Dogs in same household keep fighting

[4paws]

Hi everyone
I would like your opinions on this one please?
A lady owns a Scottie mix. It is around 12 years old. Not used to aggressive. This ladies Mother died 3 yrs ago and she inherited her Mother's dog which is a rescue, and it was spoiled. This dog is around 7 yrs old. Both dogs are male and have not been neutered. Over the last 2yrs the dogs constantly fight when in the same room together and as the woman says they hate each other. On their own they are loving behaved dogs. The elder dog is owned by this lady. I have only spoke to her on the phone but I can tell this problem is making her ill as she has had to put up with this for a longtime.
My gut feeling is if the dogs are that bad I would advise her to re home that was her Mother's dog. But she is the type of person who would not because it was her late Mother's. It seems that the younger dog is trying to be number 1. thought about telling her to get the younger dog neutered as this might help. I know that this does not always work. Has anyone else had this problem as I would welcome any advice?
Thanks

[Nettle]

Hello and welcome. How thoughtful of you to try and help this person.

Neutering won't help. They don't like each other, and can't be made to. Rehoming one as you suggested would be best as they are both unhappy and so is the owner. The only alternative is to keep them completely separate all the time.

[4paws]

Thanks nettle for your advice I knew this was not going to be an easy one to solve. The lady would love the dogs to become friends but I think this is never going to happen. In your experience if two dogs in the same household hate each other for any reason can they by positive training be taught to at least to live with each other. I know this is not a normal case but what do you think. I was always taught that you cannot train an aggressive dog, first you have to find out why the dog is being aggressive, then deal with the aggression before training. If you get my drift.

[Nettle]

You are right in your aggression analysis - aggression is a behaviour in response to a trigger. Dogs are not 'aggressive' per se. Any dog can show aggression if the right trigger is activated.

Sadly we cannot make dogs like each other. We can't make people like each other either. If your lady were in a house share with someone she detested, nothing would make her like that person.

Lots and LOTS of exercise, mental and physical, can sometimes make dogs more tolerant, but can equally well not. The more vulnerable one might feel even more vulnerable when tired.

I do know of several cases where dogs that bickered got to a stage where one killed the other. They are dogs - animals - and their social mores don't include living with other dogs they hate.

[JudyN]

There was an item about this situation on the BBC programme Dogs: Their Secret Lives a while back. It was series 2, episode 1 - you might be able to see the video, but you need to register: http://www.channel4.com/programmes/dogs ... /61560-001 (might not work outside the UK). From what I remember, the owners more or less divided their house into two, and took the dogs out separately. I can't remember if attempts were made to reintroduce the dogs, but if they were, they didn't work.

This would be much harder in the situation you describe as the dogs are cared for by just one person. Also, bear in mind that even if they are kept apart, the dogs will be stressed just by sensing that the other dog is nearby - so maybe you could try to explain to her that rehoming her mother's dog would be the kindest thing to do for the dogs themselves. She may feel she's doing the right thing for her mother's dog, but the situation is making all three of them unhappy.

[4paws]

Thank you both for your advice which I have taken seriously I really appreciate it. I agree with you it is better to re home as in a way it is not only cruel for the dogs living like this but it is causing the owner to be unhappy and it is making her ill.
Thanks again and take care

[4paws]

Hi again,
I have seen the two dogs. and basically I advised the owner to re home the young dog.
Apart they are lovely dogs and get on with other dogs as far as dogs do. But these two have only got to see each other and they do actually attack. viciously when in the same room. Even if one is inside and the other outside they run at the patio door and try to bite each other through the glass. This aggression has been going on for 3 -4 years and the owner has put up with it. She is living on her nerves which does not help. There is no way these two dogs will ever live together. I advised the only option is to re home the one dog and she agrees.
Thank you all for your support

[Nettle]

Your friend will need your support even more now. She may think she has 'failed' but in truth she will have succeeded. Because she will have done the best for both dogs and herself too.