Bitches starting to show signs of potential fighting

[Susie6783]

I have a 4 year old springer bitch (neutered) and a 2 year cocker bitch (not done).

Around Christmas the cocker was due in to season and the springer was being a tit and wanted to play with her and the cocker went for her. The fight was broken up but the cocker managed to get on top. The springer was not happy and was eyeing her all day and they had to be supervised closely. They have settled down and now the cockers season has been and passed. Obviously she is still hormonal and will be being neutered in April.

Within all of this my partner and I broke up. The cocker is his and the springer is mine.

Then yesterday the two pups we also have were playing and the springer again was being a tit and wanted to play too. The cocker had come and to sit by my leg and the springer got to close and she dived for her. I only had to raise my voice and say stop and they both stop. The cocker took herself to her crate and the springer debated following. So I crated the pair of them for an hour to cool down and then they came out and they were fine.

I am fully aware that the cocker was guarding me at this point and she is fully aware she is not allowed to. They are both fully trained gundogs and both work. So they do have a job and are walked regularly and get the training and stimulation they require.

My concerns is that with my partner having left, they are all now trying to gain my attention. I'm hoping he will find a house with a garden and he can potentially take the cocker with him, as I do not want this to escalate. The house is currently separated by a stair gate, due to all his shooting bits being in the hall. I am hoping to open up the house and give the dogs the ability to take themselves upstairs and sit with the kids, so they are not so reliant on me. I'm hoping this will help because at the moment they are all trying to get to me for attention.

Is it worth getting one of the kids to bond with the cocker and take over with her and see if that helps? To be fair she spends most of the time in my sons room who is 13 and she just curls up on his bed with him.

Both dogs sleep on my bed with me and the pups downstairs in crates. Is it worth putting her into my boys room over night and seeing if she is reliant on someone else that it might ease the strain with the springer?

The springer had 8.5k worth of surgery last year due to having fissures and is now fully back to herself. However she is the beta and sits under me in pack order.

I do not want this escalating to the point of re-homing.

Any suggestions? I would like to nip it in the bud now before one gets hurt

The pups and 1 (cocker boy) and 9.5month (lab). No issues with them

How many dogs are there all together? Is it 4?

So there are four dogs in total? Two cockers, a lab and a springer?

Yes four in total

4 year old springer bitch

2 year old cocker bitch

1 year old cocker dog

9.5 month old lab bitch

It's the older two I'm having issues with

I am not a very experienced dog owner as we have only ever had 2 at max, but I would think that the problem will keep on and maybe increase as the pups get older and everybody finds their place in the pack. My limited experience a yorkshire terrier who was very defensive of his place on the bed so dont know if this may pop up.

I think you have to get him to take his dog and find another temporary home for it, if the dogs are finding a human each to be defensive over then it may not improve, but like I said my experience is very limited and hopefully somebody with more knowledge will be able to be more helpful :)

Should say, Part of my limited experience included a yorkshire terrier :)

I'm sorry that you find yourself in this situation.

You might get some helpful answers on one of the many FB gundog training forums, from people who are used to dealing with well-trained dogs of these breeds.

Will they be getting regular training now that the season is over, and your ex-partner not there (I assume)? Because bored dogs are a lot more likely to kick off.

I would keep the two apart for at least 90 days after the dogs season finished. Progesterone levels will be very high in your dog and that can hugely alter their mood and behaviour.

I would not be introducing major changes at this time but obviously keep the two apart and see how things go as she settles down after her season.

Keep things calm, peaceful and stressfree If she gains comfort from being with you at the moment I would go with that

@PollyRoulllson so might be worth keeping her upstairs with my boy then and keeping them separated as best as I can. Then hopefully it will settle a bit and then see how it goes.

The last thing I want to be doing in rehoming her.

I knew she was hormonal when it first happened and that's what I was hoping it is

@EdithStourton yes

Took the cocker boy and springer for a 4 mile walk this morning and then the cocker bitch and lab for a 2 miles heel walking and steadiness session after.

I need them all ready for the season. Once the group training session go up, we will be heading to those to.

Normally I break them into solos and do quick training sessions but I like to head out on Sundays

@Susie6783, that's all good then.

My older dog is currently lame, but I had the younger one out this afternoon for exactly the same as you, steadiness and heelwork!

@EdithStourton heel work is the bane of my existence 😫 but they are both good as gold of lead.

They then get 10 minutes of freedom at the park and that's it. The aim is to be able to walk them for 4 miles at heel.

The lab because she is so young is pushing her boundaries and I need to nip that in the bud asap. So once I can get them round the 4 miles without a try for freedom, then I will start doing some retrieving and hunting with them.

The boy is insane for 1. His recall is impeccable and his hunting and retrieving is the same. His stop is heading in the right direction as well.

The springer is the perfect pet dog. After having 9.5 months out last year with no training what so ever, she did the season no problems. Admittedly a very squeaky dog now. Which she never was before it all. She finds everything super exciting. Thing with her is you can sit her up and walk away and throw dummies everywhere and she doesn't flinch. Dummy launcher is the same. The second the gun came out.. gone 🤦🏻‍♀️. Luckily we only work a small shoot and it didn't matter. My trainer said just leave her in the car until the end if needed and then get her out after. Keep another one out for runners and then it doesn't impact. So the aim is buy a 4x4 this year 🤣.

What's up with your older one?

Luckily we only work a small shoot and it didn't matter.
Ditto. My older one is my first gundog and my training has not been the best, so a little local shoot is the best place for us. She hunts like an absolute demon, so her many sins are forgiven by the keeper.

She's hurt her front leg - seems to be a sprain, so she's stuck on the lead. She's in for a summer of steadiness work, and I'm doing an online gundog training course as well as training with a keeper...

@EdithStourton sounds like a good plan.

The springer pulled a muscle and it took months to heal. So if you have a local hydrotherapy then see if you can get her in.

Steadiness is the way to go. Makes it so much easier if you don't have to worry.

The springer was my first as well and it has never been easy with her but now at 4. Other than the issues that are currently presenting, she's as good as gold. Reliable and you know she will never bugger off. I can concentrate on the younger ones on the shoot and she's always there, hunting and doing what she needs to do. Finds the birds. I used to drop her off when the other half/ex went Pidgeon shooting and she always found them all. He would be packing up and she would appear with another 3 or 4 🤣. Saying that she found one our walk today 🤢. All I kept thinking was please no maggot 🤢, luckily took it by its leg and threw it in a ditch as it had a nice big green hole all the way through it 🤦🏻‍♀️