Females fighting

I'm not sure it's "normal" but I do think it's more common and the fights are usually more serious. My girls are both spayed and have been since they've been together. Prior to rescuing Sassy, we had a male lab and he and Buffy never had one fight or anything even close. Why do they fight? The cause has varied from day one, so just when we think we've figured it out, something else would spark it. We're just extremely careful in how we manage them.

I never knew about the female/female issue until we were dealing with it ourselves, but I've heard enough about it now to know that I won't make this mistake again. On the other hand, there are a lot of people who have females with no problems at all, so it really does depend on the dogs.

 I have never owned  multiple females, actually Tootsie is my first girl. But everything I've read females hold grudges and will fight  till the end. Tootsie can be snarky with other females, so I see how this could be true.

I had two females and they were fine. Besides..we owned a motor home with a couple that had a female and we used to leave them together all the time and they were fine.

But a few months back I was going to get a 3 yr. old female Great Dane who didn't get along with their other dog...which I believe was a male....but in a lot of conversations the Dane breeders told me of how aweful female fights are.... I suppose the are not spayed though....

Somehow...I would think its males that fight more....maybe because I always thought of little boys doing the fighting on the human level.

It's not that females are more likely to fight, or fight more. It's that it's hard to resolve female-on-female issues because they have little to do with testosterone or other hormones. Females naturally take the lead in most things in multiple dog households, and sometimes if there's an opportunistic female that doesn't have the confidence to keep the dynamics in a household stable, there will be trouble as other females try to "fix it." Females are subtle and it can be hard for anyone but a dog professional to see what's really going on (and sometimes not even then). You might be seeing fights break out for no apparent reason, apparently instigated by one female, when really the war has been going on, with the other dog aggressing, right under your nose, for ages, the battles carried forward with just looks. Thus when open war breaks out, they are going for the kill many times. The most horrible dog fight I ever saw was between two females. Not any dogs of mine, but at flyball practice two friends dogs who'd known each other for some time, suddenly went after each other with the owners standing right there. Within seconds blood was flying, the less sturdy dog was literally having her throat torn out, and in desperation the owner of the severely injured dog reached into the fight and grabbed the other one. In a microsecond HER arm was flayed down to the bone - by her own dog! Those dogs were not playing. Everyone ended up okay although the girl required a ton of therapy and plastic surgery on her arm (I get the willies thinking about it to this day, and I have a very strong stomach!). The only dogs I've ever heard of killing each other in a fight were female-on-female fights.

Bitch fights!!

I have three dogs, one male and two females and the only squabbles (thankfully just squabbles) have been between my females.  We watch them closely since my Catahoula is playful one and my pug is not tolerant so do not allow them to engage in a ruckus at all.  My pug is also very protective of food around my other female and not my male.  Although we do not feed them together at all if there is food around anywhere we are a vigilant house hold with all the dogs. The saying "let them work it out" does not pertain to females.

They say its an Alpha female thing and when female dogs fight, they aren't doing it ritualistically, but to determine which of the two is going to continue to draw breath when the fight is over like Brookcove described. 

kle1986

 I just read a post and have to ask. Is it normal for female dogs in a household spayed or not to fight? Because all I have ever had were females and never had any fights break out between them.

In 90's I had only female dogs and there was only one instance and it was Redirected Aggression.  Other than that instance, no fights broke out.  Since fostering, I have had mixture of all types, multiple males and multiple females.  There has been fights that broke out but it seemed pretty level, male to male, female to male, female to female.  Nothing really serious and defnitely no fights to the death.  When it happens, I stop it and the dogs respond.   

 

Bubblegums breeder ended up in the hospital breaking up a female fight ( I often wondered if Bubblegum was one of the dogs in that one...but she would not admit to it! )  Bubblegum went right for Ollies neck one day not that many months after I got her....he made a loud squeal when someone stepped on his foot and that is how Bubby responded. We pulled them apart ( thank goodness Ollie just took it instead of fighting back ) but a few minutes later when we let them back...she went right after him again.  They were never together after that.

Honestly scared me to death since they got along fine and even slept together in the same bed at night.  Something can set them off like that...and if we were not home, God only knows what would happen.

you never forget a bitch fight once you have one...lol. Sadly usually the bitches involved remember it always, too...

I have squabbles with my hounds at times and it's usually hormone related since I have intact girls here. Beagles are not known for "take it to the bitter end" type aggro behavior so it's mainly squabbles and they're actually fine together afterwards...being able to pack up is super important and has been selected for over hundreds of years with this breed.

Now when I had Akitas? LOL...yeah...never ever EVER have 2 females unless you have means to permanently separate them at some point...even if it's 10 years from the day you get them. Be a boy scout and always be prepared.

It's not that bitches fight more often; in fact in my experience they fight less often. It's just that when they fight they fight seriously. males fight for all sorts of reasons and are often able to be friends afterwards. Just to play it safe I would recommend not getting two bitches anywhere near each other in age.

rwbeagles

...Beagles are not known for "take it to the bitter end" type aggro behavior so it's mainly squabbles and they're actually fine together afterwards...being able to pack up is super important and has been selected for over hundreds of years with this breed.

Its not only Beagles but your scenario is typical of what I see here and the fight usually occurs in the beginning of their stay here. 

 

mudpuppy

Just to play it safe I would recommend not getting two bitches anywhere near each other in age.

Interesting that a dog can tell the other dog's age.  We have all heard of puppy license but mother nature helps a lot in that area.  But, when the dog reaches adulthood?  If dogs can tell age, then there has to be something behind it like emotion or attitude toward.  I am talking about respect for the older dog.  Could that have been a factor where I can bring in a serious female DA dog case and that dog gets along with all members of the pack because there are elderly females present?

I am talking about respect for the older dog.  Could that have been a factor where I can bring in a serious female DA dog case and that dog gets along with all members of the pack because there are elderly females present?

well yeah. would you get in a fight with your hated sister-in-law in front of your rules-the-universe grandma? course not she might GLARE at you.

 My 3 females will squabble now and again. Mostly it is Lily and Dakota. Abbie has learned to stay clear of Dakota and not provoke her.

There has never been a real fight between any of them.

mudpuppy

It's not that bitches fight more often; in fact in my experience they fight less often. It's just that when they fight they fight seriously. males fight for all sorts of reasons and are often able to be friends afterwards. Just to play it safe I would recommend not getting two bitches anywhere near each other in age.

 

Sort of like humans.