Let me answer each question individually.

> Christopher Aust wrote:

>Have the two females ever fought before or is this a new thing?

They've fought over food, but this is different.

> >Does it mostly happen in the morning, evening or has it been random?

Time of day doesn't seem to matter. Katie will be laying around the house, as she always does, and Lady will gently ease over to her. She'll gently nose her; then all heck will break out.

> >How long has the puppy been in the house and which of the older females does he gravitate towards.

We've had the puppy for maybe six months. He gravitates to Lady, although he will lie down beside Katie for warmth when it's cold.

> >What is the order in which all the dogs came in the house?

We got Lady first, Katie second (six months later) and Buddy about a year after that.

> >You mention that Katie "reacted strongly." Please explain.

She snapped at Buddy and missed. Lady also snapped at Buddy, and I think that's what precipitated the fight. The other fights had a different beginning.

> >Have you noticed any particular "trigger" you think may be causing the behavior.

I wonder if smell is involved because of the way Lady gently noses up to her. Maybe Katie is dribbling, and Lady looks at it as a challenge. Katie also lies in the middle of doorways; the other night, Katie didn't get out of Lady's way, and Lady jumped on her. I had a devil of a time getting Lady's jaws off her.

It's possible that Lady now considers Buddy the No. 2 dog in the pecking order. Buddy has gotten more territorial (barking at strangers, jumping around) since November and is much more active than Katie.

> >Lets start with these and take it from there. You have to be firm with them right now and stay on Lady and Katie. If you see them staring at each other, you need to separate them immediately. If you see one of them "stalking" the other, make it clear this is not appropriate.

Lady does appear to stalk Katie at times, and I immediately stop it. We've kept Lady and Katie apart as much as we could the last couple of days. No point in fanning the fire.

Thanks.

Tom

Private Reply to Tom Gillispie writer/editor

From what I have heard, I think what we are dealing with is a matter of pack positioning with one dog being a little instigator. (sp) It is going to take a strong stance from the human members of the pack to reestablish proper positioning and pack order.

I believe Buddy, as he is moving into adolescence, is attempting to secure one of the females positions. This is, of course, unacceptable. I am sure the females realize this and there is a little animosity as a result particularly if Buddys size makes him a formidable opponent.

As a result, I am betting the females are competing for an "alliance" so to speak with Buddy to make sure their own position is secure. Their fighting is a way of showing who is the strongest and therefore exhibiting their worthiness for a top position.

Usually, I say to allow the dogs to determine their pack order because they can normally do it with little and or no major conflict. However, since the situation has progressed to the point that it has, you are going to have to step in and dominate their world.

First, you will need to establish a pack order. I will gladly help you with this privately as it isn't always as easy as some people think.

Second, you are going to have to enforce the order. This is done through acknowledging each dog, in every way, consistently with the pack order. In other words, you greet, feed walk, put on leash, allow to get in the car, whatever you do, according to the pack order.

If you see any dog stalk another, the stalker needs to be immediately banished. If a physical altercation breaks out, both dogs need to be banished. If one dog is hogging a space, you need to move them before it becomes an issue. It's not a democracy it's a dictatorship and you and the other human members of the pack are the dictators.

Now, just because it is a dictatorship doesn't mean you can't still be loving to all the dogs. You simply have to dole it out in order. Once each dog has been given a little special time, then you can bring them all together.

Once you have established and enforced the packing order, in a short period of time the dogs will settle into it and lose the desire to compete for position. Remember, if the pack leader leads...the lesser members will follow.

I will gladly answer any more questions for you ar anyone else who has them. Hope you find this helpful.

Regards,>
Christopher

Private Reply to Christopher Aust