[fifer]

...both rescue dogs have recently started fighting viciously.? The Dobie, who had been abused and left tied up outside, no food/water has started snapping at me again. How can I get them to stop while I still have at least one unpunctured body part left 7 before they've crashed into & broken all the furniture?

[Redawg J]

Go to your vet and ask them to recommend a dog behaviorist to retrain them. Meanwhile, it may be a good idea to keep them separated when they are unsupervised and make sure they are fed in different areas and keep their beds far apart.

[Astarte]

They are probably fighting for dominance, since the Dobie is now old enough to think she should run stuff. Females are notorious for not getting along and if the Dobie is snapping at YOU that's a problem. They are pretty high-strung anyway and if she was abused/neglected she probably has issues. Not having had both breeds at one time, I can't really help ya, except that you may want to separate them when you are not home. Also, you may want to talk to a vet or trainer (or grab a book at the library) to figure out a game plan for socializing them better. Otherwise, your only options may be to (1) let them fight it out until one is the clear alpha or (2) get rid of one of them. Good luck!

[orderlylogic]

Have you taught basic commands such as "sit". First of all, do not even give your dogs food unless they "work" for it. At feeding time when you have filled the bowl, hold the bowl over the dog's head/nose, out of reach, and no matter how much they jump and beg, do not set the bowl down. The dog will eventually sit down, looking at you. Then say "sit" and put the bowl down. Do this every feeding time and before long your dog will sit on command, food or no food.There is a website called canismajor.com that has exercises you can do to establish dominance with your dog, sound like you really need it.

[Danielle B]

First you need to separate the dogs and work with each of them singly. Work on trust issues first. Have you be the one bringing food, giving treats, etc. Always talk in a calm confident voice. Also- you sound like you might be slightly afraid of them. Even the littlest bit can make a dog turn on you, especially one that has been abused. They are scared because you are scared and want to take advantage of the situation. If you need to, put a muzzle on them for a week or so until you feel more comfortable. A friends rottweiler, for instance, is a lovable dog who will flop over to get pet all the time. When she meets a new person, she will growl to see their reaction (its a game for her). If they jump and run, she will snap at them. If they tell her to knock it off- she walks over tail wagging trying to get pet. Dogs are very smart and can easily tell emotions. If you are even a little aprehensive, most will take advantage of the situation.