My Naughty Dogs Keep Fighting

I have two miniature Daschunds that are brothers aged 2. I have had them since they were puppies. I call them my naughty boys cause that is exactly what they are! I have posted on here before about how to get them to stop weeing in the house (which they are still doing) but I now have another problem to add to my list!

They keep having terrible fights where I literally have to get in between them. Its got to the point where some days they cannot even look at each other without growling and snarling at each other.

I work long days and they used to have the run of the whole of downstairs (4 rooms) but because of the weeing I have now had to close off the living room to them so they are now in a smaller space and think that this may have something to do with it.

Does anyone have any suggestions about how I can resolve this issue.

Thanks

Personally if they are fighting lots then the first thing I would do is when you are out keep them seperate
The more they practise fighting the worse it will be

Then pick up anything that may set off fights, for just now no toys or chews lying around when they are together until you can get a handle on this

I would also go with zero tolerance for any snarking at each other - dont let it get as far as a fight - any hard staring and they are seperated to cool off

Then when they are together do nice calm fun things together - like grooming and stay exercises (not very close to each other to start with) lots of nice walks together

and keep an eye out for anything that is kicking off the aggression - guarding stuff, guarding you, bullying, one feeling trapped
then work on what you can do to make them happier in the trigger situations (or eliminate the situation)

Sorry you are having problems with your two little dogs. Are they entire or have they been castrated? Is this new behaviour? Is one dog more of a bully than the other?

I think the advice given by Ben Mcfuzzylugs is excellent, and I would certainly concentrate on NOT letting any situation /stare/growl turn into a fight. You need to step in immediately and divert their attention on to anything other than each other.

I have two boy litter-mates who are 15mths old and they get on fantastically 99% of the time. The only time they can be 'snappy' with each other is the evening meal time and that is only sometimes. I feed the evening meal apart. One of mine is more bullish/fiesty than the other and I have recently had them implanted with the Superlorin implant.

Good luck with them and hopefully you can take control of their 'childish' behaviour. Two male children will have the odd scrap, which is completely normal, it's just making sure they don't overstep the mark.

Can I ask what their routine / feeding is? What training and exercise do they get?
This behaviour seems very OTT.

Thanks for your replies.

They are not castrated. Its something I have thought of but my husband is not keen!

Ernie is scared of his own shadow normally and Bert is the more boisterous one but Ernie is the one that is instigating the fights. He growls at dinner time, when giving treats and has now taken to going and sitting on his own in another room.

Unfortunately, they are on their own a lot of the time as I work long hours and my husband is working away at the moment. They dont get walked that often but I am going to start walking them more, they normally have their dinner together out of the same bowl but I have been separating them lately. They get treats whenever they go outside to the toilet and they sleep with me!!

I am thinking that they have just seen too much of each other!

When you say they don't get walked 'that often' - do you mean they don't even get a walk every day? Are they just going outside to pee?

It sounds as if they are cooped up at home on their own together for long periods and they are probably bored and restless and getting grumpy.

I don't see how you can 'monitor' their behaviour together if you are not there most of the time.

I always thought dogs did get fed up if they weren't given enough exercise and stimulation. But I've never had a dog that I didn't take out every day at least once a day.

Could you perhaps get someone else to walk them for you? Let them run off a bit of steam and get some exercise. Failing that - I agree they should be kept apart if they have to be left alone.

Ernie is probably instigating the fights because he is the weaker one and offence is the best defence.

Also sounds as if they are bored and need to discharge their excess energy. If you increase their excercise, feed them from interactive toys rather than allow them to quickly consume their meals out of bowls that will use up some of that energy.

And as already suggested keep them separate when they cannot be supervised. Try to do some training with each one of them every day, maybe a little basic obedience, or get them to find a treat using their noses. First in the house, then in the garden and then maybe on walks.

Once you get some improvement you might like to consider trying Suprelorin implants to see what they might be like with their testosterone suppressed

Good luck.

They do get walked at least once a day. I have been trying to train them but they just dont seem to get it. They can just about sit on command but only if they are near a carpet/grass! I have tried feeding them through toys (kongs) but this just starts them growling again!

How long are they walked? And do you separate them when giving them kongs?

Re training - daxies are supposed to be intelligent - are they having you on?

I walk them for about 25 minutes. I dont generally separate them but Ernie will normally take it into another room, same with his treats.

Not sure whats happening with the training - yes they are probably having me on but house training is not going at all well but as I said I am out of the house for long periods.

Just want to make it clear that when we brought the dogs my husband was at home all of the time but after having them only a month or so he was sent to work away. If we would have known that that was going to happen we would not have got them but cant get rid of them now. Husband should be back at home in about a year.