My dogs keep fighting!

[Jame0223]

I have a total of 6 small dogs. 3 males (a pekingese, rat terrier/chihuahua, and a pekingese/toy fox terrier), and 3 females( 2 Toy fox terriers and a **** zhu).

Well the larger toy fox terrier and the pekingese have always been more dominant (oldest female and middle male that bred with the other fox). They always seem to "mark" their territories on the grass after the other dogs just urinated there. No problem. We used to keep all the dogs gated in the kitchen with a doggy door leading to a pretty big backyard. Just saturday we moved the gate further out and now they have access to our living room with our couch. Every once in a while my pekingese will get into it with the rat terrier/chihuahua. We have to pull them apart! But its really not that often, maybe once every couple of months.

But yesterday it seemed that the ratchi was on the couch all day and if we were sitting on it and the pekingese approached for attention, he would start growling at my peke. My pekingese doesn't stand for him to growl at him or around us, especially if I am around because the peke is my personal dog and is protective of me. They would attack each other and we would have to try and pull them apart constantly! They must have fought over 10 times yesterday! They never do any damage to each other either but yesterday they did! We have to take them to the vet. There is something wrong with my peke's eye. Its red like it got scratched with a bunch of broken blood vessels in his sclera(the white part) and its swollen this morning. The other dog somehow broke his bottom teeth! I don't know how but the two teeth next to the canine on the left side on his bottom jaw are loose and they bleed easily. Everytime they would fit he would be bleeding from his mouth!  It seems like the ratchi is starting all the fights, just because he feels the need to growl, although he gets his butt kicked everytime.

My dog (the peke) is not neutured and he's the only one out of all 6 that isn't fixed, which I will be getting done very soon. Any thoughts as to why they might be fighting? Is it just the new territory of the couch? I feel like the ratchi is trying to take over being the dominant male..and I feel like he is going to fail and get hurt because my peke is all muscle and hes just bigger! This is getting ridiculous...my mother got bit last night when she was trying to pull them apart and I have been bitten before. None were intentional, just from having our hands in the wrong spot at the wrong time. What can we do?! I don't want to have to put one down or get rid of one, I love my dogs and they haven't gone this far before...any advice is appreciated. Sorry so long!

[mercyone]

Fighting is scary and territorial - I have lots of dogs and keep the ones that fight apart - they fight over who is top dog - couches and beds are prime target - it can start with a look and is made worse when the owner appears (you) and sometimes stops when the owner goes away.........two females I can't keep together - but I can control apart but they still growl at each other even when I do the "Bad dog no" command.......I like the air horn idea - and it sounds like fun too!

[chihuahuagrandma]

Wow,,,,you had some hard core fights at the house...yep,,,it not a good thing...get the boy neutered definetly....but, that will only cure a small portion...cause you still got the pack and they've got to find thier position in the pack....but,,,,,YOU....need to be the pack leader....you can control this situation....but, you lead the pack...and they need to know that...
Loud noise at any sign of aggression to stop tension....then seperate...turn the aggresore around let the other smell the butt, and crate for time out, and let out...time out does not need to be more than apprx 5 mins....clap hands, shake a bean can, slam a hand on table, grab the aggresor turn but around for sniff to other...then everybody get seperated for 5 mins,,,back again....but, you lead....don't spank em' it makes the aggression worse....take the two biggest fighters on walks to start getting them on the way of the pack...you lead...they #2 #3....reward after walks w/snack....

[Jame0223]

Well we talked to our vet when the ratchi went to get checked out...his jaw may be broken. They told us we may need professional training..and I need to get my dog neutured. We have a kennel for when were not around so that one will be put away and we have to trade off which one goes in. I like the can idea..I think I will try that one.

[chihuahuagrandma]

Okay, try this ...get soda pop can empty rinse out and fill w/ apprx 15 or so hard beans, like beans out of a bag you cook, tape the end of drinking hole w/heavy duty tape, masking tape, duc tape, and everytime you start to see symptoms,, shake the can right and em, see if it stops enough for someone to bend and get one of the fighters out...
But, you said,,you had to hold one up high, and still fighting...get blanket and snatch dog and go to another room entirely....grabb quick w/blanket...
I also, heard about the pack thing....before fight,,just when their getting started, pick up the aggressor and let the others smell butt...something about smelling butt, its like us shaking hands of greeting....its not a joke...
Also, call a nearby vet and ask over phone for a suggestion....

[Jame0223]

Yeah I did. My mom hounded him for it. He said he wasn't going to hurt him, but I was so mad because he hurt my feelings and its not like choking him isn't hurting him already. I said so what if I had my baby, if it would have done something wrong and dad strangled it I wouldn't feel any different about the situation! Whether its my dog or my baby because they are one in the same to me since I didn't get to have my baby! I agree that it was extremely cruel. I couldn't even look at my dad after that I just went to my room, held my dog and cried. .I agree that punishing them for fighting isn't going to do anything either! Its a natural thing for dogs to do and punishing them isn't going to help. I just need to figure out a way to make them stop...I kept my dog in a kennel all last night and he cried the entire time..I can't just do that to my dog because he's not used to it at all. I don't want to use the "cry it out" method on him!

[peekawho]

Jame, that's animal cruelty.  Its unthinkable and monstrous.  Can you tell your mother or some other trusted adult what your dad did to the dog?

Someone needs to know.