My dogs got in a fight

[PhantomIRL]

I need some advice as two of my dogs got in a fight last night and it was really ugly.

Background: I have three dogs. I have a 10 year old staffie, a three year old boxer and a two year old GSD. O and a cat!

DH has had our staffie for 10 years now, she has been 'our' dog for 5.5 years. She is my baby girl and best dog you could ever ask for.

Two years ago my DH surprised me with a GSD. I had always wanted one and when we moved into our new house he got me one. We were not prepared for this dog and it has been a tough ride with him, but he is the absolute love of my life.

Three years ago my SIL got a boxer dog. She loved him as a puppy but when he got older she tied him in her back garden and pretty much abandoned him except for feeding him once a day. I had a serious issue with this and ultimately fell out with her. I also reported her BUT no one even showed up to check it out. At the beginning of this year I simply took him from her garden.

Last month we talked and she acknowledged that he was better off with me. I agreed to keep him if she got him neutered and vaccinated. She did and he is now my dog.

He is the most mannerly dog and very loving. He absolutely thrives on attention. He has a few issues like when I take him out for walks he gets so excited that he gets diarrhea but thats getting much better. Also he jumps up on me etc. and has clean knocked me over - still working on that. He was also spraying in the house BUT we have got that under control now TG. He is also learning fast not to jump, how to sit, stay etc. He is doing really well and seems to love his new home.

Considering my SIL lives next door to me, he has NEVER tried to go back home. When I take him out for his walks he doesn't even look in her gate.

Forward to last night: Dh has been working with him to teach him how to play. Last night he got him to fetch for the first time. Our GSD lives for this game.

However they both got to the ball at the same time last night. They absolutely torn into each other. I have no idea who bit first. DH had to tear them apart and there was blood everywhere. I head the comotion and rushed outside. Both DH and I are pretty shook up over it.

Rocky's (boxer) leg was pumping blood as Marley (GSD) had sunk his teeth into it. Also Marley has a huge gash millimetres under his eye. We had to put Markey in his crate and bandage Rocky's leg. It took a while to stem the blood flow and he is limping and sore. Marley seems ok but I am still shaking thinking how close to his eye the bite was. They both broke skin.

What do we do now? If it happens again Rocky may have to go. I'm devestated at that thought as he is really coming along and starting to thrive. He really is a beautiful dog and he has had such a horrible start to life. It would kill me to have to re-home him.

Up to this point they both seem to adore each other and play together easily. There is a bit of jealousy about attention as Marley will get in between me and Rocky if he can. I do make them both sit and stay while I pet one BUT Marley being a GSD is very vocal about it and cries the whole time I pet Rocky.

I will call my dog trainer today and ask her opinion. But I would appreciate any suggestions you have.

DH is taking them to the vet to be checked out this morning.

[justaname]

I would try finding a behavoirist in your area rather than a trainer and keep them separated until then.a bahavoirist will watch how the dogs interact and make suggestions. I am surprised that the two males did so much damage. Usually it is females who really hurt each other, males usually just make a lot of noise and its over. Sorry this happened to you. Good luck!

[katietornado]

Dude, I think you're waaaaaay overreacting here. The ball is exciting and it's a high value object. Of course they will scuffle over it. We've had much worse happen here, with dogs that otherwise get along. It's not the dogs...it's the object.

Don't play fetch with one dog while the others are in the yard. Don't let one dog chew on a tasty bone while the others are able to approach. These sorts of things are common sense.

My Kelpie thinks tennis balls are the be all, end all. We rarely play fetch with him in the yard when our other dogs are out there (we have a greyhound, and we foster greyhounds) because of the exact situation you've described. It's not a big deal at all, and it has worked out fine for us.

Is it out of the question to only fetch when one dog is out in the yard?

[PhantomIRL]

May 31, 2012 8:28:56 GMT -5 katietornado said:

Is it out of the question to only fetch when one dog is out in the yard?

No not at all. I guess DH was thinking Rocky would learn from Marley. No one played with Rocky for 2.5 years and he was not getting it at all until recently. We have a huge yard, over an acre, so we usually throw the ball and all three chase. In hindsight that is probably wrong.

I really hope you are right and I am over reacting. I guess I just feared that this was the start of something bad!!!

There was a lot of blood and I shudder to think how close the bite mark was to Marleys eye.

I'm sure when I get over the shock I'll see sense

[kellbell191]

I agree with everything that has been said...behaviorist, NILF, monitoring high value objects. It is not unusual at all for dogs to resource guard things they love. You just need to be careful about allowing them to have toys, treats, food and really separate them. It's a scary lesson but now you can take steps to pro actively limit any opportunity for this to happen again.

[sake]

May 31, 2012 8:28:56 GMT -5 katietornado said:

Dude, I think you're waaaaaay overreacting here. The ball is exciting and it's a high value object. Of course they will scuffle over it. We've had much worse happen here, with dogs that otherwise get along. It's not the dogs...it's the object.

Don't play fetch with one dog while the others are in the yard. Don't let one dog chew on a tasty bone while the others are able to approach. These sorts of things are common sense.

My Kelpie thinks tennis balls are the be all, end all. We rarely play fetch with him in the yard when our other dogs are out there (we have a greyhound, and we foster greyhounds) because of the exact situation you've described. It's not a big deal at all, and it has worked out fine for us.

Is it out of the question to only fetch when one dog is out in the yard?

This exactly. My Kelpie/GSD mix is the exact same as Katie's. He ADORES playing with other dogs, but if there is a toy, especially a BALL he will fight with anyone else who wants to take his toy. He believes that it is HIS and HIS ALONE.
He and Cosmo get along well, because she will play with toys he doesn't like as much, and they have lived together since his puppy hood, so they have a pack order going on. Your dogs have not been living /playing together for as long, and therefor are not as accepting of each other in this situation.
Anyway, Toys are a big deal to some dogs, so I agree completely that if balls are a trigger with the dogs while playing fetch together, then that game needs to be played with only one dog at a time, or play with different objects. For example, we will throw a ball for doby, but a squeaky toy for cosmo, and they will both retrieve their own object and can play with us at the same time.