gemini1479 Posted October 4, 2011 Report Share Posted October 4, 2011 Hi, i have two husky boys 8 months old and brothers. They were the best of friends upto 1 week ago. They slept on the same blanket, played tug of war with toys, ate chew sticks side by side and were happy dogs. They both have there own bowl and i feed them at the same time. When i first got them they had a couple of scraps over empty bowl dishes but i managed to sort this with treats once they finished eating. However 1 week ago, at feeding time diesel suddenly ran to milos empty dish before i could pick it up, and milo attacked him. Since then i cant get things back on track. Not sure if its a dominace thing???? Now, they will growl once they pass each other, when ive tried correcting them its turned into a dog fight. If i walk away from the growling they tend to have a stand off and one will usually walk away but not always. At meal times after eating they growl at one another have a stand off and one will normally walk away. I have waited in the middle of them so when the growling began i could correct both of them but they got nearer to one another with me in the middle and i walked off, i thought i would be bitten. Ive tried doing things with them together, getting them to come to me for treats, paw thing, stay thing etc. They'll do it but suddenly it will turn into a growling competion or fight. They were such playful dogs but they've lost some of that now. If i try to interact with them with toys they might have a feeble play but stop when the other dog walks over and then growling starts. Between all the grolwing and fights they will still sleep on the same blanket at night time and eat chew sticks side by side. They have chased each other round the table once, and played tug of war once with the tea towel!! But that used to happen 5 times a day. There not happy now and im not sure what to do! Is it a dominance thing, will it get sorted or should i rehome one? This would break my heart but if its kinder on the dogs then i will do it! I also have a 2 year old female husky and a female tiny crossbreed dog. No problems between these two or these two and the boys. Its just the boys causing tension in the house, cause now i dont know when a fight will break out!! I was making toast this morning and they usually sit behind me in the kitchen no problem this morning they started fighting!!! Please help, any advice???? thanks so much d x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BingBlaze n Skyla Posted October 4, 2011 Report Share Posted October 4, 2011 welcome to the pack are any of your girls in or coming into season? that would explain why ur boys are fighting if not then it could be that theyve hit their teenage stage not too sure tho sum1 will be able to help you soon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luna's Mum Posted October 4, 2011 Report Share Posted October 4, 2011 I don't really know but it might be their hormones kicking in? Are they neutered? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewSibeMom Posted October 4, 2011 Report Share Posted October 4, 2011 If your boys haven't been neutered, I'd agree it'd be a dominance thing. When I bred Goldens, I had these two bitches, Jazz and Sierra...GREAT buddies, best of friends! Until Jazz had her first litter, after that, even with NO puppies, they couldn't be trusted to even be in the same room again. After about 6 months of them trying to tear each other apart, whether it was provoked or not, I ended up getting two hard wire basket muzzles, one for each bitch. And took them for a LONG walk...TOGETHER. With their muzzles on, and me between them, it was safe for them to interact again, and though the 'bad blood' never fully disappated, they were able to be in the same room together, without a muzzle, they just ignored each other. I'm not suggesting you do this, I'm just sharing my experience with it. Good luck!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mistyrayn Posted October 4, 2011 Report Share Posted October 4, 2011 sounds like typical sibling rivalry..it happens very often when you have to boys from the same litter. it tends to happen when you have 2 of the same age but more so when they are siblings.. basically they are hitting towards teenage years..its basically sorting out the pecking order at the moment they are both on equal pegs .. and are trying to sort which is the top dog.. its a very fine balance ..all you can do is watch and let it run its natural course unless it starts to get out of hand.. and aggressive.. but watch ..observe and see which one seems to be the more dominant.. dont praise but back him up.. not by telling the less dominant one off but by reinforcing that dogs top dog status. is a very difficult situation and there is no one way to deal with it.. where do yours sleep.. mine sleep next to my bed and they all know there place. Tikaani is my top dog and sleeps nearest my head end. but yet Macie is my lead dog when running and she was last one in.. she has moved from the bottom of the bed to next to Tikaani.. not by what i have done but by natural progression and Nikita my eldest has been happy to move to lower end of the bed. all i did was reinforce that if one tried to sleep where another does i have got them to move and they have then realised and moved to normal sleep positions.in the morning neither Macie or Nikita will nudge me when alarm has gone of till Tikaani has.. strange but thats the way its worked out.. like now all my girls are laying on the floor near me but Tikaani is laying under my feet .. they just seem to know and sort these things out..and neither of the other 2 lay under my feet. but just observe ..only step in if you really think there is risk of injury.. but as soon as they are old enough then neutering will certianly help to settle things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jules dief taz tor Posted October 4, 2011 Report Share Posted October 4, 2011 we have 2 boys the same age , they were the same. they are equally matched so we just left them to it. they sorted it out in the end . 3 years later they r still the same, every now and again they will have a hissy fit with each other but it blows over quickly. have they been neutered and like someone said above is your bitch due in season. our boys were a nightmare when our bitch was in season. we literally had to muzzle them for 3 weeks .:grouphug:i know its hard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gemini1479 Posted October 4, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 4, 2011 aw thanks for the advice... my female will be on heat in nov but she can go to my friends house for the time she is, so i wont have more fighting to deal with. They have had alot of fights this week and hurt each other twice. Diesel has a small wound on his mouth and milo a tiny one on his cheek. The rest of the fights seem to be more skin grabbing than injury!! The boys havent been neutered, but think its something im definalty considering now. All my dogs sleep in one room together downstairs, share one blanket and i sleep upstairs. If i distinguish which dog is the more dominant dog should i be treating him more like one i.e... should i pat him first, feed him first, give him the toy first etc etc or should i be treating them both as equals because i should be top dog!! I wonder if i take them to a pet training place and away from there normal domain, if they would still fight or if the trainer could get them working together to do stuff!! This might help!! :/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravenwolf Posted October 4, 2011 Report Share Posted October 4, 2011 Honestly? This is genuinely something where I'd say you need to find a trainer in your area to come and solve. There's a lot going on here and the potential for escalation is huge, especially considering they fight even when you try to intervene. Could be partially that they're of the age where they are determining their own pecking order, but it doesn't sound to me like you're equipped to handle it. Re-homing one might be a solution, but the one that stays may just redirect that frustration at one of your other dogs. I'd have someone come in and assess - ASAP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jules dief taz tor Posted October 4, 2011 Report Share Posted October 4, 2011 dief n taz have taken chunks out of each other and still have the scars to prove it . we dont treat either of them like they are top dog. we alter the way we feed etc daily . so one is never fed first the most if you see what i mean. neutering is a good idea . it really has changed my boys they are much calmer . just to add the boys knew our bitch was comming into season a fair while b4 she actually did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheppard-Valli Huskies Posted October 5, 2011 Report Share Posted October 5, 2011 I would simply feed them in seperate rooms....or feed one inside and one outside...and ya i would neuter them(but i'd do that regardless of the agression) Do they fight when there is no food involved!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sutsibe Posted October 5, 2011 Report Share Posted October 5, 2011 I would also separate them physically while they are eating - and it sounds like you are a resource over which they are competing, as well! Neutering is likely to be helpful... It's likely that their hormones have kicked in with their age, plus the smells coming from your bitch. Be aware that it's possible she could come in season sooner than you expect - my bitches have often not stuck to the every-6-month schedule - often, they'd come in anywhere between 5 and 7 months. Working with an experienced trainer or a behaviorist would likely be helpful - they might pick up on very subtle cues that you might miss... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Removed #1 Posted October 5, 2011 Report Share Posted October 5, 2011 I'd definately talk with a pro about it... Eponine gets sketchy around high value treats...and french fries...she's getting better about it, but it was definately resource guarding type behavior and with kids in the house that wasn't acceptable at all. I would also separate them physically while they are eating - and it sounds like you are a resource over which they are competing, as well! Neutering is likely to be helpful... It's likely that their hormones have kicked in with their age, plus the smells coming from your bitch. Be aware that it's possible she could come in season sooner than you expect - my bitches have often not stuck to the every-6-month schedule - often, they'd come in anywhere between 5 and 7 months. Working with an experienced trainer or a behaviorist would likely be helpful - they might pick up on very subtle cues that you might miss... I'd definately talk with a pro about it... Eponine gets sketchy around high value treats...and french fries...she's getting better about it, but it was definately resource guarding type behavior and with kids in the house that wasn't acceptable at all. @sutsibe was really helpful in regards to helping sort it...and at this point we don't feed in dishes, they're fed directly on the floor of their crates. It slows down Fox's inhaling food and it's gotten Eponine to where she can be in the livingroom supervised with a bone and not flip out if Fox walks by her. You are going to have to narrow down the cause of the behavior though...random shots in the dark might make things worse rather than better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gemini1479 Posted October 7, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 7, 2011 thanks for all the advice... ive not been on till now as they had a big fight two nights ago and they had to be spilt up by myself and partner. we're not sure what started it as no of us was in the room. For a few hours after we tried to put them together again but even through the pet bars they were staring each other out and growling. I thought best to leave them seperated. I phoned the vets for advice and they said defo dont put them together again. While im trying to sort things out ive had to put one in a boarding kennel with my little girl dog and keep one at home. My only options are to rehome one, or ive been advised by the vet i could have all three huskies netured to try help, but its not a gaurentee! we're still trying to decide which would be best. yea they tend to fight when no food is around, so it maybe little things im not picking up on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gemini1479 Posted October 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 9, 2011 Ive tried the two boys together today with muzzels on and its no use, the grolwing and stand off was just awful, they need to live with the girlies only. They both get on fantastic with my female husky and tiny crossbreed dog. Would anyone like to offer one a home? Thanks D xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arooroomom Posted October 9, 2011 Report Share Posted October 9, 2011 It's really sad that rehoming needs to be an option. This can be worked through with neutering of your dogs as well as work put into your pack. I'm sorry you've come to that decision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emma&Cookie Posted October 9, 2011 Report Share Posted October 9, 2011 It's possible that they are picking up on your tension, and it could possibly be making it worse? If they sense that you are tense or nervous when they go near each other, that could also set their tensions high. Good luck with your decision, but I think that rehoming should only be an option if you have worked through every other possible solution. ★ Emma & Cookie ★ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Mekhdjian Posted October 20, 2011 Report Share Posted October 20, 2011 DO NOT REHOME:( best thing to do, is make them best friends yet again.. try to walk them as a pack, and to me it seems like they do not see you as the pack leader... yes it could be the bitches are getting to be on heat, or the dominance too from male side, however take control via being the leader.... can you walk them together, just the 2 males? if not, take a female and male together, then do next batch, then try the males together with a calm female... it does take time... if you do seek advise, make sure they know about huskies alot, as some so called "PRO ADVISE" can be more harmful. please let me know how you go, I will try asking some others around who have more experience in huskies too, i would hate to see a pack be split up:( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gemini Posted February 22, 2012 Report Share Posted February 22, 2012 Thanks everyone for all the advice... and im happy to say all my pack are still together and now happy!! I cannot believe it really. Thought one would have to go. After the last serious fight they had, i kept them seperated for there own saftey. Its taken 2-3 months of keeping the boys seperated, but being able to intereact through a gate if they wanted to!having all dogs netured, barkbusters and training with the indivdual dogs everyday and thats only about 20 mins with each dog per day. I would recommend barkbusters to anyone having problems with their dogs. Well worth the money. They offer twelves months of help with any problem with your dog. Mine were all back together just before xmas Since the trainer as explained why they were fighting and we've been following the rules of our house and what works for us! we've had no problems at all and the boys are back to how they were i.e playing with the toys and chasing each other around the room. Here's hoping it continues.... cant see why not woohoo! ... lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AttilaVikingsDemon Posted February 22, 2012 Report Share Posted February 22, 2012 thanks for all the advice... ive not been on till now as they had a big fight two nights ago and they had to be spilt up by myself and partner. we're not sure what started it as no of us was in the room. For a few hours after we tried to put them together again but even through the pet bars they were staring each other out and growling. I thought best to leave them seperated. I phoned the vets for advice and they said defo dont put them together again. While im trying to sort things out ive had to put one in a boarding kennel with my little girl dog and keep one at home. My only options are to rehome one, or ive been advised by the vet i could have all three huskies netured to try help, but its not a gaurentee! we're still trying to decide which would be best. yea they tend to fight when no food is around, so it maybe little things im not picking up on. I can guarantee neutering won't stop aggressive behavior-thats what we were told too, and our Red Heeler was male-aggressive, and he's only gotten worse, and we've sought help for him, but neutering shouldn't be the cure-all to this, there are other factors at play besides that, its definately a contributing factor, but not entirely the cause Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huskyizzy Posted February 22, 2012 Report Share Posted February 22, 2012 Hi, i have two husky boys 8 months old and brothers. They were the best of friends upto 1 week ago. They slept on the same blanket, played tug of war with toys, ate chew sticks side by side and were happy dogs. They both have there own bowl and i feed them at the same time. When i first got them they had a couple of scraps over empty bowl dishes but i managed to sort this with treats once they finished eating. However 1 week ago, at feeding time diesel suddenly ran to milos empty dish before i could pick it up, and milo attacked him. Since then i cant get things back on track. Not sure if its a dominace thing???? Now, they will growl once they pass each other, when ive tried correcting them its turned into a dog fight. If i walk away from the growling they tend to have a stand off and one will usually walk away but not always. At meal times after eating they growl at one another have a stand off and one will normally walk away. I have waited in the middle of them so when the growling began i could correct both of them but they got nearer to one another with me in the middle and i walked off, i thought i would be bitten. Ive tried doing things with them together, getting them to come to me for treats, paw thing, stay thing etc. They'll do it but suddenly it will turn into a growling competion or fight. They were such playful dogs but they've lost some of that now. If i try to interact with them with toys they might have a feeble play but stop when the other dog walks over and then growling starts. Between all the grolwing and fights they will still sleep on the same blanket at night time and eat chew sticks side by side. They have chased each other round the table once, and played tug of war once with the tea towel!! But that used to happen 5 times a day. There not happy now and im not sure what to do! Is it a dominance thing, will it get sorted or should i rehome one? This would break my heart but if its kinder on the dogs then i will do it! I also have a 2 year old female husky and a female tiny crossbreed dog. No problems between these two or these two and the boys. Its just the boys causing tension in the house, cause now i dont know when a fight will break out!! I was making toast this morning and they usually sit behind me in the kitchen no problem this morning they started fighting!!! Please help, any advice???? thanks so much d x this could be a dominent thing as my eldest female is very dominearing i have to feed my two younger huskys away from her or she will snap treats given seperately i found this stopped her from trying to fight with the other two. i think if it was aggressive fighting one would be really hurt now so i do think it could be the same as the issdue i had try feeding seperate treats seperate etc it worked for me or as above may be because one of your females is coming into season Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huskyizzy Posted February 22, 2012 Report Share Posted February 22, 2012 sounds like typical sibling rivalry..it happens very often when you have to boys from the same litter. it tends to happen when you have 2 of the same age but more so when they are siblings.. basically they are hitting towards teenage years..its basically sorting out the pecking order at the moment they are both on equal pegs .. and are trying to sort which is the top dog.. its a very fine balance ..all you can do is watch and let it run its natural course unless it starts to get out of hand.. and aggressive.. but watch ..observe and see which one seems to be the more dominant.. dont praise but back him up.. not by telling the less dominant one off but by reinforcing that dogs top dog status. is a very difficult situation and there is no one way to deal with it.. where do yours sleep.. mine sleep next to my bed and they all know there place. Tikaani is my top dog and sleeps nearest my head end. but yet Macie is my lead dog when running and she was last one in.. she has moved from the bottom of the bed to next to Tikaani.. not by what i have done but by natural progression and Nikita my eldest has been happy to move to lower end of the bed. all i did was reinforce that if one tried to sleep where another does i have got them to move and they have then realised and moved to normal sleep positions.in the morning neither Macie or Nikita will nudge me when alarm has gone of till Tikaani has.. strange but thats the way its worked out.. like now all my girls are laying on the floor near me but Tikaani is laying under my feet .. they just seem to know and sort these things out..and neither of the other 2 lay under my feet. but just observe ..only step in if you really think there is risk of injury.. but as soon as they are old enough then neutering will certianly help to settle things. i totally agree with this post as my eldest female is exactlly the same now the two younger ones know their place everythin has settles unless one of them steps out of place she puts them back down, she has to lie closest to me and be my first for cuddles etc i also feed seperate just to be sure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravenwolf Posted February 22, 2012 Report Share Posted February 22, 2012 Thanks everyone for all the advice... and im happy to say all my pack are still together and now happy!! I cannot believe it really. Thought one would have to go. After the last serious fight they had, i kept them seperated for there own saftey. Its taken 2-3 months of keeping the boys seperated, but being able to intereact through a gate if they wanted to!having all dogs netured, barkbusters and training with the indivdual dogs everyday and thats only about 20 mins with each dog per day. I would recommend barkbusters to anyone having problems with their dogs. Well worth the money. They offer twelves months of help with any problem with your dog. Mine were all back together just before xmas Since the trainer as explained why they were fighting and we've been following the rules of our house and what works for us! we've had no problems at all and the boys are back to how they were i.e playing with the toys and chasing each other around the room. Here's hoping it continues.... cant see why not woohoo! ... lol Woo woo! Glad to hear it!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storm Angel n Auroras Mum Posted February 22, 2012 Report Share Posted February 22, 2012 Thanks everyone for all the advice... and im happy to say all my pack are still together and now happy!! I cannot believe it really. Thought one would have to go. After the last serious fight they had, i kept them seperated for there own saftey. Its taken 2-3 months of keeping the boys seperated, but being able to intereact through a gate if they wanted to!having all dogs netured, barkbusters and training with the indivdual dogs everyday and thats only about 20 mins with each dog per day. I would recommend barkbusters to anyone having problems with their dogs. Well worth the money. They offer twelves months of help with any problem with your dog. Mine were all back together just before xmas Since the trainer as explained why they were fighting and we've been following the rules of our house and what works for us! we've had no problems at all and the boys are back to how they were i.e playing with the toys and chasing each other around the room. Here's hoping it continues.... cant see why not woohoo! ... lol that is awesome. thanks for coming to update us all. Im so glad you worked through it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Povodny Posted February 22, 2012 Report Share Posted February 22, 2012 Thanks everyone for all the advice... and im happy to say all my pack are still together and now happy!! I cannot believe it really. Thought one would have to go. After the last serious fight they had, i kept them seperated for there own saftey. Its taken 2-3 months of keeping the boys seperated, but being able to intereact through a gate if they wanted to!having all dogs netured, barkbusters and training with the indivdual dogs everyday and thats only about 20 mins with each dog per day. I would recommend barkbusters to anyone having problems with their dogs. Well worth the money. They offer twelves months of help with any problem with your dog. Mine were all back together just before xmas Since the trainer as explained why they were fighting and we've been following the rules of our house and what works for us! we've had no problems at all and the boys are back to how they were i.e playing with the toys and chasing each other around the room. Here's hoping it continues.... cant see why not woohoo! ... lol I'm glad youve found a solution that hasn't involved rehoming. I know how worrying it is when they don't get on. And how scary it is when they attack each other. I found water over them was a great separater lol. We've had problems with both our boys and our girls. In fact they still have their moments :/ Hope you continue to enjoy them as a pack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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