by Miriam Rivera
(LaPlata MD)
My female rott has been fix for almost 2 years, but within the last two weeks my male rott that’s not fix has attacked her twice.
I am afraid he will kill her. What do I do?
Hi Miriam
It’s pretty common for two adult dogs of the same sex to be combative towards each other, but it’s less likely when you have a male and a female.
However, if both dogs are fairly ‘alpha’ in their personality it can happen, and the fact that your male isn’t neutered probably factors into it.
I’d recommend having him neutered to reduce the sexual urges and take the edge off his tendency towards being dominant/aggressive. It’s rare that a dog of one sex will fight to the extent of actually hurting a dog of the opposite sex, especially when they’ve grown up together.
I would suggest trying to figure out if there’s something particular triggering these ‘attacks’, jealousy over you, or family members, guarding food or special toys, or perhaps your male is not feeling well or is in pain for some reason and this is making him cranky. If you can find out what’s at the bottom of his behavior you should be able to improve things.
Talking to a veterinarian, dog obedience trainer or a dog behavioral specialist may also help as they can give you some extra suggestions and input. A vet exam to make sure your male is 100% healthy would also be a good idea.
Meanwhile, perhaps you should keep them separated when you’re not there to supervise, at least until you get the male checked out by your vet and neutered. If they do get into a squabble, let them know that it’s not allowed by verbally reprimanding them and if there are two people around separate them physically while being careful not to get bitten. Dogs who are fighting aren’t thinking straight!
A bucket full of cold water over their heads is a good way to break up a fight. Always make sure they’re wearing collars too so that you have something to grab in an emergency.
I wish you the best of luck with this, and hopefully with some extra investigation and vigilance you will be able to get them past this phase and back into some sort of harmony.