone - I'm familar with them all, and sometimes it just flat out isn't going to work. But castlemaid and anyone else who may be having problems despite proper training, that's my story.


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## Rerun

To the question of "would I get another if they might not get along."

No, I won't get another female dog until Akira passes. She is 7 yrs, will be 8 this fall. She is a GREAT dog, just does not like female dogs, so when we add a dog we choose males. I have fostered many females, and I just keep them seperated via crate rotation. It's not an issue short term, but would I want to do it long term again, no - definitely not. It was constant stress in the back of my mind where both girls were in the house, couldn't walk them together, take them for car rides together, etc.


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## krystyne73

krystyne73 said:


> I had this problem when I adopted Sasha almost 2 yrs ago. first they all got along but then as the weeks went by Sasha began testing the leadership in the pack. she attacked Meika, she had to have her eye stitched back together ( I was right there when it happened and it was one quick bite).
> Meika held a grudge and Wouldn't play much when Sasha was around. Later on Macy was found with A gash on her neck needing 5 stitches. I began crating Sasha when unattended. Put her with 2 trainers over these 2 yrs. We have made great progress.
> Macy being oppressed became the oppressor then we had huge fights with her and sasha. I had contemplated rehoming but I couldn't find a family that met my requirements.
> 
> I checked medical issues first, found out Macy was is pain, changed their diet.
> 
> I also bought a treadmill and run all 3 girls on it weekly. It's been pure bliss lately. Not a fight in months! The training also let me focus on my behavior also the trainer explained even though the dogs had stitches Sasha was not " dog aggressive" but nervous. Now we almost whisper in the house to keep the dogs relaxed. lol life is good now


Couldn't edit fast enough on my iphone...I had a lot of grammatical errors. Sorry!

Also, knowing what I know now, I would still get Sasha because I think she needed someone willing to devote all day to her problems. (it's wonderful watching her develop into a well trained dog)
BUT, I will never add another dog again until I have mastered the training in my other dogs first.


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## LaRen616

If I had this problem and I could not safetly keep them seperated/crated then I would keep the one that I am closest to or has been with me longer and rehome the other dog. If that dog had serious issues and I didn't believe that anyone else could handle him/her, then I would probably have him/her pts. It depends on the dog though and the problem.


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## GROVEBEAUTY

We had two females that did not get along and we kept them and did the rotation method. It worked, but it was difficult. If you let them get together they would viciously fight to the point of blood and vet care required. Would I do it again? Yes, we loved both of the dogs and would not rehome them.


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## ken k

I have 2 females that would try to kill each other if they had the chance, I learned it the hard way, almost lost a finger over it, I keep them separated, its hard sometimes, but I would not consider re homing, neither of the 2 females are adoptable, but both live a happy forever life here with me
Lilah the younger larger female challenged Heidi the smaller older female, it got real nasty real fast, little Heidi had Lilah on her back and around the throat in about 30 seconds


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## Cassidy's Mom

Castlemaid said:


> If you only have one dog, would you consider getting another one if there was a chance that they would not get along?


If I had one dog and was pretty sure they would not readily accept another dog into the pack I would not get another dog. If I had two dogs that got along fine until something happened and then they didn't, I guess I'd figure it out then. 

If they got along most of the time and fights were only occurring around a particular set of circumstances that were fairly easily managed, I would probably keep both dogs and manage as necessary. In a case like Rerun's where they were just not going to get along ever and the only option was musical crates, I'd have to consider rehoming one. 

We had only one dog at a time for 19 years. Dena was perfectly happy being an only dog when we got Keefer, but she was great with other dogs at the off leash park, and so well behaved in general that I never had any doubts that she'd be fine with a puppy. With Cassidy I wasn't sure, so we never tried it. Way too much stress and anxiety for us, and I also didn't want stress and anxiety for her either. While I would never get a dog AS a companion for my dog, I do want my dogs to BE companions to each other as well as to us. If they hate each others guts and are miserable, it wouldn't be worth it to me. 

When Dena died, Keefer was used to having another dog around the house, so getting one was a given. I up my chances of everything working well as much as I can by going with the opposite gender of the existing dog, introducing the second dog as a puppy rather than an adult, and keeping them separated if I can't supervise until I'm sure that it's no longer necessary. And when I am supervising I'm monitoring their interactions and directing or redirecting their behavior to diffuse potential conflicts.


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## holland

I have two female that don't get along-actually it is more the younger one goes after the older one and right now I rotate them and walk them together with one on a leash. We have gone to a behaviorist and that was helpful to a point. She then suggested an e-collar and I did not want to do that I have used e-collars for other things but I don't want to use it for this. And I don't want to get into a debate on e-collars . I take the younger one to rally class and she gets along with every dog there-except the am staff She also goes to a very crowded show handling class and does well with all the dogs there. So I don't believe that she is dog aggressive. I have been told its an issue in pack structure and I believe that. I probably have made mistakes-what those were I am not sure or I wouldn't have made them. Someone in my rally class used a muzzle to introduce her dogs so I am going to do that a long with obedience. And if that doesn't work I will continue to rotate. Last summer I did think of re-homing the younger dog-but I can't. I am also thinking of going to the behaviorist at Cornell.


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## JakodaCD OA

I have always had multiple dogs. At one point 4 gsd's..I've never had a problem with them not being able to co exist..sure a tiff now and then, but not something where I had to separate any. 

I honestly do not want to live with dogs that have to be separated, I have 3 now (2 aussies, 1 gsd), and will most likely be getting another gsd at some point, so far no big problems and hopefully do not forsee any.


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## IllinoisNative

I've never had to deal with this. Thank God.

I have a GSD/Rottie mix. I've had him since he was a puppy. During that time, I socialized the heck out of him...took him EVERYWHERE. To the dog park, other people's homes, camping, stores, you name it. I also did rescue work so I took in a bunch of fosters while he was growing up. Mostly males that were pitties, rotties, shepherd mixes. He got along with all of them. His only issue is he isn't great with overly dominant dogs who try to dominate him. He's very middle of the road. He doesn't start fights but he won't back down if there is an issue. 

When he was three, I adopted a chow/lab mix puppy (didn't know it was chow mix until he was six months old...the blue tongue started, the tail curled, he became VERY aloof). The aloofness helped because he wasn't an "in your face" dog. Just a very naturally calm dog.

Their temperaments compliment each other and they ADORE each other. They groom each other, share toys, sleep on top of each other. I can't even tell who is dominant since they seem more like friends. They don't fight over toys/bones. They wait for turns. It's hysterical. I don't know how this even happened. I always separated them with food because I didn't want to create a situation where they had to fight over food. As a result, they respect each other's space during meal time even without being separted now. They are both loose during the day when I'm not home. They are 5 and 8 and they've never had a fight.

I'm very blessed considering they are both males and challenging breeds. 

However, if they were to fight now, I would separate and rotate. If they were younger, I would consider rehoming the latest addition. But given their ages, I would manage the situtation to the best of my ability.


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## Lauri & The Gang

Our current living situation does not lend itself towards having to rotate dogs so everyone HAS to co-exist, and they do ... when we are home.

When we leave certain dogs are separated from the rest.


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## AgileGSD

I kept a very same sex aggressive dog separated from my other girls for about 10 years. The dog who was the problem was one of my favorite dogs ever, so rehoming her was out of the question. This issue actually the reason I will probably not have another GSD in the near future.


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## Stosh

I think I would rehome one- it can't be enjoyable for either of them to live with the stress and tension


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## lhczth

Castlemaid said:


> Have you been in this situation? How did you deal with it?
> Rehome? Rotate? Crate? Training? Other?
> 
> 
> Do you think it was the best thing to do? How did you come to that decision?
> What would you do differently now? What would you do to avoid this issue in the future?
> 
> Do you think it is possible for two dogs that don't like each other to co-exist? If you only have one dog, would you consider getting another one if there was a chance that they would not get along?
> 
> No right or wrong answers here - looking for some open and honest discussions, suggestions, and stories.


Yes. Vala and Alexis HATE each other as do Alexis and Deja. No, I would not rehome. I would do what I do now and rotate the dogs. 

When I realized Alexis and Vala hated each other I thought that it was because I had kept them separated to keep Vala from being bowled over by her bigger sister. I raised Deja differently and allowed her to play with all of the dogs. Didn't matter. She and Alexis also hate each other. I never had this problem until I had related females, but since I am not going to stop keeping girls I will just deal with it as I always have.


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## Dogaroo

Been there, never want to go back. Re-homing wasn't an option. The older (6.5 y.o.) female (Emma) was the aggressor; the younger (Kaija) had already had so many homes in her short life, I really didn't want to do that to her again-- and besides, who would take on a dog with a severely dysplastic hip? (She's almost nine now & doing very well, but we've been very lucky-- and diligent with supplements & exercise.) 

We did the room rotation thing. It was time consuming, making sure each dog received an adequate amount of attention. Being single & childless definitely helped, as I didn't have to divide my time between critters & human family. It was also challenging at times, especially remembering who was behind which door. I got it wrong twice in almost three years; two times too many. The fights were silent & ugly, and I don't know how I would have gotten them separated without Gunnar's help. 

It still amazes me that Kaija is such a forgiving dog.... How many BYB German Shepherds are? She also has the best bite inhibition I've ever seen in a dog: She has never once drawn blood, not even when Emma caused damage that required stitches, not even when she was attacked in class by yet another aggressive female. AND, every time, she attempted to calm & appease her attacker before she was attacked. 

I eventually made the difficult decision to have Emma euthanized. Her aggression, which was once limited to Kaija & a few other females, steadily increased & changed. She started stalking the cats whom she had lived with for nearly nine years, and the third time I caught her with her jaws around a cat's neck, I realized by the look in her eyes that she was NOT playing. Had the cat not had the good sense to stay very still, it would have ended badly for the cat. I also realized that Gunnar, who was eight at the time, was walking on eggshells around her. I thought he had stopped playing because he was getting older; I was wrong. (He returned to his normal exuberant self almost as soon as Emma was gone.) I began to wonder how long it would be before she turned on a small child. She had always been very good with children, but how did I know I could still trust her around them? After all, she used to be good with the cats, too.

The vet suspected either brain tumor or "doggie dementia." The slow progression sort of supported that. In later years I've wondered if vaccines could have contributed. She always seemed a little "off" & moved very stiffly every time she had vaccines, especially the rabies vaccine. She also got the lyme vaccine every year. If only I had known.... If only.... :-(


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## Dogaroo

I had Kaija meet Gunner before we brought him home. I wanted to make sure the two dogs would get along first, as they're both adults & both had previously had tiffs with other dogs. (Gunner's was a "same sex" case as well, and the other dog was the aggressor.) They clicked with each other immediately, and with the exception of one "getting acquainted" scuffle a few days later, they've been absolutely devoted to each other & pretty much inseparable. In this case, having opposite genders seems to be the key to canine harmony.


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## Wolfgeist

A close friend of mine had two feuding males who would constantly vie for dominance with one another. Both males were neutered, and would not tolerate sharing toys with one another or eating together. They would break out into fights at seemingly random times, as well.

The suggestion I made for her was to try and build the bond between them and make them a team/pack, as well as making sure she had leadership with both dogs. She had to adjust several things to have them see her as their leader, but that seemed to have the greatest effect. I also suggested that they exercise them together. Last time I heard they were in flyball together and were getting along much better, having only the occasional fight or tense moment.

I think you have to build a bond between your dogs, and make sure they both have the same leader (so they don't try to boss each other around).


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## IllinoisNative

Wild Wolf said:


> I think you have to build a bond between your dogs, and make sure they both have the same leader (so they don't try to boss each other around).


That's an interesting topic. I consider myself a fairly adequate pack leader. I practice NILIF and I'm really consistent. But how much do you think a dog's temperament vs. having a reliable pack leader plays a role?

My dogs don't seem to care who is the leader at least between them. That's why I say they are "friends." They don't fight over my attention, bones, who goes out first, who sleeps where. They have never tried to dominate each other and they are both males. Now is it that they see me as pack leader so they don't have to? Or is that their temperament is such that neither cares? Or would it be a combination of both? Because I know I've made mistakes along the way in terms of being "the leader."


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## Rerun

IllinoisNative said:


> That's an interesting topic. I consider myself a fairly adequate pack leader. I practice NILIF and I'm really consistent. But how much do you think a dog's temperament vs. having a reliable pack leader plays a role?
> 
> My dogs don't seem to care who is the leader at least between them. That's why I say they are "friends." They don't fight over my attention, bones, who goes out first, who sleeps where. They have never tried to dominate each other and they are both males. Now is it that they see me as pack leader so they don't have to? Or is that their temperament is such that neither cares? Or would it be a combination of both? Because I know I've made mistakes along the way in terms of being "the leader."


The whole pack leader thing has merit, but in this case it is a complete load of crap. Those who have dogs that don't fight think it's because they are a superior pack leader than those who have dogs that do fight. If you talk to most major breeders who have decades of experience, you will learn that GSD's are known for occasional SSA (same sex aggression). The dog will hit maturity, and sometimes even if they are spayed, exhibit a change in behavior towards the same gender. It's very well documented with females in particular.

There is a difference here in what are known as "slobber fights" in which it sounds terrible but nothing happens. And then the real fighting when one or both dogs is actually attempting to KILL the other. Which sometimes happens. You can not walk them together. You can not have them in the same room together. You certainly won't be successful in having them in a flyball or any other team together. The dogs that are doing those things were not truely fighting. Once they fight for real, they will never go back to being able to coexist. If they do, then it wasn't a true fight. Just an argument.


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## Castlemaid

I agree with Rerun here - if the two males really did hate each other, then no way they could have been made to be buddies - what was probably happening is that they were testing the limits as to how far they could take the bullying behaviour. By stepping in and asserting your leadership and setting clear rules for appropriate behaviour, you did much to avoid the situation from escalating and getting out of control, so good going for that! But if they really were the type to fight for real, there is not much one can do but keep them separated.


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## Castlemaid

Interesting how almost all the instances here of dog-on-dog aggression were between females. I know that on the board, we often discourage people from getting another female if they already have one, because of the higher chance of serious fights. 

But each time someone asks about keeping two females together, there is just as many people with multiple females in the household posting how they never had an issue with their females getting along as there are people posting against getting multiple females - so much so, that I was wondering if there was any basis to the "don't get two females" recommendations, or if it was just something that we hear all the time, and thus tend to believe it. 

Seems to me from many of the examples and stories here, that indeed, much higher chance of serious problems between females than males or one of each.


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## lhczth

I had a multiple female household for years and never had an issue until I had related dogs. My catalyst seems to be Alexis (spayed) since I can run Vala (intact), Nike (spayed), and Deja (intact) together. Alexis is fine with her mother. Donovan (male, intact) is fine with everyone. Alexis is fine with other dogs. She just hates her sister and niece.


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## Rerun

Castlemaid said:


> I agree with Rerun here - if the two males really did hate each other, then no way they could have been made to be buddies - what was probably happening is that they were testing the limits as to how far they could take the bullying behaviour. By stepping in and asserting your leadership and setting clear rules for appropriate behaviour, you did much to avoid the situation from escalating and getting out of control, so good going for that! But if they really were the type to fight for real, there is not much one can do but keep them separated.


Yes, exactly. You can have two dogs that are just bickering, establishing rank, and if you step in and take control you can prevent problems from occuring. Or, you can have a dog who is SSA or two dogs are are SSA going at eachother, and step in all you want, but it won't matter.


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## Rerun

Castlemaid said:


> Interesting how almost all the instances here of dog-on-dog aggression were between females. I know that on the board, we often discourage people from getting another female if they already have one, because of the higher chance of serious fights.
> 
> But each time someone asks about keeping two females together, there is just as many people with multiple females in the household posting how they never had an issue with their females getting along as there are people posting against getting multiple females - so much so, that I was wondering if there was any basis to the "don't get two females" recommendations, or if it was just something that we hear all the time, and thus tend to believe it.
> 
> Seems to me from many of the examples and stories here, that indeed, much higher chance of serious problems between females than males or one of each.


I had three females for years - Akira, Audrey, and Payton (mom's dog). Akira began causing problems with Payton, but Payton could be a bit witchy herself sometimes to Akira so I thought it was just the two of them. Audrey and Akira were always fine, and continued to be until about a yr and a half ago. Akira began displaying problems, I stepped in and did a number of things (too much to write and it's all old history now) to keep things under control. It worked, for awhile, under strict supervision. Then one day things just stopped working. Audrey was rushed to the vet for $400 in emergency treatment for a number of horrible wounds. I resolved that I was done, they would never be together. Then some time later, maybe 6 - 9 months later, I made a horrific error and Akira got to Audrey again. Again it was VERY bad and another trip to the vet. Now Audrey lives with Payton and my mom's labrador in a GSD body male and all is well again. Hopefully, Payton does not begin causing problems with Audrey.

My point is that all 3 at one point were fine together. Akira was the one who caused the problems. If it was another female who wasn't SSA, I think all 3 girls would've continued to be fine together.


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## katieliz

my seraphina is an alpha bitch who has zero tolerance for other females, she is a big girl, her nickname is "the tank". when jeni joined the family (rescue), four years ago, it was clear to me that there would be problems, but my dh didn't believe me (btw he rescued jeni and brought her home without telling me he was going to, because i knew we could never have another female). well jeni earned her nickname "jeni from the hood", cause even tho she's much smaller, she's very street-wise, and although she'd never start anything, she pretty much finished it and cleaned sera's clock. not a good situation, sent me to the hospital, almost caused a divorce. also left me with a bit of ptsd.

but i love both sera and jeni, and sera is getting old now, so i built a "dog room" addition on my house and have two completely separate packs, sera and cash...jeni and caesar. there is no way that sera will ever get along with another female, no matter how good a pack leader i am. and i have the feeling that the cashman and the c-monster would go at it pretty good too, so i take no chances. no chances. 

better to be safe than sorry, that's my motto. if i wasn't retired with no kids the entire situation would not be possible. it is unbelievably time consuming.


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## JOSHUA SAMPSON

Castlemaid said:


> Have you been in this situation? How did you deal with it?
> Rehome? Rotate? Crate? Training? Other?
> 
> 
> Do you think it was the best thing to do? How did you come to that decision?
> What would you do differently now? What would you do to avoid this issue in the future?
> 
> Do you think it is possible for two dogs that don't like each other to co-exist? If you only have one dog, would you consider getting another one if there was a chance that they would not get along?
> 
> No right or wrong answers here - looking for some open and honest discussions, suggestions, and stories.


crate and rotate! then let one out while the other is crated and rotate again. They will eventually get used to each other and then you can start to SUPERVISE their time out together. If one of them starts a fight put that one away. Or put both away. they will learn that that behavior is unacceptable and will stop. If you are a strong pack leader they will stop and look to you for guidance.


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## AgileGSD

Rerun said:


> T
> 
> There is a difference here in what are known as "slobber fights" in which it sounds terrible but nothing happens. And then the real fighting when one or both dogs is actually attempting to KILL the other. Which sometimes happens. You can not walk them together. You can not have them in the same room together. You certainly won't be successful in having them in a flyball or any other team together. The dogs that are doing those things were not truely fighting. Once they fight for real, they will never go back to being able to coexist. If they do, then it wasn't a true fight. Just an argument.



ITA! My same sex aggressive female would ignore females that she didn't live with but could spot one she lived with from across the building at agility trials. Her wanting other females she lived with dead had very little to do with me. She was a great dog, easy to train and otherwise very easy to live with. Probably one of the most biddable dogs I have ever known. Her same sex aggression started when she was about 3 and involved the only other female I had at the time, another very close in age GSD. For quite some time, I thought the issue was just between those two dogs. She seemed ok with a female puppy I brought home and was fine with her until she matured. Then it started to become obvious that it would be any mature female. A month or so before she died at 13 years old, she attacked my youngest female dog who recently turned two when they accidentally got together. She did not care if the other dogs were submissive to her or not and she didn't care if they wanted to fight or not. She would not heed any "I give up" signs from them. IMO it was obvious this was a behavior that was strongly wired into her temperament. 

I have known males who were very same sex aggressive too. Although males it seems to extend beyond males they live with - IME many want to fight males outside of the home too. A lot of same sex aggressive females seem like mine, tolerant of strange female dogs but not ones they live with.


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## Samba

Yes, my crated and rotated female would never get used to the other girls. She is the alpha and absolute kennel queen here. I am under no delusion that she would ever tolerate a rival female. 

If I were a pet owner, I would probably try to avoid this situation. It is time consuming and oh so awful when someone slips up with rotation.


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## dogfaeries

I had this issue back when I had Dobermans. 

Tess was 5 when an 18 month old rescue girl came to live with us. They got along great until the younger dog turned 3, then she started picking on Tess. Tess would beat the snot out of her every time, but that didn't stop the younger dog from starting fights. After several vet visits, I said enough, and rehomed the younger dog.

I have 2 young female GSDs now. I was concerned about the potential for SSA when I got the second girl, since I had gone through it with the Dobes. We monitor these two closely, shutting down any bickering that seems to be going south. They get bones only in crates, are crated separately when we leave the house, and are fed in crates (crates are my friend, lol). We don't have any problems with the two of them now, but you just never know...

If SSA ever becomes an issue, we'll just have to deal with it. I already have to separate Italian Greyhounds from GSDs, so it's not like we don't know how to do the rotation thing!


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## Wolfgeist

You misunderstood me, I did not say that her being the "leader" kept them from fighting, but it certainly _helped_. It reduced the need for them to "handle" situations themselves because they know their "leader" controlled most things and took care of many situations.



Castlemaid said:


> I agree with Rerun here - if the two males really did hate each other, then no way they could have been made to be buddies - what was probably happening is that they were testing the limits as to how far they could take the bullying behaviour. By stepping in and asserting your leadership and setting clear rules for appropriate behaviour, you did much to avoid the situation from escalating and getting out of control, so good going for that! But if they really were the type to fight for real, there is not much one can do but keep them separated.


I contacted her yesterday, and she said the boys are doing much better. She said she took my advice about working them together as a team, and corrected confrontational behaviour (she said positive re-enforcement is just not enough for her two big males, said she uses collar pops coupled with the prong collar). She said she tried sled pulling with them side by side and it is working, they are working together and learning to trust one another. Yes, these are GSDs pulling a small sled. Not huskies, but apparently they are doing decently!

She confirms that the situation isn't perfect, but it has improved a lot by implementing these things. They don't fight as much and tend to avoid each other now more than anything. She says about 50% of the time they sleep together. They are also getting older (one is 6 and one is 8) so they are calming down a little.


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## Clark

I will share only the useful information for dogs daily checking :

As we get many posts from new members asking questions about general health problems I thought maybe this general health check they can do themselves might be of help with things to look for that could indicate problems.

1) EYES. These should be clear without any discharge or redness as this could be a sign of infection.

2) EARS. The insides of your dogs ears should be clear with no odour. A Dogs ears should be cleaned regularly to avoid any infection especially dogs with dropped ears such as spaniels.

3) MUZZLE. The nose should be free of discharge.

4) TEETH AND GUMS. Gently lift your dogs lips, the gums should be pink. Teeth should be clean and white with no yellow plaque or tartar and there should not be a bad smell. There are products on the market for keeping teeth clean, but always get your vet to check the teeth if you are concerned,and clean if necessary. Also check for bleeding gums.

5) COAT AND SKIN. The coat should be free from tangles,and shiny looking. There should be no evidence of flaking skin. A good brush will help stimulate the skin.

6) BODY CHECKS. Run your hands through the coat to check for any lumps of wounds. Part the hair to look for signs of fleas or ticks. Check dogs testicles and bitches mammary glands for any unusual swelling.

7) WEIGHT. know the weight of your dog,and monitor it regularly (Your vet will usually do this for you on any visits free of charge) If you can feel the ribcage then you have probably got it right.

8) PAWS. Check the pads for open cuts,splinters or seeds. Nails should be short and healthy looking without any splitting.


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## Konotashi

My mom has a pit bull (4 yrs) and a lab (14 yrs) that don't get along at all. She has metal gates/doors set up in between the living room and dining room and rotate them out. 

Before, we had two Frenchies (she still has one), and they fought a lot. My mom got bit twice and I got bit once pulling apart fights. We rehomed one of them because we were afraid to come home and find one of them dead. He couldn't have found a better home.  Every once in a while, she'll invite her and Aiden over to visit. They get along fine now.


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## King&Skylar

I'm in this situation right now, have been for a few months.
My brothers rotti and the family duck toller have never gotten along, but a few months ago the rotti attacked the toller almost killing her.

Now we rotate- one is in a room while the other gets run of the house, then we switch. basically when either one starts barking to get out.
The toller is old (13 yrs) so we can manage like this until she passes. If they were both younger, we would probably rehome the youngest. The fights are severe and very unfair, the toller is at a huge disadvantage and the only way I got the rotti off last time was by hitting her with a chair multiple times... My mom and I came to the decision.. my brothers and dad wanted them to try to get along again, which we knew would never happen and i wouldn't want to take the chance, i know the rotti can and would kill our toller. The vet wanted us to keep them muzzled so they could be together, but the toller is fragile now and the rotti pins her down (like prey) so she would probably break/fracture her ribs anyway. I would NEVER get 2 females ever again, ever. Just a male and a female, to hopefully minimize the chances of fights as much as possible. 

That said, I love both of these dogs and am happy we have a way to keep both of them safely, and they are both still happy living like this.


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## KZoppa

Zena is more dominant than SSA but she is slightly SSA. Whenever we brought another female in, it was always a younger dog who wasnt fully mature yet or an older dog who had no problems with Zena being alpha of the dogs. 

If we'd had to, we would have rotated. I spent a great deal of time working with Zena on the SSA and when we went back to Colorado in February we had Shasta and Shelby and Riley with us. Riley and Zena have been best friends ever since Zena tried killing Riley a couple times her first few days home and that being broken up and never had problems between them after that. Our trip home recently, no issues whatsoever. Zena was thoroughly happy to play with Shasta who was about 9 months old at the time and she also had no issues with Shelby. Shelby is a hit the deck when the doorbell rings kinda dog. The last time Zena showed SSA was another GSD she was friends with at the dog park. Nikita got a little too tense for Zena's liking and they exploded on each other. They were a little weary of one another for a while after that and kept a close eye on the other but never had another problem. they each drew blood but nothing serious or vet worthy. But Zena was pretty heavily SSA when we adopted her. I managed to get her to the point she either doesnt care anymore or she knows she's still able to stomp another dog if the need came up in her eyes. Luckily she's never in the position for it to be a problem as the only other dogs she lives with at my inlaws are two very stupid hound mix males who dont know their food bowl from the butts. She came a nice long way. She even stopped lunging at other dogs on walks but we would have found a way to crate and rotate if ever needed.


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## e.rigby

I don't think I could rehome a dog just because of a training issue. I consider two dogs not getting along (even to the point of fighting) a training issue. I have a dog aggressive dog, but he hasn't stopped me from bringing dogs into the house. It takes a day of work to get him ok with the dog in the house; after about a week, he's no longer stressed, in a month the new dog is part of the pack. 

It's a lot of work, but understanding dog body language really helps. By changing the way one dog views the other (or vice versa) they can learn to co-exist.


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## k_sep

I have three dogs and two of them don't get along. I recently rescued my GSD puppy when she was approximately seven weeks old (she's 13 weeks now) and my oldest dog really doesn't like her or get along with her. If she gets too close to him or tries to play with him he will angrily snap at her and try to pin her down. Luckily, she's gotten too big and too quick for him since he's a 15 year old Schipperke. The problem is pretty easy to deal with because my Schipperke is pretty solitary. He prefers to stay outside for the most part and is bonded pretty well to my other small dog. My GSD pup Luna, on the other hand, has learned not to bother him and will leave him be now. She also doesn't like being outside so she spends most of her time indoors. It's more an issue of supervising them when they do interact than actively separating them because they do that on their own. I would never think of rehoming my GSD and I've had my Schipperke for 15 years, he's not going anywhere either.


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## Dogaroo

Has anyone been successful in retraining two females who didn't get along & would fight until one of them was dead if they weren't separated? Just curious. I've been in that situation & eventually ended up just keeping the two permanently separated.

"Bitch fights" are a lot different than two males fighting, or even a male & a female.


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## tapatio

I am having that problem right now. Two female, 3 and 7 years old.My two girls can be outside together, and there is not a problem between them.They will lay by each other play together, and get along without any problem. The problem, happens when they are in the house,and I am in the room.All will be fine, and then the younger female will get up and start posturing around the older female,who is sleeping. Had a big fight last night and it took three of us to break it up. When my husband or anyone else is around them they will not do this, but when I enter the picture, it happens.
I am really trying to figure this out, and have them separated while I do.


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## Castlemaid

tapatio, that sounds like resource guarding - this is a leadership issue. Your dogs see you as something THEY own, are guarding you from the other dog - this can have very serious consequences if a full-blown fight happens, so keeping them apart for now is the right thing to do. 

In the meantime, you need to look at how you relate to your dogs that they don't see you as a leader. You will have to change things around a lot to change the dynamics in your house. If you don't do NILIF already, start this very instant! In addition, YOU control EVERYTHING in the house. Toys, food, chews, play, leashes, access to different areas, freedom to come and go. ZERO tolerance for posturing. As soon as one dog starts, the wrath of satan falls down on them and they are crated until further notice, and so on! 

This is fixable, but it all depends on you. Why don't you start a thread in the behaviour and aggression sections? You'll get lots of insight and advice from others who have dealt with issues like this.


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## Samba

I have a bitch who is aggressive to other bitches in the household. She has a zero tolerance attitude. When under obedience she can do okay with them on walks, for instance. But, she has no desire be around them or play with them in daily life.

I have had her for over a decade. She is crated and exercised separately. She gets her free in the house time on her own. I am highly valued by her and she prefers me to other dogs anyway. I have never had a desire to place her else where. She has lots of talents and is a super companion. Can't imagine her anywhere else.

Intersex agression is not uncommon with GSDs is it? 

I have a bitch that gets on with others if they are friendly. She owns very little aggression and is just a silly girl. A very different dog from from the serious, powerful bitch who has aggression in her.


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