Reply #3: that sounds a bit extreme [View All]

[idgiehkt]

I don't know about this 'fight to the death' thing. I think they are fighting for dominance, until one dog submits. The first portion of a dog fight (between normal dogs, not game dogs) is just sound and fury anyway, each trying to get the other to back down before the real damage ensues.

I had a pit bull/lab mix and and a female aussie cattle dog/german shepherd mix in a fence together and there were problems to the point where I had to put a fence up between them and give them each half of the yard. The problems stemmed from the fact that I had two alpha females in the yard and I had no idea that my cattle dog would try to best an animal that was more than twice her size. She got bitten about three times (minor bites) and I said enough is enough. She just would not submit right way like most dogs would, because cattle dogs are so hardy for their size (they are bred to herd cattle so of course size is not intimidating to them). I went to keeping the cattle dog inside during the day and my pit/lab outside, then switching them at night and eventually but up an interior fence between them. I never could leave them alone unsupervised when inside, either, but if I was there they would play happily. They were both spayed too. (They never got anywhere near 'fighting to the death' or anything like that, it was just that the cattle dog wouldn't submit anywhere near as quickly as a normal dog would...all of this happened while I was at work.) It was my fault for thinking I could just put them together in a fence and they'd 'work it out' because they were both spayed females...so temperment is key, but I'm sure your dogs will do find. It seems like if they are going to fight it will be over food, bedding, or your attention; those are hot spots.