Dog fight....what can I do?

[j-bird]

Ok, I wasn't sure where to put this, but I figured some of you guys have dealt with this before with your dogs. I seem to have a worsening battle on my hands. We have 4 dogs in the house at the moment. But I am having an issue with 2 of them in particular. The oldest of them...Lucy is 13. She is a 70 lb lab/healer mix. Very smart, very loyal, but age is slowing her down. She IS the boss as far as the dogs are concerned. However we also have a male 8 year old beagle/hound mix. He goes about 50 pounds with a bum hip but for some reason he has it in his head that HE wants the top spot. Of our 4 only 1 is male. All of them are fixed. What the younger one has in speed the older one has in brute force. I catch the male posturing at times (chin over the back) and the lab just ignores him. Then he gets in her face and at times it elevates quickly.

I have been around dogs all my life, and I understand their pack mentality and I am certainly the pack leader. Typically this doesn't happen when I am around. It's like the male knows I'll kick his butt across the room.

My fear is that the older one when truly provoked will flat out kill the smaller one. I have seen her tangle with coons and ground hogs before and she chooses her moment and then its a bite to the back of the neck a few vicious head shakes and it's DEAD! But the smaller one doesn't seem to be smart enough to realize this is a real possibility...of her doing this to him. So far I have NEVER seen her instigate these confrontations....

Is this simply the male trying to be the leader? Is this something else? is there anything I can do other than let them work it out between the two of them?

 

[PineSapJunky]

Back before I had my English labs I had 3 male labs in various forms of age. Buster was my oldest and alpha at one point. Sam being the youngest at the time finally got a sense that Buster's reign was coming to an end and started challenging him. Buster being older and wiser wouldn't play the game he just finished it. Not wanting to see an all out war and bloodshed I put muzzles on each and let them sort it out. Buster held his position for another year or 2. It wasn't until he was hit by a car did he give up his title. He didn't go quietly but ultimately gave it up and settled in behind Sam. Peace was restored to the pack until I got Charlie. Sam kept him in his place and was a great alpha from then on out until he was stolen. Buster and Charlie never had an argument. They were best of friends. This is just my experience.

 

[Chainsaw]

J-bird, I had that problem with two of my best coon dogs always fighting at the tree so I put them together in the same pen with each wearing shock collars. For days I watched and watched for the chance to convince them that bad things from above happen when you fight but they seemed to know that something was up and they kept getting along. So I pushed the issue and put one plate of beef in the pen. They immediately started fighting and the collars sent them shocks that made them each scream in agony as they retreated to opposite corners of the pen. Thinking the problem was solved I ran them together the next night but at the tree a great battle ensued yet again. It ended up that the shocking episode had not taught them that fighting was unacceptable as was the intended lesson; But from then on ever after they would sneak up to their individual food pails in their separated pens and practically "STEAL" a bite and run back away from the pail to eat it.
So it was another swing and a miss. You likely would approach it differently than I did but thought I would share this with you just in case.I was way off on that plan!

 

[George]

I have never seen a beagle mix that wasn't a little prick and your old girl has no desire to fight to the death.

G

 

[Drycreek]

I only have one dog in the house, or on the place for that matter. He's a hard headed JRT, and we love him like a child. He's never offered to fight anything except coons, possums, and rats. But.......he loves to hump the cat I mean it's almost every night. Old kitty is getting old, so when it's cold she wants in the house, and has to brave the unwanted affection until she gets enough of it
When she gets enough, it's better than tv !

 

[buckdeer1]

I have a 4 pound silkie terrier that thinks she is the meanest Bit## and will attack my 75lb lab and used to fight our other dogs so bad it had to move outside

 

[j-bird]

I have never seen a beagle mix that wasn't a little prick and your old girl has no desire to fight to the death.

G

I'm not worried about her WANTING to fight to the death....I'm worried about him being dumb enough to not know when to quit. I think she will most certainly defend herself and I doubt she would actual pursue a fight beyond that....but if she was to explode like I have seen her do before towards other animals....he could really be in serious trouble. I doubt they would actually kill each other...I'm more worried about damage to the point of having to put one of them down.

I also don't understand his mindset. He has a bum rear hip....is easily 10 to 15 pounds lighter....AND being a beagle mix is a huge baby when it comes to pain.

 

[j-bird]

J-bird, I had that problem with two of my best coon dogs always fighting at the tree so I put them together in the same pen with each wearing shock collars. For days I watched and watched for the chance to convince them that bad things from above happen when you fight but they seemed to know that something was up and they kept getting along. So I pushed the issue and put one plate of beef in the pen. They immediately started fighting and the collars sent them shocks that made them each scream in agony as they retreated to opposite corners of the pen. Thinking the problem was solved I ran them together the next night but at the tree a great battle ensued yet again. It ended up that the shocking episode had not taught them that fighting was unacceptable as was the intended lesson; But from then on ever after they would sneak up to their individual food pails in their separated pens and practically "STEAL" a bite and run back away from the pail to eat it.
So it was another swing and a miss. You likely would approach it differently than I did but thought I would share this with you just in case.I was way off on that plan!

No - I wasn't going to go that route. In the past with this I tend to break it up and toss the male on the floor and I hold him down to show who is really the boss. It seems to make the dust settle for a while, but then....it seems to resurface. I wasn't home this last time and my wife certainly doesn't need to be getting into the middle of it. I'll figure something out...

 

[Jeff H]

I went through the same with two labs. Both female. One old one young. When the younger one got some size to her she wanted the crown but the old dog was not gonna give it up. It got quite bloody several times. The old dog almost lost an eye. The young dog had to find another home. Hated to see her go but I wasn't going to come home to a dead dog and give the killer my home.

 

[Jeff H]

I went through the same with two labs. Both female. One old one young. When the younger one got some size to her she wanted the crown but the old dog was not gonna give it up. It got quite bloody several times. The old dog almost lost an eye. The young dog had to find another home. Hated to see her go but I wasn't going to come home to a dead dog and give the killer my home.

The older dog "Sweets" in the foreground. Younger "Dobie" in the background.

 

[j-bird]

So far things have settled down.... Maybe the younger one had enough or was at least put back in place. We seem to have these "dust-ups" every so often....so far it hasn't been real bad. It's just odd how some dogs have no intention or desire for a confrontation and yet others seem to try to push the limits. I figure we will have another round at some point....