I am in real trouble with my dogs. I have 4: Luci 15 year old Shep mix,Olive 10 year old Pit Bull,Scarlett who is Olives 8 year old daughter Pit Bull/Boxer mix, and Harley 6 year old Hound mix. Over the past 4 years Scarlett and Harley have attacked Olive 3 times. These attacks are not just nipping, I have had to take Olive to emergency and this past fight I had to take Harley to emergency. I don't know what triggers these fights because I'm either out of the room or have my back turned when it happens. But each time a fight occurs, Scarlett would be clamped on to Olives back end and Harley would be clamped on to Olives neck. They would be shaking her back and forth and she never has a chance to fight back. The first time it happened I was outside throwing the ball for Harley. At one point I threw the ball and Luci went for the ball. Harley ran for the ball to get it before Luci and bumped into Olive (who was just standing there). Out of nowhere Harley attacked Olive (I don't know if Olive nipped at Harley when they collided) and then Scarlett jumped in. I ended up in the hospital because I freaked out while trying to get them off of Olive. I just got bit on the thumb and I don't blame the dogs for the bite. The second time it happened I was leaving the house and after I closed the door I heard the dogs going crazy. When I ran back in Scarlett and Harley were attacking Olive again. The most recent incident (which just happened yesterday), someone had rang the doorbell (which makes my dogs go crazy). I had Olive, Harley, and Scarlett behind a gate in the kitchen. I went to answer the door (meanwhile all three dogs are barking like mad) and started talking to the person at the door. The next thing I know the barking stops and the attacking starts. I calmly excused myself from the person at the door and went to the kitchen. Yet again, Harley has Olive by the neck and Scarlett has Olive by the back end jut shaking her. I grabbed Harley and threw him outside and then I grabbed Scarlett and threw her in the bathroom. I have no idea what to do about this. All three times have happened when it was just me at home. My husband has never witnessed these events. I don't know why they went for Olive these three times. Other times Olive and Harley play like two pups and Scarlett gets along fine with Olive, but when Scarlett and Harley are together they just have to team up on Olive. I can't afford any more emergency bills and I'm so afraid that my son may end up in the middle of one of these fights. We are thinking about finding a new home for one of the dogs but I just don't want to give up on them. I want my entire pack to live in harmony. Please help me, I have no clue what to do or how to go about correcting this situation. I know you talk about crating the dogs but I would rather find them a new home rather than isolate them all the time. The fact that they get along 95% of the time baffles me. They show no other aggression with food, toys (which I don't leave around just to avoid any fights), etc. I really want to give my dogs the best life possible. I know that Harley and Scarlett have formed alpha roles but I want them to know that my husband and I are top dog and that we won't tolerate this behavior. I'm just not sure how to go about doing it. I really am in desperate need of your advice. Please help.

http://www.germanshepherds.com/ubbthread...p;page=0#640483
http://leerburg.com/dominantdogs.htm
http://www.leerburg.com/dominac2.htm
http://www.leerburg.com/dogfight.htm
http://www.leerburg.com/301.htm
http://www.leerburg.com/dog-agg.htm
http://www.leerburg.com/domdogdirectory.htm

Read all those and all links within and get the Dominant Dog video. Separate all the dogs, become a firm, fair, respected leader to your dogs. There is no quick fix, everything you must do involves permanent lifestyle changes. If you cannot do this, rehome all but one of the dogs.

Oh Lord. You're not kidding about being in real trouble. Off the top of my head, the problems I see are:

4 dogs unsupervised, all of breeds known to have aggressive tendencies

Mother/daughter in same household-not good

Not wanting to crate? Are you kidding? Oh yes, it's much more humane to allow dogs to tear each other to pieces or uproot them from their longtime home...sorry to be sarcastic, but you need to rethink this one. FAST.

The ones who appear to be the aggressors may or may not be who is truly to blame. (They're animals, so really, none are to blame-the only blame falls on the handler.)IMO, playing anything with 2 dogs at once is not a good idea, and an attack that occurs with 2 dogs and ONE ball is certainly not my idea of "out of nowhere."

You need, IMO: a change in thinking, crates, prongs, dominant dog collars, muzzles, e-collars, or any combination of the aforementioned.

"PARAGRAPHS AND WHEN TO USE THEM"
http://www.bobbrooke.com/WritersCorner/paragraphswhentouse.htm

OMG, Will! <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> I used the UTMOST restraint in not even going there, and was sooo proud of myself. I felt I'd been "mean" (read-honest) enough.

Tina, please take what Diana and Jenni have said seriously - very seriously. While it's a wonderful notion to think of yourself as a dog lover wanting a pack full of harmony, it takes a LOT of work, and very active involvement on your part, and the part of your other family members. 95% harmony isn't good enough, as you have already figured out.

PLEASE get some crates now and keep your dogs separated until you can sort out a better plan. Yep - that will require more of your time, attention and family coordination to make sure each dog has it's social time and exercise with the family, etc. Please don't allow the poor dog "caught in the middle" of these fights to continue with that experience.

Please be ready - taking the current "victim" out of the mix (separation) could possibly lead to the instigators ganging up on the other one - or some other unpleasant pack change - if you're not in full control of the situation.

Good luck - been there - I know it's tough.

Beth

ETA: I edited the first sentence where I meant to reference Jenni's post - not yours Tina, X 2.

I wasn't trying to be mean, it's just that a big block of type like the above poster's won't be read by most people - paragraphs are a big help in reading comprehension.

Tina, I want to mention something so there's no misunderstanding. In my post I said that all your breeds have been known to be aggressive. I don't want you or anyone else to think that I'm being biased b/c of breeds at all.

My house at this very moment includes 2 male GSDs, a female APBT, and a male Chihuahua. I have had issues w/the GSD and Chi. I am speaking from experience, not prejudice, and am not trying to be overly harsh, but unfortunately, your situation is already far worse than mine has gotten, since you've actually had a dog seriously injured. I have to be extremely diligent in my supervision and rotation of my dogs to keep my Chi alive. He is the aggressor, but I can't allow him to be killed, even if he deserves it. <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

You need to make it a goal to NEVER have another incident between your dogs. Any less is a failure on your part, and not the "fault" of any dog. Having said that, I wish you well; it is a very tough situation.

Will, I know. It's true. I was hoping I could help so I kept at it, but I almost gave up reading that b/c, well, b/c I'm lazy, that's why. <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

I agree with everything you say. I didn't mean I didn't want to crate, it's just that I need to know what to do and how to train them so that I won't have to crate them for the rest of their lives.
I don't think crating them 24/7 is an answer to the problem. I've watched how Cesar Millan has taken dog aggressive dogs and housed them in a pack of 50 plus dogs with no issues. I need to know how to go about training the dogs and myself (and husband).
I've stopped using one toy to play with multiple dogs after the 1st fight years ago. Now I use the frisbee for Scarlett and the Kong for Harley, throwing in opposite directions. Have had no problems, but then again these two seem to be very bonded and I think that may be one of the issues.Olive is not much of a fetcher so she just goes on long walks.
My husband always allowed all the dogs on the furniture but I just put an end to that and no dogs sleep in our bedroom or our sons.They all sleep in seperate rooms divided by dog gates (childproofing has helped with that) They all are trained to go to their designated eating corners and know to sit before they eat.
I'm now teaching my son basic commands for the dogs so that they see him as a leader. He makes them sit and places the dish bowls for them, he makes them wait before he walks down the stairs or outside. Given, he is only 2 1/2, he is getting the hang of it and the dogs are learning.
Scarlett may have a neurological issue which I'm looking into and I'm wondering if it could make her prone to sudden aggressive outbursts. And the 3 fights all seemed to have ocurred when Olive was barking because of a stranger at the door or outside except for the 1st incident with the ball. It was almost like Harley and Scarlett were correcting her for getting out of hand but taking it way to far. Does this make any sense?
Please, understand, I am a devoted dog owner and I have trained my dogs (Scarlett and Harley since they were 4 weeks old) Olive and Luci (since I rescued them, each being @ 1-2 years old)Scarlett who I think has the dominance issue has even gotten her Canine Good Citizen Certificate. I have slacked off since I had my son. Time is very precious when you have 4 dogs and a 2 year old to focus on. I admit the dogs have been put on the back burner but the fighting began long before I was even pregnant.
(Did I do better paragraph wise?)

Sorry guys. I just read the paragraph thing. I will try to be "paragraph correct" in future posts. Just had to much to say and ended up rambling.