Hi, I was hoping someone out there might have some advice for us and our dogs. We have Golden Retrievers, but I hoped someone might have a similar experience or advice... Our 5 yr old GR recently had her first (and only) litter of 7. The puppies are now almost 10 weeks and have started going to their new homes last week. We decided to keep one of the puppies for ourselves who we named Daisy. We still have one puppy left who hasn't been placed yet. The problem is that Daisy and this last remaining puppy aren't getting along well. Within the last 2 week Daisy has started to fight, unprovoked, with the other puppy. The other puppy doesn't even fight back anymore, she just struggles to get away and wimpers. It seems to have gone past the "puppy fighting" phaze into something else. Sometimes everyone plays in a manner fitting to normal puppy play, but Daisy will latch on to this other puppy several times a day and get (what seems) overly agressive with her. The growling is different, the biting seems different and the other puppy wants no part in it--she just wimpers and struggles to get away from Daisy.

Our older dog (the mother) has a slight interest in what is happening, but generally doesn't do anything to help the other puppy from getting beaten up by Daisy. Daisy isn't overly agressive with any other of her siblings from the litter, nor with us humans. Any ideas why she picks on this one puppy? How can we help control it? It's gotten to the point that we don't want to leave them alone in the yard anymore for fear that Daisy will hurt the other puppy. No real damage yet from the fights other than some scraps and wet fur, but it definitely is unsettling and slightly frightening. Has anyone else had a similar experieince with one puppy from a litter not "liking" another puppy from their litter. Until we are able to place the last puppy with a good family, we worry about the dynamics and someone getting hurt. Currently we are trying to catch it before it happens and turn Daisy on her back and tell her no....we also have resorted to getting a spray bottle to try and break up fights that start before we can stop them. I don't think Daisy responds to the spray as much as us pulling her off her sibling.....Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Keep the puppies apart. Don't let Daisy around the other pup. This could cause for the other pup to become dog aggressive if she continues to get beat up. Keep them crated in different crates and only one out in the yard at a time. Find a home for the other puppy quickly.

Keep them separated. You are running the risk of turning Daisy into a dog-aggressive dog.

Eventually, she will decide the only way to protect herself is to strike first. When the lesson is learned this early, it will be learned very well. That will be major PITA to deal with and you may never resolve it.

Since the other dog is going someplace else, there is no reason for them to spend time together.

Dogs aren't people -- they do things for their own reasons. Mama dog doesn't care one bit about fair. Daisy is probably wondering why you, the pack leader, aren't protecting her.

For a more detailed response on preventing dog aggression in puppies, see Ed's discussion in

Question & Answers on Puppies

Look for the question titled "Can you give me some ideas on how to get my litter off on the right foot so the pups are not dog aggressive?"

I'll leave the issue of raising two bitches in the same household for others. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />