Help! My Yorkies Are Fighting!
 

:animal-pa HELP! I have two female yorkies that were best friends from birth until 3 years of age. Right around their 3rd birthday they began fighting. We have to separate them now. If they get together they visciously will fight, blood and all! Normally they are so loving and submissive, but with each other I am afraid that they will fight to their death! Shortly after their 3rd birthday we bought a male Yorkie so we can breed them. We are hoping that one is pregnant now. Any suggestions as to how we can work with them to stop the fighting? We want to keep both of them. :aimeeyork :confused: :(:aimeeyork

I am gonna leave this to the experts, but I really hope that someone can help you. Do you think that maybe the breeding and having a male in the house has effected their personalities at all? Best of luck!

Yeah, I hesitate trying to give advice when it gets that serious too. The best thing you could do is hire a behaviorist. They're expensive, but a lot cheaper than the alternative.

Can you tell what they are fighting over? Is it over possessions like toys? Food? Your attention?

I have a toy hoarder. He's attacked everything from his 4-pound brother to an 80-pound border collie. A behaviorist I met online gave me a bunch of things to try. They've helped but haven't solved the problem completely. For what it's worth, here are the main things she told me.

1. Become pack leader. For me, this meant taking control of the toys in the house. Hand them out. Pick them up at the end of the night. Teach them that they are my toys, not theirs.

2. Tire them out. Fighting often means excess energy, and if you can really tire them out, they are less inclined to fight. She even told me to consider putting weights (like a roll of quarters) in Eddie's coat during walks to tire him out a little more.

3. Leash my aggressor during toy time. (This won't necessarily be good advice for you unless yours are toy aggressive too.) Do this for several weeks every time you give them a toy.

Good luck. It's a serious problem.

This is definitely true!! My girls occasionally get into a tussle, but the minute I clap my hands they all sit down and get quiet, and they know if they continue...they're going to be separated for awhile (and they don't want that). Possibly the fact that the one female is pregnant could be leading to the aggression. Unfortunately with Yorkies you really have to show them who's boss, otherwise, they'll walk all over you. When the terrier in them senses a weakness, you're not going to get anywhere with them...good luck!

I really have no advice but wish you luck and know the stress you are going through with the fights. We had our first yorkie for 8 years before deciding he needed a companion. It was the biggest mistake we ever made. We got Kassie and she would viciously attach him while he just layed there crying for help. It took two of us to pry her jaws off him and he always ended up hurt and stressed out. We couldnt part with either of them so kept them seperated when we werent home and lived with the stress of never knowing when she would attack again

He was twice her size but couldnt stand up to her when she went after him. I truly feel for you and hope you find a way to work it out.

Sherri

I am having the same problem now too. I've got 4 yorkies, 3 males and 1 female - all fixed, and a little mixed breed (don't have a clue what the little fella is - see avatar). Anyway, 1 of the males seems to have a snobbish attitude toward Radar, the mixed breed. Like your baby, poor thing just takes it, crying for help, and ends up bloody. We really can't pinpoint a reason for the attacks. Last night we were watching a movie, everybody quiet and calm, and out of nowhere, TJ attacks Radar. Its getting so bad I'm really considering rehoming Radar, just for his own safety.:( I'm really trying with being alpha with them, but its really hard sometimes.:(

We could never pinpoint a specific thing that set her off either. The worst was the day I was driving in traffic alone with the two of them . She went after him and I almost got cleaned by another car trying to get pulled over to get her off him. I had a terrible time prying her jaws apart by myself and by the time I did poor Kenji's mouth was bleeding. Kenji was such a little lover and it was awful to see her go at him like that . Then after she had her time out she would come back and kiss up to him as if to say she was sorry.

Kenji passed two years ago and we want another yorkie so badly but it isnt an option with Kassie being so vicious.

I hope you both make out okay with the fights and that it somehow works out for you.

Sherri

You should possibly think about getting a professional trainer to come into your home. I know there is a good one around here who does a lifetime guarantee (any behavioral problems throughout the dogs life) for $500 for the first dog, and $250 for every dog after that. It seems like a lot of money up front, but when you think about how valuable it is, the training is definitely worth every penny. You should be able to have more than one dog in your home living peacefully. Again, I can't stress enough that you HAVE to become their pack leader. This makes ALL the difference. And that's something a trainer could work with you and your babies on. 3/4 of professional dog training is training the pet owner, not the pet...;)

Well, the fighting between the two females started about one year ago and we just now bred one of them with our male yorkie. We are not sure yet if she is pregnant.

Thanks for the reply. Great advice. You are so right I have to be the pack leader. I watch the Dog Whisperer and have read Cesar Milan's first book. We went on vacation over the weekend and our neighbor was watching our dogs(at our house). We separate Rosie and Lily ( the two female's). Well Lily dug a hole on the side yard and was able to get to Rosie. Guess what??? They didn't fight! They did this several times. When we got home and they both came out of the garage together they didn't fight for 5 minutes....and then they attacked each other. It is very hard to pry them apart!! I am not totally sure yet which one initiates the fights. Today I bought two muzzles(XXS) and took them on a walk with them. I am going to keep doing this. I am determined to have them get along!!!

Thanks for the reply. Yes, it is hard to pry them apart! My two have got their teeth into each others skin or nose and pulling them apart would do more harm than good. They are in a zone when they fight. We have found that the best thing that worked for us was to dunk them into a bucket of water. They immediately released their jaws from each other. You don't want to pull them apart while their teeth are clamped down because it will hurt them more. If we let them keep going at it they would probably fight to their death. They are only like this with each other. Otherwise they are very calm and submissive. Very good natured yorkies. Their first 3 years with each other were wonderful!!

Your 3 yorkies are Sooooo Cute!! How long did Tammy and Tara fight for before you had Tammy fixed? So far my two females, Rosie and Lily, have been fighting for about one year. We plan on breeding both of them so we have not fixed them yet, but we will once they have a litter each. Hopefully this will stop their fighting.

Thanks ! Tammy fought Tara from October last year periodically....I always stopped them, but never separated them to different rooms as I was always with them.....the fighting continued until August this year when I got Tammy speyed.....me telling them off. Now she is the same as Tara - speyed - she knows she is no better than Tara, and Tara is the boss, like she always has been ! They get on fine now ! :D

If yours haven't had a litter yet at age 3yrs, then I would ask on the breeder section if it is still safe to do so.....Mardelin advised me that they are at danger after 3 because their bones are hardened and less able to pass puppies......I didn't want to take that chance.....Tammy is more important than puppies to me.
If yours have had puppies already, then they will be ok until they are 5 yrs.
Personally if I had fighting bitches, then I would spey them....better that than them not bonding, half killing eachother, and having to give one up before it ends up badly injured......I know what you mean about how frightening it is when they fight ! My boy dog Casper never joined in:)
I would take some action if I were you....try speying as soon as you can.
Good luck and best wishes;)
:animal-pa Debra x x x x

Tara
Casper
Tammy

Yes, we do plan on getting them both spayed. Lily may be pregnant now. Today is day 24. I take her in next Tuesday to find out. I can't wait! If she is pregnant we will get her fixed after she has her litter. We plan on breeding our Rosie with our male yorkie, Buddy, when she goes into her next heat. This should be soon. Then we will get her fixed too. Our male, Buddy, does not get involved in their fights at all either!! Neither Rosie or Lily have had a litter before. Our vet knew that we were planning on breeding them now and he did not say anything about a danger. I will have to ask him on Tuesday when I see him. I hope that having them spayed puts an end to this fighting!

Lily, our female, is around 5 lbs. and Buddy, our male, is not quite 4 lbs. Yes, I definetly want the vet to do an X-Ray to make sure that she can have the puppies naturally. It is sooo hard because we want for both Rosie and Lily to be able to experience having a litter of pups. If Lily is pregnant and ends up having a C-Section I will ask for them to spay her as well. Good Advice!!:aimeeyork :aimeeyork

I will have to look Mardelin up. Is that her username? Wow! You were sure up late....or should I say early! It is 9pm here in California. Lily is sleeping at my side right now. Yes, I think that you are right about the hormones going wild in the house with the two unspayed females and un neutered male! I look forward to harmony in my home. I often wonder if the fighting would have settled down if we didn't get Buddy, the male. Their fighting started shortly before we got him, but not as intense. Did Tara or Tammy ever have a litter of puppies? Well, I am off to tuck in my kids!(My human one's!)

Jenny

Mine rarely fight but when they do it is frustrating and i separate them. I hope you get it fixed!

I would say it was the introduction of the male. Penny use to be very jealous to the point I had to rehome her to a place where she's the only dog. They said she loves it, and prances around the house. Maybe it will just take some time for them to adjust to him.

Fighting Yorkies
 

Hi. I have 4 Yorkies currently...I started my Yorkie family with my male, Toby. I then added Zoe followed by Abbe and most recently, Noelle. :aimeeyork They all got along great...until recently. :( Zoe and Abbe have both had litters of pups. About 2 months ago, Zoe started attacking Abbe. There was no puppies, toys or food involved...Zoe would go out of her way to go across the room to attack Abbe. And it was vicious. The first time it happend, I stupidly put my hand in between and got bit. I have since kept them separated and periodically, try to put them together but every attempt has Zoe trying to attack Abbe. I am going to get some muzzles and put them on both girls to see if that makes a difference as I have tried everything else to no avail to get this behavior to stop. At least neither of them will get hurt with a muzzle. I truly believe this is purely hormonal for them. I have proved myself to be alpha with all 4 of them and continue to do so as I don't want to "lose control". Zoe doesn't bother Toby or Noelle (she's still a puppy). Abbe doesn't go after any of the other dogs, either. Does anybody have any other ideas? I, too, am at my wits end and although we alternate "cage time" with Abbe and Zoe to keep them separated, I would prefer we all lived in peace again and didn't have to separate anybody. :confused:

this thread is fairly old...you may want to start your own thread and will probably get a better response...

btw welcome to YT...

I've have exactly the same problem with my two girls. It's got to the stage when I can tell when it's going to happen. The staring starts. We
then move one into the cage or outside for a calm down. You can usually tell who's the intigator.

We also have a male and it seems to have started more when he came on the scene. Katie (3) and Odie (9mnths) are both now spayed and neutered.
Suzi (2)had her op yesterday.

My vet said it was harmones and it should settle once she's done. They don't fight over food possessions etc, but odd times when one is on a knee and to me that's jealousy I think.

My dogs aren't spoilt unduly and they know who's boss, but when it gets to the red zone they think of nothing else.

I'll let you know how they go on.

Good luck with yours.

Hugs Shirl x

wow

I have no advise but this doesn't sound good at all.

My 2 have had maybe 3 tiffs in the years I've had them - but it was over a toy - and only because one was teasing the other - no blood -- nothing vicious - but it did scare me silly - They both acted so guilty after .....kissed and made up right away with me right there in the middle -- but Chanel the oldest and larger one was the one shaking and upset - Cheri was just racing around like nothing happened - (course she was the one who ended up with the toy)

I have 5 month old cairn terrier female intack, and a 2 year old yorkie who is spayed. Karma the yorkie is always barking and jumping at Mazy (and trixie my border collie) She does not like them at all. Mazy is still very puppy and she will start it most of the time barking at Karma. but Karma doesnt really fight with her, its just more like "leave me alone you little brat!" but i have been doing the pack leader stuff the dog whispherer has done on his show and its working, yesterday Mazy and Karma were playing throughout the day and it was kinda cute any time Karma realized I was watchign, it was like "oh oh oh um.. go away you little brat, i am not play ... see mom i wasn't playing" lol