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Unspayed Female Dog Attacking the Other Dogs at Home

by Fonda

Reader Question
I have a 6-year-old female mixed-breed dog. She is a good dog and a house dog. I also have 2 other dogs, a female Cocker Spaniel and a male Rat Terrier. At times they are all fine, but every now and then, and a lot lately, the mixed breed fights with both of them. It is like she goes into another world. She gets mean toward any other dog, and I have to keep them separated. When she attacks the other 2 she will not let go, and I have to pry her mouth open. She isn't spayed. Would that help her be less aggressive? I love my dogs and don't want to give any of them up, but I am at my wits' end. She is like my protection dog, but the others don't even have to be near me for her to fight with them. When I had the 2 in the kitchen with a wooden gate between them, she broke the gate trying to get to them. I'm tired of getting bitten by accident when I break them up. I have punished her, talked to her and rewarded her when she is good, and I don't know what else to do. Please help!


Answer from Our Team

Fights where a dog won't let go are dangerous for the dogs and for you, so you're right to keep them apart. For now, keep her completely separated from the

other two whenever you can't watch closely. Use solid doors or sturdy gates she can't break, and feed the dogs and give toys and chews separately.

Please stop the punishment. Punishment tends to increase fear and tension between dogs and can make fights worse. Rewarding calm behavior is the right idea, but serious fighting usually needs a structured plan.

Fights between dogs in the same home are most common between two females. Pain, fear, guarding of food, toys or you, and tension can all play a part. Ask your vet to check her for pain or illness, then ask for a referral to a veterinary behaviorist. Medicine and a step-by-step plan help many households. In one study, about 69% of dog pairs improved with treatment.

Spaying may or may not help. Ask your vet whether spaying makes sense for her, but spaying alone doesn't reliably stop aggression, and in some studies spayed females were more fearful or aggressive. To break up a fight, never grab heads or collars, and never put your hands near their mouths or try to pry a mouth open. Use a loud noise, a hose, or a board between them. If you're bitten, wash the wound well with soap and water and see a doctor. Teaching each dog to wear a basket muzzle, using treats, can make any time together safer while you work on a plan.

See dog aggression and biting and spaying dogs.

This is general information, not a diagnosis. Please follow your own vet's advice.

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