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Anyone else's dogs fight over food?

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  • 09-07-2010 10:48pm
    #1
    morganafay
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,534 ✭✭✭


    :rolleyes:

    Bella, the second oldest dog, always guards food if there's extra left over, or something extra yummy like meat, and Donna, the oldest, doesn't like that . . . so today Bella was guarding her food and growling, and I shouted at Bella to stop and noticed Donna staring at her so went over and just picked Donna up as Bella lunged at her.

    Then after they had calmed down, I told them both off, and Cosworth, the second youngest one, got upset because she thought I was giving out to her! Even though I never give out to her, because she's always good, she gets upset. And by giving out, I mean saying, "Bella, Donna, bad dog" in a stern voice and waving my finger which always makes them lie down submissively and look sad.

    Then I was all stressed from them, so I wasn't paying attention and accidentally stepped on the puppy's leg, so she started shrieking, and because Donna was still excited, and I guess she thought the puppy was barking/yapping at me, she ran up to fight with the puppy. :rolleyes: So I had to pick her up. (Her leg is fine btw.)

    Donna and Bella are the only two that ever fight, and only over food. They really bite each other and are hard to separate, and hard to snap them out of it, but I don't believe they'd hurt each other, unless they bit the other's eye or something. Then always after I tell them off, Donna goes and licks Bella's face. :) As if to say sorry.

    The funny thing is they seem to find fighting fun, and will be wagging their tails. And they don't hear me yelling at them, because they're just so excited. It's like if one dog growls, then they just go crazy.

    I guess I should feed them separately, or maybe feed Donna first, but they don't fight enough to make that worthwhile. Just lately they've had three fights, but they're usually not as bad at that! Usually more like two or three fights a year.

    Just wanted to rant about them being so bold :)


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    #2
    morganafay
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,534 ✭✭✭morganafay


    And is it normal for dogs to be like this? They're both lovely dogs, not aggressive at all, and best friends, but it's definitely a dominance thing.

    I remember one time my brother was playing tug of war with our old springer, and he growled at my bro, so Donna ran up to attack the springer (about 3-4 times her size!) and then Bella just thought, "great a fight!" and jumped on both of them, and thought it was great fun. It's really like they think fighting is fun. And the poor springer couldn't even defend himself in case he hurt them, and we had to drag them off him.


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    #3
    ISDW
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,378 ✭✭✭ISDW


    If it was me, I would feed them seperately.

    Just because a dog's tail is wagging, it doesn't mean its happy, different wags mean different things to other dogs. Watch your dogs carefully, and you'll see they have many different ways of wagging their tails at each other.


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    #4
    morganafay
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,534 ✭✭✭morganafay


    Oh it really is rare they will fight. They're 8 and 9 years old, but have only fought a handful of times in the last few years. They do bite each other, but don't do any damage thankfully, just bite loose skin and fur I think.

    I do feed them in separate bowls though. It's not really a problem with them, just wondering if it's normal, or shouldn't be accepted at all.

    It's strange because they're really good friends, but Donna can be pretty dominant. At least they never try to bite me when I separate them, and wouldn't be aggressive to me for telling them off.

    It's like they almost think I'm the pack leader, but not quite . . . or they still want to be 2nd in charge.

    The way they wag their tails, just seems to be in an over-excited way, and they normally will do what I tell them to, but it's like they don't hear me at all, until they snap out of it.


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    #5
    mymo
    Registered Users Posts: 3,553 ✭✭✭mymo


    I would agree, feed them separately, you never know they could really hurt each other one day.
    I don't think its normal, none of the dogs I've had have been food or toy aggressive, in fact the current two share everything(even with the cats), food toys and stolen items(usually socks), its very funny seeing the dog trying to get the cat to play ball or the dogs tossing a sock around and the cat pouncing on it.
    It does sound like a dominance thing, I don't know much about it but I'd try making them wait when you put food down and keep bowls well apart.


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    #6
    merengueca
    Registered Users Posts: 465 ✭✭merengueca


    Our boys get fed at exactly the same time, just make a point of always placing their bowls at least 6 feet apart.

    As for the fighting, the boys have a really rough play fight every night, chasing and wrestling. The one time Paddy hurt Alfie, he went across and licked his face. Also, it seems Paddy is aware of Alfies limitations (Alfie has a small deformity on his lower spine causing him to not be as agile and strong as Pad)


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    #7
    morganafay
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,534 ✭✭✭morganafay


    I do make them sit before eating, but I think I will move the bowls 6ft apart or so.

    Would it help if I fed the oldest one first, to establish her place in the pack, or would that make it worse?

    They're not food aggressive so much, they will all eat together out of one bowl if you let them and not fight. It's just when there's something left over and they're full, that Bella will guard it even though she doesn't want it. And if she growls, then it's the growling that starts the fight. I always try to take the food away when I notice they're finished and Bella is just sitting on the food!

    If she growled about something else then that could start a fight too, but she doesn't really have anything else to growl about.

    And they won't growl at Cossie or the puppy about food, it's just each other. So I don't think it's food aggression, but more just a fight over dominance between those two. And food happens to be what they're being dominant over in that case . . . if that makes sense, probably not . . .

    They're not protective about toys at all, or anything else.

    Bella usually accepts Donna is the more dominant one, but when food is involved, when Bella is greedy. Like Bella is not very dominant at all, and is quite shy, whereas Donna is outgoing. If they meet other dogs when walking, Donna will run up and if the other dog barks then she will too, but Bella will be hold back and let Donna protect her.


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    #8
    morganafay
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,534 ✭✭✭morganafay


    I was thinking about this last night. And Bella is kinda the same with me, like sometimes she'll be obedient but sometimes she's cheeky and will pretend not to hear me.

    Donna (even though more hyper and dominant) is very obedient and does what I say straight away.

    So I guess Bella is just being cheeky with her, and she has to put her in her place, by growling, and Bella doesn't back down then, so it starts a fight.

    It sounds like I'm blaming Bell, but she's a good dog really, most of the time. :)

    Anyway, like I said, it's not exactly a problem, since it rarely happens, and they're usually best friends.


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    #9
    TooManyDogs
    Registered Users Posts: 1,634 ✭✭✭TooManyDogs


    Mine do the same so don't worry too much about it. Like yours it has only happened a handful of times over the last 10 years and is always over food. I still feed mine together but I supervise them so when they're finished I immediately remove any left over food.

    Unfortunately my neighbour sometimes puts food over my fence and that's what normally sparks the fights, a small bit of food between 6 dogs suddenly becomes very valuable. I've asked the neighbour to stop but he has dementia and never remembers me explaining that it causes fights, he thinks he's being kind :rolleyes:


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    #10
    peasant
    Registered Users Posts: 17,819 ✭✭✭✭peasant


    morganafay wrote: »
    Anyway, like I said, it's not exactly a problem, since it rarely happens, and they're usually best friends.

    Friendships can go sour over repeated squabbles.
    Also, you have recently changed the dynamics of the group by introducing another dog ...two's a couple but three's a crowd, at least when it comes to dominance behaviour.

    As they are fine with each other (and you) otherwise, in the interest of harmony I would strongly suggest to feed them seperately.

    Food is THE most important thing for a dog ...plus it can control it and guard it, leave bits there as a teaser for others, etc..
    Spare yourself the hassle, introduce a routine where every dog knows that they can eat in peace without having to wolf their food down and take the fuse off the powder keg.


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    #11
    morganafay
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,534 ✭✭✭morganafay


    peasant wrote: »
    Friendships can go sour over repeated squabbles.
    Also, you have recently changed the dynamics of the group by introducing another dog ...two's a couple but three's a crowd, at least when it comes to dominance behaviour.

    As they are fine with each other (and you) otherwise, in the interest of harmony I would strongly suggest to feed them seperately.
    /QUOTE]

    It's actually 4's a crowd now. :) But I will keep a distance between them when feeding now I think and supervise them better. I have to be careful with the puppy around now anyway, in case she tries to take their food and gets snapped at, so I have to watch them eating anyway. That hasn't happened, but if I let her eat the food with them, you never know. (She eats her puppy food seperately of course anyway.)

    Anyway most of their "fights" were just, almost fights. Like they either started growling or started staring at each other so I split them up before they could fight. And they're only small cavaliers so easy to break up a fight too.

    Strangely enough nobody has ever noticed them fighting when we're not around, and we would hear it. Even if they have food outside when we're not there. But now I will watch them and take away any leftovers, for the puppy's safety and them.


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    #12
    morganafay
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,534 ✭✭✭morganafay


    TooManyDogs wrote: »
    Mine do the same so don't worry too much about it. Like yours it has only happened a handful of times over the last 10 years and is always over food. I still feed mine together but I supervise them so when they're finished I immediately remove any left over food.

    Unfortunately my neighbour sometimes puts food over my fence and that's what normally sparks the fights, a small bit of food between 6 dogs suddenly becomes very valuable. I've asked the neighbour to stop but he has dementia and never remembers me explaining that it causes fights, he thinks he's being kind :rolleyes:

    Thanks :) That's exactly what mine are like, just fight over the odd extra-tasty scrap, or something. I guess it's normal dog behaviour.

    I really don't think they're trying to hurt each other (because I'm sure they could if they tried)


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    #13
    lisar201
    Closed Accounts Posts: 146 ✭✭lisar201


    My Mam has 3 dogs there all different sizes and breeds, but there is a pecking order and if it is not follwed there is normally a fight well its more of a "know your place and get in it" arugment but its always fine after,it's like a pack instinct,


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    #14
    LucyBliss
    Registered Users Posts: 616 ✭✭✭LucyBliss


    One of my dogs practically inhales his food, while the other one seems to adhere to the adage of chewing one's food one hundred times before swallowing. So Jack will sometimes chance his arm and sniff around or try and shove his head in to Rosie's bowl. I make them sit and wait patiently for their food and then I supervise the eating so I can stop Jack from being a glutton. Part of it is his thinking he should get what he wants and the other is stop Rosie from overreacting because she is a rescue dog and can be very territorial over things. However, she's quick enough to back down when I tell her to.

    I think it can be the kind of thing that happens in the best of families from time to time. ;)


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    #15
    fishfoodie
    Registered Users Posts: 564 ✭✭✭fishfoodie


    morganafay wrote: »
    Would it help if I fed the oldest one first, to establish her place in the pack, or would that make it worse?

    Could it be that perhaps Bella senses that Donna is now getting older & that the time has come for her to become dominant ?

    In wolf packs this would be the natural order of things. Once a bitch is past her best; she will loose her position to a younger bitch.

    I'd be careful about interfering until you can better judge what's best for both of them & the pack dynamic.


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    #16
    morganafay
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,534 ✭✭✭morganafay


    fishfoodie wrote: »
    Could it be that perhaps Bella senses that Donna is now getting older & that the time has come for her to become dominant ?

    In wolf packs this would be the natural order of things. Once a bitch is past her best; she will loose her position to a younger bitch.

    I'd be careful about interfering until you can better judge what's best for both of them & the pack dynamic.

    Yeah, that's what I think it is. In the last few years Donna has started to look very old, but Bella still looks young and is bigger than Donna (Donna's a big skinny naturally, Bella is heavier). But I don't really think Bella has it in her to be the leader, if they meet a strange dog when walking then Bella will still hide behind Donna! :) So I don't think Bella will ever really become the pack leader, she's just being cheeky.

    Also our older male dog died about 4 years ago, and then I moved away (I'm back now) so my brother was looking after them, so I think they really had to battle for dominance then. Around that time they started fighting (not over food) but that stopped after a few weeks, and Donna became the pack leader.

    I know dogs aren't meant to be the pack leader, the owner is, but Donna is very obedient to me, just bosses around the other dogs. I guess when I'm not there, she has to be the leader. Unless Sugar the cat is around, then she's the leader :)


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    #17
    cjf
    Registered Users Posts: 294 ✭✭cjf


    My are 2 best buds untill noticed that she would eat some of her dinner go over stick her face in his bowl and eat some of his. He would just stand looking at her then as soon as he tried to go over to her bowl she would snap at him and run back. Happened out of the blue but now feed them apart. Seems like something small but best to nip it in the bud as things like this can escalate and spill over into other areas. One day its food the next its toys then beds etc so best to feed them apart. Also means they are both relaxed and not stressed at all when eating dinner!


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