Macy attacked Lilly

Today was Macy and Lilly's bath day. And Macy is a pain to bath the whole time she tries to bolt. Well when I got her out of the tub and was drying her Lilly came in there and was licking her trying to check on her and she attacked Lilly and bit my leg in the process neither of us was hurt but then when I got Lilly's bath done Macy came in there and started biting at Lilly and I don't know what the deal was I scolded her and made her sit but she still did this and she has went after Lilly before to the point that Lilly was so scared that she hid behind me. And this cannot be happening because Macy is so much bigger than Lilly she could kill her and what if she went after Tavia or dad's chiuhauha or my niece. I just don't know what to think about her doing this. Her being upset about the bath is not an acceptable reason she should never go after any of the other pets. If she starts this I will have no choice but to have my sister take her back to her house, since she is my sister's dog.

I'd take her to the vet, tell them what happened and have them check to make sure she doesn't have any injuries/illnesses that could be the problem. Also, I have read about problems with female/female dog aggression on my Boxer forum, so maybe it was about Macy being in a vunerable postion (being subjected to a bath) and that set her off. What I've read also says that female/female aggression is almost impossible to stop once it gets going, so limiting the chances for it to happen is very important. Apparently, with female dogs, it's personal, whereas, in male dogs, it is territorial and they get over it.

I'm so sorry this happened! But unless it is a medical condition (especially ask about hyperthyroidism ), I too, would consider having your sister take her back. Let me know how it goes.

I don't think its illness because she did this once before. And it was over food then so I brushed it off. I sat Tavia's bowl down and Macy went after Lilly over it and I liked to never got her to stop and thankfully Lilly ran behind me so I was between them but I had to throw a towel on her just to be able to get her back. And she has tried to bite me before I was trying to get a tick off of her and she snapped at me. And the other day I was trying to get in bed and she bit my leg because I tried to move her and then I did move her I made her stay off of the bed the rest of the night. But I can't really take her to the vet right now no money and dad won't anyway and I don't drive. But every time someone talks about sending her to my sister's she says I can't have her here she's too hyper. She has not bitten me hard enough to break the skin but it still unsettled me.

Originally Posted by catsallover

What I've read also says that female/female aggression is almost impossible to stop once it gets going, so limiting the chances for it to happen is very important. Apparently, with female dogs, it's personal, whereas, in male dogs, it is territorial and they get over it.
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Owning male working breeds, I know this is NOT true. Yes, it is territorial, but they do not *get over* it. They will continue to fight and each time it will get worse, they can't stand each other. When it is allowed to happen and they fight, it is a strong suggestion of things to come, each experience builds on the next, they don't just "get over it".
In some working breeds, male aggression is inherent and considered normal. It is common knowledge not to keep multiple males, and never unsupervised. Fights and their dislike of one another can get very very bad and can easily become personal, even the scent of the other will set them off. Females can be just as territorial over resources. The best combo is male/female, and even then, dominant and submissive really matters, it comes down to the dogs themselves. Many males let bitches walk all over them.

Personally, I think it is a leadership problem. Nipping and snapping are a warning. Believe me, if she wanted to BITE you, she would have. She is sending a message. Esp. the food incident, she is reminding you she is in charge and don't mess with her.

I think the NILF approach would work well with these dogs, with both of them. They need leadership from you. Basically, you make them work for their food and for everything. You are no longer just serving them for free. They must say a doggie "please". You have to mean business. Be firm and consistent. Make the rules clear. Then her respect for you will go up.
http://k9deb.com/nilif.htm
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/nothingfree.htm
http://www.puplife.com/dogcaretips/n...ifeisfree.html
http://www.blackacorndogs.com/train_nilif.html

Also, how much exercise do they get? They should be getting at least 30 minutes every day. Sounds like if she is hyper she NEEDS and CRAVES more exercise, and she is getting nervous and unstable b/c she is not getting that very basic dog need met. Exercise is right up there with food for many dogs, they need it to remain stable, happy, healthy, and balanced.
Many problems can come from lack of exercise.

How much training? Invest in training every day for 5-10 minutes and mean what you say. Don't repeat sit, sit, sit. Sit means sit on the first time I tell you. Most dogs like direction and are much happier being the follower rather than the leader. Teach her what is acceptable and what is not acceptable. It will make a difference. You must mean business, that doesn't mean be mean at all, set her up to win and make training fun for her and like second nature and a way of life - it does mean be firm and mean what you say, don't just say a command and not follow thru. That and scheduled exercise will make for a much happier dog.

I agree about the vet, taking them for a good check up will be very beneficial and worth the money. Sometimes there are medical reasons for problems.

Sorry , my reference was to Boxers, specificly, and not worded well- females are more prone to not being able to being trained out of it, but with 2 males, you have a better chance of rectifying things through training (like the Nothing in Life is Free method you mentioned ). In Boxers, male/female pairings are the best, followed by male/male, and lastly, female/female .