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my two dogs
Yesterday my two dogs got in a big fight in the backyard when I wasn't home. one is pit-bull cross with rhodesian ridgeback, the other pit and border collie cross. The neighbor told me that they fought for 30 minutes and my dog, (the ridgeback) had the other by the neck for a long time. the border collie cross is very injured today, and the other has minor injuries. There was another time about 4 months ago when it went the other way around and the border collie tore a chunk of ear off my other dog. Normally, they get along great, sleep together, play, swim together. they are very nice to humans, and obedient. My ridgeback did snap at my son once however (now both dogs are only allowed in the house at night and when my son naps). i just don't know if this type of behavior is normal. Really, both dogs are really sweet, even if it does not seem that way from what I write. so my questions are: is this behavior normal? and should i keep them away from the cats even though so far they have been getting along with them? (minus a few growls from the ridgeback, although that one seems to like the cats the most)
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Want to answer more questions in the Domesticity category?
Maybe give some free advice about: Pets?
Well, even love for our pets is blind. There's been plenty of cases where dog owners minimize behavior and then something serious happens. Aggression is aggression, and has the potential to be life threatening to other animals or humans.
Normal? perhaps in the dog world the attack of one dog to another is normal. But by human standards it is not acceptable. Obviously one dog perceived the other was a threat, either to his power position (one will be the pack leader) or to territory, food..etc. No percieved threat, nice dogs.
My neighbor kept an agressive dog, who had snapped at her own children and other pets, and eventually this dog tore the ear off one child, and seriously wounded my daughter on the face--now at 19 she is left with a disfiguring scar, and has been traumatized for life.
Isolate the dogs and it might make them more aggressive, but if you plan on keeping them, it sounds as if you must separate them when you are not supervising, and at all times keep the dogs away from children. Dogs do perceive kids as a threat--they move fast--talk loud and squeel with delight. Even if you take the dogs to the vet or a behavorist for evaluation, I would say that it will be difficult to trust them. Since you say they are "sweet" they sound unpredictable.
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Take them to the vet. It sounds normal, dogs mess around. But you have a son to worry about, and if theyr gonna threaten his life you need to get things checked out. Even though you seem like your very good with keeping them away from him, you have to leave the house somtimes. Just get them checked out is all im saying. Best of luck!
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Well I would keep them away from cats, now from hearing that.... you know, just in case.
As for the behavior, I know that dogs play around and are very aggressive with one another, but that seems a little strange...
especially if they have never acted that way before.
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