Nice post Alex I feel for ya, but you do get to see dogs/wolves in their natural state. So while you are in a little bit of danger, delight in it.

I don't think I have that problem, the Male GSD breaks the fight up when I let him. If their playing to rough or doing something I don't like I can lower my voice and step in between them and they are all in a down, the Rottie gets some distance then she downs, the Alpha male downs at my feet.

Though they are dogs with a lot of energy and spirit they see me as Alpha, not that they don't try to push me around sometimes when we play, but its when I want to and I can call quit anytimes I want to. Right in the middle of a intense tug of war I'll issue the "out" command and in no time at all, its over.

Dogs are a lot different then wolves or mixes/wolves so my situation is more controllable then yours. One reason is because the Black GSD will never be left alone with the Rottie. I'll treat the Rottie as the Alpha bitch but she won't ever dominate the female GSD.

The female GSD will (like the Male use to),want to play with the Vaccumm cleaner while its on. The Rottie/pit would run from it, when its on. But (torn up the bag holder and hoses), kill it when its off, and no-one is around. She is a sneaky bitch, I know that. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

my 18 months male doberman is dog aggressive, is it ok if i get a female? will they get along? they will live inside together

Chances are NO. I had a male GSD that I got when he was 2yo. He was the most dog aggressive dog I have ever seen. I knew the dog before i got him and he would attack ANY dog. Male, female and puppies of both sexes. If he is realy that aggressive and you bring another dog into HIS house and leave them alone together. He MAY kill it. If you decide to get another dog just use EXTREME caution.

When introducing the old dog to a puppy, you might want to muzzle him ( the old dog). Ed sells a nice muzzle and also has articles on introducing new dogs to each other.

Alex wrote: they'd bite me in the tail when my back was turned,
hey Alex, do you really have a tail???

I have one bitch 3 years old GSD (spayed), one GSD dog (intact)two years old ,a Jack Russell Terrier,(neutered) and an eight year old Sheltie/Chow Mix.(spayed) They all live in my home with me, however I would not recommend this for most people. Both of my Shepherds are obedience trained and in February we go to get tested for therapy dog certification. I definately have to keep the JR put up in a room to himself when ever I leave the house, he has a typical terrier mentality and has challenged the GSD. So they are never ever left alone together.
The Sheltie/Chow Mix is the Alpha bitch, but again they are all seperated when I leave.

Any chance of a "happily ever after" once two previously compatible dogs have fought to injury stage?

My 3 year old Lab attacked my year old Rhodesian X Boxer X male with no apparent provocation. (adopted stray, no bagkgound)
She is a timid, soft placid dog; he is over the top confident, domiant and intense with a strong prey drive.

They had been always together best play buddies for about 6 months. At the time of the fight the male was going though a growing stage of trying to figure out how dominant he could be. (I've subsequently answered that question for him.)

I suspect he had been bullying her before I got home and she had just had enough. She quickly submitted but he continued to savage. She was fighting to make a point but he jumped straight to the fight to kill stage.

I kept them apart after I broke the fight up, got some professional help with my leadership techniques and re-doubled obedience training with the male.

Happy to say over several months we've gotten to the point where they can be relaxed in the house together if he is tethered. They can be walked together (him on lead), and they've even spent some time loose together. Under my nervous-eyed supervision, of course.

I read the advice to keep them apart during the day and have built another fenced yard for the Lab. They sleep in different parts of the house at night.

Neither is dog aggressive and both seem to enjoy the other in the times when they are together. There's been no whiff of any further aggression.

I'm confident with the controlled stage they are at. Should I keep working to get them back to the free roaming co-habiting playmates they used to be? Am I being a cautious whimp or is this the best outcome I can expect?

Would appreciate the advice of others.

Since they have gotten to the "fight to the death" stage, I personally wouldn't push it. If they were mine I would NEVER leave them unsupervised again. No matter how god they act when you are there.

Answer: No

Two incompatible males cannot be made to be friends. Once I thought maybe they could if they had a chance before harm came to one another. Looking at dominance and tossing in the idea that they would find a winner and a looser and abracadabra this problem would be solved.

I have never seen it yet.
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Kim
I confess. I have no tail, not now, not ever. (Although I'd love to have one, like cats have, they seem a very expressive accessory. I could fluff it up at the dogs when they were fighting).

Linda I would work on that when you are around when they try to fight down both of them, call the aggressor to you down him/her and tell him "No".

I can stop aggression from my dogs with a command, usually there is no problem. Between the two that are together there is hardly any problem, they play rough together but no real aggression that I can see. There is an occassional scars on her fore head, but I never see this happen.

I think that having them play together under a watchful eye is the best bet. The Lab if she fighting in self defense will probably fight harder next time, escalating the bigger dogs aggression. You need to caught this and stop it before him before he gets started. With the above responce or something similar. Let him know that rough play is Ok, but real aggression will not be tolarated.
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You have done right to get invovled, and take control this situation. If you having a problem tell when he get rough stop it, when he starts making eye contact and their hair on their back raise up.