Agressive Dog

[bsr8129]

Hello

New to the forum here, I have a about 2 year old permbroke corgi, got her when she was about 8 months old, we have another dog that is 6 years old not sure of the breed but she is a medium size dog about 30lbs, the corgi has been raised with the other dog her whole life, recently in the past few months they have been fighting, a month ago it was so bad that the corgi had to go to the vet because she got bit through her ear.

While she was recovering the other dag went and stayed at my mom's since the day the corgi came back from the vet they tried to fight again. Now they are both back in the house and they are still fighting. I have noticed lately that it is the corgi that is starting the fights, I have noticed that it is mostly when she feels cornered that she will growl and then attack our other dog. I suspect that it was the corgi that has started all the fights. Since our other dog does not back down they get into a major fight. I have noticed more lately that if our other dog looks at the corgi she will growl at her. Currently we have resorted to them wearing mussels any time one of them growls at the other one.

How can i break the corgi from expressing this over agressivness? this has just started to happen in the last few months, im not sure why she started, nothing has changed interms of housing or any new pets in.

Our other dog is a dominate dog, can this by why now all of a sudden the corgi wants to challenge her?

[Chip's Mom]

Hello and welcome to go corgi. Is both your girls spayed?

[Peggy]

Originally Posted by bsr8129

Hello

New to the forum here, I have a about 2 year old permbroke corgi, got her when she was about 8 months old, we have another dog that is 6 years old not sure of the breed but she is a medium size dog about 30lbs, the corgi has been raised with the other dog her whole life, recently in the past few months they have been fighting, a month ago it was so bad that the corgi had to go to the vet because she got bit through her ear.

While she was recovering the other dag went and stayed at my mom's since the day the corgi came back from the vet they tried to fight again. Now they are both back in the house and they are still fighting. I have noticed lately that it is the corgi that is starting the fights, I have noticed that it is mostly when she feels cornered that she will growl and then attack our other dog. I suspect that it was the corgi that has started all the fights. Since our other dog does not back down they get into a major fight. I have noticed more lately that if our other dog looks at the corgi she will growl at her. Currently we have resorted to them wearing mussels any time one of them growls at the other one.

How can i break the corgi from expressing this over agressivness? this has just started to happen in the last few months, im not sure why she started, nothing has changed interms of housing or any new pets in.

Our other dog is a dominate dog, can this by why now all of a sudden the corgi wants to challenge her?

If the other dog were a true alpha the corgi would not be challenging her. They are most likely both alpha wanna be's.

If they are not spayed, spay them, it might help. If it does not then they are never going to get along and your choices will be to either live with never and I do mean NEVER allowing them to be together or place one of them.

Sorry, but that's been my experience. Female corgis have long memories and sometimes will just not get along with another female.

Peggy

[glencorgi]

The corgi grew up, not a puppy any longer - age wise this is about the rate time frame for these type skirmishes to begin. Are you sure the corgi is the initiator/instigator? Or is the older dog giving her the "@#%**& and die scum" look that you might not be noticing? That could have been the beginning of the fighting and now the corgi is acting in her best defense is a good offense and attacking first now. That she's growling when the older dog looks at her, that would fit.

I agree with Peggy that both the girls are more than likely alpha wannabes fighting for top position. If they aren't spayed, that would help take some of the hormones out of the equation. You can bring in a behaviorist to see if one could help you work on the situation, but it is likely they could never be trusted together without close supervision in the future. But the reality is you may just have to get used to living with them separated at all times.

Debbie

Originally Posted by bsr8129

Hello

New to the forum here, I have a about 2 year old permbroke corgi, got her when she was about 8 months old, we have another dog that is 6 years old not sure of the breed but she is a medium size dog about 30lbs, the corgi has been raised with the other dog her whole life, recently in the past few months they have been fighting, a month ago it was so bad that the corgi had to go to the vet because she got bit through her ear.

While she was recovering the other dag went and stayed at my mom's since the day the corgi came back from the vet they tried to fight again. Now they are both back in the house and they are still fighting. I have noticed lately that it is the corgi that is starting the fights, I have noticed that it is mostly when she feels cornered that she will growl and then attack our other dog. I suspect that it was the corgi that has started all the fights. Since our other dog does not back down they get into a major fight. I have noticed more lately that if our other dog looks at the corgi she will growl at her. Currently we have resorted to them wearing mussels any time one of them growls at the other one.

How can i break the corgi from expressing this over agressivness? this has just started to happen in the last few months, im not sure why she started, nothing has changed interms of housing or any new pets in.

Our other dog is a dominate dog, can this by why now all of a sudden the corgi wants to challenge her?

[suebisaga]

I have some bad news for you girl dogs and people for that matter never forget or forgive. It will always be unfinished business. Boy dogs and most human men fight and then it's over, they go have a beer.
Girls remember even if they pretend to get along it is always in the back of there minds and one girl will "eyeball" the other and bam it's on.
Boys scuffle, girls fight. I can have 10 boy dogs here never a lift lip but bring in a few girls and they not only lift lips but full on fight till they are reminded I am the boss and then things usally settle down. I board/daycare and train dogs so I have my core dogs of 8 and often 2 to 4 outside dogs. I often tell my clients when they ask about multi dogs that neutered boys are usally the best pets. Multi girls can get along but once the "bitch" fighting starts it is almost impossible to end for good. As my fellow trainers often say they call them bitches for a reason.
You may have to crate and rotate or baby gate different parts of the house for each to keep them seperate. Someone will get hurt. You can work on Nothing in life is free and you are the boss. If your the boss there's no need for them to compete for it.

Sue

[Chip's Mom]

I have two corgi boys, one is a year old and one is two years old and for the most part they get along great. Now I have added a little female pup to the mix and she is the sweetest thing but still gets a time out every once in awhile for being bossy and scrapping. The time out works great and usually knocks her down a peg or two. She has improved 100 percent since I brought her home at 8 weeks, however, I can definitely see where two females would not work out very well. Now I have had other breeds of female dogs together and never had a problem. Is this mostly the corgi breed?

[bsr8129]

thanks all for your replies. i made a mistake, we got her when she was 8 weeks old not 8 months.

Yes they are both spayed, the corgi has been for over a year and the other, since she was a pup.

Glencorgi: you are right about the other dog giving her the "look", before this she would give her the "look" and the corgi would roll over on her belly and be submissive, now i think she just isnt taking it any more and trying to dominate. But now she is also just starting the fights with out the "look"

Peggy: the other dog is or was the alpha female, she was in charge of the house and lets my moms dogs when we go over there that she is in charge. They are fine most of the time together, we go to the park and the play and chase each other, we come home and they chase each other and play with thier toys together, its jsut those moments of i dont know what goes on that they get into a fight.

I do admit we baby our dogs and they get the run of the house, get to sleep on the couch and chairs and they even sleep in our bed. I think its time that me and my gf lay down the law on them and we need to be the dominte ones in the house.

Currently to deter them from fighting, if either of them growl at each other or if they give them the "look" we mussel both dogs, i think they get it that they are in trouble when the mussels do on, they look so sad and pitaful, but we leave them on for atleast an hour, hopefully they will learn.

I also wonder if since the corgi is becoming in to her terreible 2's that this can be why also. They are very much like sisters, one day they can be playing with each other, next day they are fighting, then next day playing again. We will be watching them closly and hopefully able to establish our dominates over them.

[fogebotom]

Rather then muzzling the dogs, they need to have timeouts-seperated in different rooms or put in their crates. Make sure you do it to both dogs, regardless of who started it. By the time the fight is going on, they don't really care nor remember who started it, just that they are going to finish it. It's up to you to finish it.

Also I think you are on the right track with the human vs dog issues-it's you who needs to be in charge. You might want to do some research on NILIF or Nothing in Life is Free. Time for some tough love, which in the end should bring you a more harmonious household.

[bsr8129]

we did start to seperate them in different rooms, we kinda had to when it first started, the corgi would not stop trying to attack our other dog, even when we had them seperated, she would try to pull and get away to attack our other dog, they were put in seperate rooms, but it hasnt seem to work.

These are all out fights, not little nips and growls, if we were not there to break them up i would hate to see what would happen. we have to jump on the dogs and pry there mouths off each other, they do not stop by just yelling at them, this is mostly beacuse the corgi will not stop, our other dog will once you pull them apart. or even before it happens if i yell at our other dog she will stop but the corgi wont.

[Peggy]

Originally Posted by bsr8129

Peggy: the other dog is or was the alpha female, she was in charge of the house and lets my moms dogs when we go over there that she is in charge. They are fine most of the time together, we go to the park and the play and chase each other, we come home and they chase each other and play with thier toys together, its jsut those moments of i dont know what goes on that they get into a fight.

Go to the forums page and look for "What Is an Alpha Dog". True alphas are peacemakers. They don't start fights, they get respect from other dogs.

They don't need to let anyone know they are in charge, they just "are".

I do admit we baby our dogs and they get the run of the house, get to sleep on the couch and chairs and they even sleep in our bed. I think its time that me and my gf lay down the law on them and we need to be the dominte ones in the house.

Do you know about the "Nothing In Life Is Free" program?

I also wonder if since the corgi is becoming in to her terreible 2's that this can be why also.

The terrible two's for dogs happen much earlier than age two. Remember dogs age faster than people do.

Peggy