Agressive Female
 

I have 3 yorkies 6, 5, and a 1 year old over the past couple of months my oldest has become really dominate and agressive she is attacking my other 2 for no reason when I let them out to potty she runs around the yard peeing where the other 2 (who are females also) have peed when they come in if they have to be kenneled she will choose one and attack her, if they are playing in the floor she will just attack one of them. She barks all the time at any sound. I don't know what to do. Any advice?

Has there be any changes at your home? Could there be a possible medical issue you are not aware of? I think a talk with your vet is in order.

Have they all been spayed? I don't know what to tell you, but a trainer would certainly be a first thought. Maybe Britster will come on here and have some ideas.

Sorry I don't have any advice but wanted to bump this for you.

cockerduchess,

Many Yorkie Females are not what you'd call "laid back". Some can really have an attitude. When one gets Her sights set on being the Alpha Female, it's Katy bar the Door for any others. But, as disturbing as She is right now, I really don't think that She wants/needs to actually do much harm to the other two, just rough enough to put them on their place, and, that's in the number two slot in Her Pack. It will be up to them, to work out who's number three.

I strongly suspect, that there has been a new Male arrival in your area, (not necessarily a Yorkie) which She senses/smells, and is setting up for possible contact. This may subside (a little) after a while, but in the interim period, keep a close eye on Her when She's outside, Her "escape artists" ability may show. This has nothing to do with Her being Spayed, if in fact she is.

We did have a new neighbor move in and they have a male dog. So maybe that is what it is.They are not spayed & I know I need to have it done but my vet passed away right before the 2 oldest had appointments and I just haven't felt comfortable with any other vet in the area to have it done. They never go out to potty alone they are taken out in our fenced yard and watched while they potty and taken back in.

No changes in the home. I took our middle yorkie to the vet a few weeks ago and she was diagnosed with pacrititis.

cockerduchess,

The presence of that Male could very likely be it, I say that because there are SO many variables. We forget that the surgery (Spaying) was not done on their Noses, Eyes or Ears, and all those continue to work real good. ;)

The fact remains, that He may not be attracted to Her, considering Alterations, but, that doesn't mean that She isn't still attracted to Him (being in tact). IMHO, their desire for Social and possibly Sexual Contact remains to some/large degree, no different than those feelings in Humans.

You are running such a risk not to spay them. If any wandering male smells them when they are in heat they will move h-ll and high water to get to a female in heat. They can climb or dig under fences people consider to be very secure.

Maybe you could call a local vet and go visit their office and ask to speak with the people there to give you the confidence you need to make the appointments to have it done. I'm sure you will all have more peace once it is done.

Wow, you're good. I never would have thought of that possibility!

Thank you all for your help I really appreciate it! :D

alaskayorkie,

Thank you for your very kind words.

I have been accused of putting a lot of time into thinking about what our FurLife FurFriends are thinking, the causes and effects. And occasionally been able to come up with answers, subtle as some may be.

I've been blessed with having several Breeds, and am more impressed with the Yorkshire than any. And, have determined one cardinal rule, when it applies to their psychological well being, that being...

Let them be Dogs.

Great rule! I try as much as possible, but when I'm dealing with different size dogs or ages (geriatric vs. young), I step in during altercations. That's good and bad. It avoids injury, but it doesn't allow them to work it out. I'm having an issue right now with Eddie and my new Chessie rescue Lucy. Eddie has always been the boss and is used to getting his way with other dogs. But Lucy is the same way. She doesn't defer to him at all. Eddie is learning, but it's a slow process.

alaskayorkie,

I can't say fortunately, but, I don't have to deal with (much) of a size difference at this time. My Male Sneakers is just under 13 lbs, and (his Sister) My Female Becca is now a WHOPPING 7.8 lbs.

I KNOW I KNOW, I'm trying to get some pictures of Her, so I can submit a App to YTTPC, that is forthcoming...soon. ! :thumbup:

As most of us know, Female Yorkies occasionally (:rolleyes:) have an Alpha Wannabe attitude, and Becca is no different. In fact She's conditionally the most aggressive Female I've ever had. On occasion, I have to just sit there and bite my lip, when Sneakers gives her a good nip on the neck, to put her in place. Even at just over one year old now, She's demonstrating some very strong Alpha Female characteristics, and that is is spite of her being Spayed.

I believe that having this situation here now (Sneakers is not altered) is what tuned me in to cockerduchess' situation in this instance. I've often said, that...

"The only way to successfully control a Female Yorkie, is with another Female Yorkie". :D

I would not have either! Very interesting thread......

:D:D:DMy breeder will love this quote!. Her females also put my male Razzle in his place every time he visits. And his Momma is the worst of the lot.

So are you suggesting to just let them go at it until one of them gives in, comes out on top! The winner... ?

I too am having simular situation and am at a loss of what to do and do correctly so than neither gets the worse of it. It has gotten fierce, never just a nip but full on agreation. So far no blood has been shed, thankfully! These bitches just dont get the fact that I am the "Pack Leader". They want to bicker amongst themselves and cause harm to one another. I am in fear that one day I wont be here to break it up and it will go beyond the typical fight and one of them will be seriously hurt.

What am I to do when they are fighting?

Having raised yorkies for 15 years, my advise is to use extreme caution. If the scuffles just involve one female trying to be dominant over another with no serious biting involved then you can ignore it to a degree. If the aggression gets to the point where the dominant female is drawing blood then I say the only solution is to keep them separated or one could get seriously hurt.

I have two females who used to be pretty bad....I used the time outs successfully with them. As soon as they would start, I would snatch each of them up and put them in separate rooms....for only about 5 minutes. I would let them out and watch carefully...if they started up again...back in those rooms. They would "get it" quickly. Bottom line, is that they need to know it is not acceptable. They might get into a scuffle now every couple of months...and it always seems to be when one has been in another room and enters. I think it has to do with one thinking the other is getting more attention. I have learned the warning signs and now do what I can to distract them. It usually works quite well.
I would never let them fight it out. Scuffles...well I don't interfere, but if it is an all out fight..no way will I allow it to continue.

I definitely agree. Most all yorkies have little scuffles but all out fighting is a different issue. I have had problems with females that got along well for years then suddenly serious aggression started and they had to be permanently separated. I know other breeders that have had the same problem. Personally I have never had one get seriously hurt but I have known other breeders where they had yorkies get killed through aggression. It is especially a problem when there are multiply dogs all running together.

What I belive the issue to be is one showing domenance over the weaker one (who is prone to seizures). Who up til a few fights back did not fight back. That is no longer the case. They tend to fight an hour or so after her seizures. The aggressor will fight when she gets bumped into or she gets scared and sometimes if my son is around the other dogs.

She seems to have this "fight or flight" reaction. :mad:

I do the time out method and just started to use a mussle with the most aggresive one.

Whatever you do, never leave them alone together. If you go out, separate them! I am sure you already know this, but worth repeating for others.

Yes! I know... ty ;)

It doesn't happen all of the time, thank god! I would be devastated. Sometimes they will go months without a fight and them Bam their at it again. So for a few days after I do keep them sperate when I leave the house or when I expect my son to be home alone with them.


I dont mean to take over... I hope that this is helpful to anyone else having simular situation but, I can start a new thread if you prefer.

:thumbup::thumbup:

To All,

First of all, I apologize if I implied that I would "never" intervene in a position struggle. There is/would be a place, where I would do that, IF it was necessary, though it is possible, that I would not be the first to jump in to separate them. These animals have successfully dealt with these issues with OUT our intervention for a LONG time, and there does not seem to be a population issue as a result.

I completely agree with ladyjane's comments, on the time out, separation in my absence, and would even consider muzzle(s), if they could not "safely" establish proper order. I have observed that situations tend to be less severe, when it's a male/female issue, and can escalate considerably when it's same gender. It's possible that some of you may have noticed that as well.

I will comment in the "intervention" it's self, and advise anyone not to get between two, who are in conflict, regardless of gender. HA, just in case you have overlooked this, that's what their tails are used for, besides pulling them out of a hole. Try that before you let the dangerous part of them get close. Also, Yorkies tails are strong enough to support their full weight, though that is rearely necessary.

I bet some of you now wish you'd left those "nubs" a little longer ! :D :D

I'm almost tempted to follow your advise just to see what happens, but am afraid to let it go on more than a few minutes. They have been times when they will both be shaking and trembling and eyes dilated after an incident. It is quite frightening for everyone involved.

I think I will do some more research on this and see what I can find before I make a decision to let them fight it out. If I find anything to add I will post it.

Thank you, I'm sure this will be very helpful for everyone.

Dawn,

I fully understand your position, and yes, check out other resources for their approach to this, but keep in mind...

Our Dogs are with us for "OUR" pleasure, your piece if mind is primary, and what makes you happy is the way to go. Very few here have as strict of a policy when it comes to their animals as I, and in no way would I insist on any advice found here, as being absolute.

It's ok if you do it your way. :thumbup:

I'm sure everyone here is more expert on dogs fighting than I am but I can't see letting dogs fight it out as a solution. No one wants to take the chance of an injured dog and allowing something to go on is the same as condoning it.

Getting something between two fighting dogs, like a broom, can break up the fight without anyone, including yourself, being hurt. I agree that watching for warning signs and stopping an altercation before it gets started is ideal.

I would be a wreck worrying about such a situation. I hope you can find a way to deal with this problem so it doesn't develop into an even more serious issue.

Here are a few very informative sites that I found on my search. Some discuss the cause other the cure.

Why Conflict Occurs

Conflicts between household dogs develop for a wide variety of reasons. Conflicts may occur if:

A new animal has been introduced to the household.
A resident animal has died or no longer lives in the house.
A resident animal is re-introduced after an absence.
A young dog reaches social maturity, which is usually between 10 months and 2 years of age, and challenges the established higher-ranking dog.
A high-ranking dog ages or becomes ill and cannot maintain his higher status.

The Dominant Dog – Dealing with Dominance in Dogs

Dog Behavior Blog: When Two Female Dogs In The Household Are Fighting

Canine rivalry - dogs fighting with each other - Article on Pets.ca | Pets.ca

How to Keep Dogs in the Same House From Fighting | eHow.com