Fighting poodles

[unhappy]

Ok i really need some advice. We have two mini poodles that we love dearly. I bought them on christmas eve 2 years ago as they were the last two dogs in the pet shop and i love poodles. we bought them home and they were great dogs. They were the only two in the litter so they are very close. Now when they were around 6 months old harry actually bit my DH... It was kind of my DHs fault as harry was asleep on the bed and Dh went up and layed next to him. it obviously scared harry and he woke and latched onto my DHs face. i had to rush him to the hospital and he had 12 stitches to two puncture wounds and alot of swelling and grazing.
When we found out i was pg i was a little worried about harry with the baby. Ralph is so placid and wouldnt hurt a fly but harry just seems more agressive. They started fighting around 6 months before me due date. now i dont mean growling i am talking vicious physical fights that always seem to end in ralph getting bitten. i have spent soooo much money on vet bills it is not funny. treating bite wound after bite wound. i know i prob dont have to take him to the vet every time but my dogs are very spoilt. We have spoken to the vet on numerous occasions about this as i am very concerned now that bub is 7mo ald is getting mobile.. i keep the dogs away from bub as much as i can but its the what ifs that worry me.
Ralph is the dominant one and i think thats the reason that harry is picking fights with him all the time. Harry bites and ralph just pins him down on his back.
Has anyone had this problem before with two dogs? The sleep on the landing at the top of the stairs and for the last few nights have had a fights and the fights are so loud and vicious we have to break them up and the baby wakes up screaming and doesnt settle again all night.
Harry is just such an angry vicious dog. he growls when you touch him sometimes and he almost bit me last night when i went to get out of bed and he was beside the bed. I am at the point where i am considering finding him a new home. this is not something i want to do but i cant keep having this going one. i am worried for ralph, the baby and myself!
Who would have thought poodles could behave this way:rolleyes:
any advice would be great.
alysia

[mumslilspunks]

Are they desexed?

[mumslilspunks]

The reason i ask is we had to male dogs, (large dogs) and they started with the fighting when i was pregnant. After my son was born it got pretty bad and we decided that it was time that we had them both desexed. It worked for us.

[Mum2Tyla]

Hi,
first question are they sterilised if the answer is yes I would speak to a behavioralist as this behaviour is not normal or acceptable, there is always one dominant dog but if your dog is biting you it means it feels it is domniant over you, it is nothing to do with the breed.
Kelly:)

[unhappy]

the dogs are not desexed. our vet has advised us to only desex harry and not ralph. do you think this is wise? and will desexing them stop the fighting? as the vet has told us that it probably wont?

[Mum2Tyla]

I would say to desex the dominant one first, if you have two male dogs together you should always sterilie them at around six months but with the situation as it is now do the dominant one and it amy help, it may not, there is no way i would have these dogs around a child, it is definately not worth the risk, even with sterilising they may not improve because of there age alot of the behaviours are now learnt not just hormonal, any behaviouralist will tell you to sterilise them and go from there. I would try sterilising Ralph it definately cant hurt. Good luck
Kelly

[liah]

Both dogs should be desexed. There are too many unwanted dogs sitting in the pound and because of this all pet dogs should be desexed. Good luck :fingerscrossed:

[jem_1981]

I have to boy dogs and being the mixed breeds they are (Staffy X Poodle X) we were advised to have them desexed for;

*wandering
*fighting (2 males)
* to prevent further unwanted dogs

the boys were desexed @ 6months and they are pretty good, they play fight, run & tumble around together, the only time i've seen it a bit serious (between themselves) is when they have a bone each and 1 wants to see what the other 1 has. :rolleyes:

if that doesn't work - behaviour therapy - maybe a day or 2 with Victoria :laughing:

JMO

[Squiggles]

Just wondering if you give more attention to Ralph than Harry? Could be a jelousy thing... and I guess the more aggressive Harry is the less likely you are to want to pat him or show him affection.

We have 2 dogs and the smaller of the two picks fights with the larger one - bites in between his legs and bites his gums - jumps at him and growls. Mainly because she is so small and unitnentionally by DH and I she gets less attention - eg Our big dog is at the height of our waist so when you walk past him he is at that height where you naturtally just touch him... the little one misses out as you physically need to bend to pat her and make an effort which we do - but she still gets jelous. She is constantly being told off because she gets aggressive which again doesnt help.

Could perhaps be similar for you? Just sahring our experience in case it could help. Good luck anyway.