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Fighting dogs
I have a boxer/lab and a golden retriever/lab mix
both of them are great dogs but both of them are males
and are costantly fighting
does anyone know of any good ways to get dogs to stop fighting
i have called around and i have plans on sending the worst of the 2 to obidence school
but until i have his appointmet set for him to go i was wondering what i could do to get them to stop
fighting
any help is appricted
both of them are great dogs but both of them are males
and are costantly fighting
does anyone know of any good ways to get dogs to stop fighting
i have called around and i have plans on sending the worst of the 2 to obidence school
but until i have his appointmet set for him to go i was wondering what i could do to get them to stop
fighting
any help is appricted
Why isn't the Lab mix neutered?
Are we talking about obedience classes or behavior modification training.
Have they always done this or is this a new behavior?
For one, some of this might have actually started when, for whatever reason, you got your Lab mix at only 4weeks. He missed out on a lot of "mom" discipline and pack interaction which plays a factor in development.
He needs to be put in his place and you need to be pack leader.
I would still consult a behaviorist.
Not sure what you mean by your last sentence. The muzzles are to keep them from injuring each other and you.
Do you know what triggers the fights? Are you watching for warning signs, ESP from the Lab? You see a hackle go up, a challenging stare, passing with tail up, laying a head over the other's back, you loudly correct immediately!
Work with the Lab separately with basic commands like Sit, Dowm, Stay, etc and reward. Teach him Leave it, put a treat down and he is not allowed to take it or get a reward until you say OK. You can do the same thing when feeding, put his bowl diwn and make him sit or lie Diwn until you give him a release word. Another good exercise to do is have him look at you. Tell him to Sit/Stay then hold a treat up high so he has to look at you and wait fir you to treat him and praise with Good Boy! This all takes time, patience and consistency. Start with 5-10 min sessions a few times a day.
Hard to type all this here and hard to know what will work best fir a certain dog.
I suggest you do a Google search on NILF (Nothing in life is free) training and you will get more insight into this. I like some of Caesar's methods too but think you need more dog savvy to handle aggression.
I would seriously think about getting the Lab neutered. That may take some of the Macho out of him.
You sure your Boxer isn't challenging him in some way?
Are we talking about obedience classes or behavior modification training.
Have they always done this or is this a new behavior?
For one, some of this might have actually started when, for whatever reason, you got your Lab mix at only 4weeks. He missed out on a lot of "mom" discipline and pack interaction which plays a factor in development.
He needs to be put in his place and you need to be pack leader.
I would still consult a behaviorist.
Not sure what you mean by your last sentence. The muzzles are to keep them from injuring each other and you.
Do you know what triggers the fights? Are you watching for warning signs, ESP from the Lab? You see a hackle go up, a challenging stare, passing with tail up, laying a head over the other's back, you loudly correct immediately!
Work with the Lab separately with basic commands like Sit, Dowm, Stay, etc and reward. Teach him Leave it, put a treat down and he is not allowed to take it or get a reward until you say OK. You can do the same thing when feeding, put his bowl diwn and make him sit or lie Diwn until you give him a release word. Another good exercise to do is have him look at you. Tell him to Sit/Stay then hold a treat up high so he has to look at you and wait fir you to treat him and praise with Good Boy! This all takes time, patience and consistency. Start with 5-10 min sessions a few times a day.
Hard to type all this here and hard to know what will work best fir a certain dog.
I suggest you do a Google search on NILF (Nothing in life is free) training and you will get more insight into this. I like some of Caesar's methods too but think you need more dog savvy to handle aggression.
I would seriously think about getting the Lab neutered. That may take some of the Macho out of him.
You sure your Boxer isn't challenging him in some way?
No i didnt get both dogs at the same time i got my boxer lab when he was 6 weeks old and i had him (the boxer mix) for a year before i got the lab/ goldren retriever I got my lab golden retriever when he was 4 weeks old. so my boxer was 1 when my lab was 4 weeks old so they have grown up around each other. Also my boxer mix is neutered but the lab mix isnt. The reason the vet recommend that the lab/golden retreiver goes to behavoral school is because he is the more aggressive one. the boxer mix listens to my commands and when i yell stop during a fight he stops however my lab mix doesnt he will continue fighting. my boxer mix has never really fought this much but my vet said that he is fighting back so much now because the way my lab mix is with him... I am beginning muzzles now because that is what the vet recommend i do feed them in seperate rooms and i never leave toys out and when they play with toys they play with them in seperate rooms
The dogs are now 3 and 4 years old
and as i said they have been around each other sence the boxer mix was 1 and the lab was 4 weeks old
is there anything i should do with them in muzzles to get the lab back on my commands
The dogs are now 3 and 4 years old
and as i said they have been around each other sence the boxer mix was 1 and the lab was 4 weeks old
is there anything i should do with them in muzzles to get the lab back on my commands
Tiny gave you some good advice.
How old are these dogs? Did you get them at the same time? Are they neutered? How do you feed them?
How much exercise do they get?
I am a firm believer in at least basic obedience training, and for both dogs. However, just obedience training will not solve the problem. You will probably have dogs that heel, sit, stay and still fight.
Which is your dominant dog? What initiates a fight?
You probably need to seek the help of a behaviorist. You can ask your Vet if they know one or check with a local training facility or local All Breed club for recommendations.
You have got to establish yourself as pack leader. Too long to try and explain here so try a Google search.
You can usually tell what is going to cause a fight or when one is going to start by watching the dog's body language. AS SOON as you see ANY indication, step in then and divert it verbally, and mean business.
If it is too bad, then do not leave them together unattended. Do not leave bones, food, toys around when they are not supervised. Worse case scenario, use muzzles
From showing dogs, fostering, helping with rescue dogs of both sexes and various breeds (knock wood) I have never had a dog fight here. I have had some more dominant type dogs here but I established rules, routines and kept an eye out for any challenging behavior and would nip that in the bud.
Some Greyhounds will fight when they get over excited, that is why they are muzzled on the tracks. I did have one large male I was fostering that was challenging my male. They were fed at the same time, my own dog getting his food first and they were fed on either side of the kitchen with me standing in the middle. Went let outside to run, I muzzled the aggressive male. In the house, they were fine but again, I kept an eye on interactions.
Hope this helps some.
How old are these dogs? Did you get them at the same time? Are they neutered? How do you feed them?
How much exercise do they get?
I am a firm believer in at least basic obedience training, and for both dogs. However, just obedience training will not solve the problem. You will probably have dogs that heel, sit, stay and still fight.
Which is your dominant dog? What initiates a fight?
You probably need to seek the help of a behaviorist. You can ask your Vet if they know one or check with a local training facility or local All Breed club for recommendations.
You have got to establish yourself as pack leader. Too long to try and explain here so try a Google search.
You can usually tell what is going to cause a fight or when one is going to start by watching the dog's body language. AS SOON as you see ANY indication, step in then and divert it verbally, and mean business.
If it is too bad, then do not leave them together unattended. Do not leave bones, food, toys around when they are not supervised. Worse case scenario, use muzzles
From showing dogs, fostering, helping with rescue dogs of both sexes and various breeds (knock wood) I have never had a dog fight here. I have had some more dominant type dogs here but I established rules, routines and kept an eye out for any challenging behavior and would nip that in the bud.
Some Greyhounds will fight when they get over excited, that is why they are muzzled on the tracks. I did have one large male I was fostering that was challenging my male. They were fed at the same time, my own dog getting his food first and they were fed on either side of the kitchen with me standing in the middle. Went let outside to run, I muzzled the aggressive male. In the house, they were fine but again, I kept an eye on interactions.
Hope this helps some.
First, much depends on the age of these two dogs and how long they have known each other, what their backgrounds are, and so on. Male dogs will invariably show aggression to each other, in one form or another, until such time as one of them backs down - this is a very natural PACK style behavior. Under ordinary circumstances, where two males are placed together, one will be more submissive, leaving the other to be the pack leader; but when both dogs are equally dominant, it can lead to substantial disruption. The conflict will eventually subside, but it is extremely important to ensure neither dog gets seriously hurt in the process. So, supervision is crucial. If after a few days, neither dog has given way, it may be that these two dogs will be unsuitable as companions in the pack. It is of course equally essential for you, as the human leader, to instill in both dogs your dominance as alpha pack leader, which means both of them should show you respect at all times (this also goes for ANY other human adult or child that enters your home environment). Training for BOTH dogs is important and this will help you reassert your position as leader of the pack. So, BOTH dogs should go to 'obedience school', not just one of them. Tony
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