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A few months ago, we adopted two pups from the same litter. They are blue heeler/ Victorian bulldog mixes and they are the loves of our lives. Well they got into a few pretty bad fights, and we figured that they were just puppies and were just playing around. Well one day, they got into a HUGE fight to the point that one was dripping blood. From that point on, we have had to keep them separated- one of them is in the cage constantly. This is not fair to us or them, considering they are cattle dogs and shouldn’t ever be confined to such a small area so often. Plus it is nearly impossible to potty train them like this. So now we have two dogs who potty everywhere and fight with one another if they’re ever near each other. We desperately need help!
Can someone Please help and advise. My 11month bulldog walter woke out of his sleep tonight and began an intense head bobbing movement- he seemed to be conscious i got him to follow me to his water bowl. This “episode” lasted maybe 3 or 4 mins i give him a small treat and he went back to sleep.. hes just woken and had another bobbing head episode. I read a few pages and give him a lick of sugar and he settled with me tickling his belly… has anyone dealt with this?? Im worried sick.
Hi Charlotte, I’m also in the UK …we answer questions on here from a lot of countries.
This episode with Walter needs Veterinary attention. We cannot diagnose on here but this could be anything from a seizure to a mini stroke to something lacking in his blood/diet…..and needs professional assessment to find out what is going on.
I hope Walter is ok and try to keep him calm and quiet until you can get him to a Vet later today hopefully. Good luck.
Charlotte, did it look like this? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnaSrQhsrF4
That video is crazy I have never seen anything like that. Sounds like maybe the calcium tablets might help? I hope he gets better!
Yes that is excactly as he was doing..he seems his usual gorgeous self today
I have 2 dogs and 3 cats. One dog is an American Bulldog mix and the other is a chihuahua rat terrier mix. I’m trying to house train them to behave around the cats, but it’s not going so well with my elderly cat. The 2 young female cats just run upstairs or up the cat tree if they want to avoid the dogs, but my elderly cat can’t really do that, and he just simply moves maybe 5 steps away in the same room, pretty much feeling trapped. When the dogs approach, first he just shuts down, and if the dogs come close, he hisses and bats at the dogs.
Right now there is a cheap baby gate separating his territory (the dining room and kitchen) from the dog room (the living room) but I’d like to make more areas available to him, since he seems to see all other areas as “not his territory.” If taken to any other room, he kicks the person holding him and escapes. (He can’t jump over the baby gate.)
What should I do in this situation? Is there any hope for getting him to be less uneasy around the other animals?
While it’s true that I shouldn’t physically carry him places to see if he likes being in those areas, the point is, if maybe he could see upstairs as a safe place, he would actually have somewhere to run to when he feels threatened by the dogs. I’ve heard that having “cat safe spaces” should help when trying to get cats and dogs used to each other. He definitely does mind a lot when they are in the same room, and I do find him to be afraid. I guess it’s your call though, since I am much newer to cats, so what do I know.
Well you see, I’d like to allow the dogs to come and go through the house. Right now, they only are allowed in their crates and in the living room under strict supervision, but always having to do that is very draining. I’d like to have them wander around the house one day just like the humans and cats in my house. But I can’t really do that because the cat-dog relations are an issue… However, if Loki would see upstairs as a safe place to be, maybe he could try hanging out up there. But he doesn’t want to. My question is, how can I make more spaces inviting for him, as an elderly declawed cat? He doesn’t seem to be able to go the cat tree because lack of claws.
My girlfriend and I are getting 2 french bulldog puppies. How long do use a crate after they are done housing training? I feel once they are house broken they should be free to roam. She feels they should always have it.
Hi Brian……..its your decision of course but I would never advise anyone to get two puppies at the same time. Wait until the first one is 18 months or so then get another one.
Anyhow…..back to crates. Its really up to the individual whether you crate your dogs or not. They are very useful though. Never use them as a punishment, crates should be a happy place for dogs to go. If you cover them, leaving the door section uncovered they make a great “den” and dogs love dens.
If you decide to carry on with the crates after housetraining you can leave the door open for the dog to go in and out as they wish. If you need to go out and make sure the dog is safe pop them in the crates. Its really not fair to leave a dog locked up for hours though. You can buy water bowls which clip on the crate so the dog has water too.
Unless you are absolutely certain your dogs will be safe to roam around the house, plants are gone so they can’t chew on them ect then I would definately keep the crates.
Good luck and have fun with your puppies!
Why do you suggest waiting to get the second puppy? Our biggest fear is the puppy having seperation anxiety and feel with two puppies (siblings) they would comfort eachother.
I leave work at 6 and am home by 4, my girlfriend leaves work at 8:30 and is home at 5:30 but plans to come home at noon to let them out. How long is too long to have them in the crate?
Hi again Brian, I understand your logic of having two puppies if you both work. Make sure you get a nice big cage so they have room to move-and think of them as adults when you buy it.
This is my personal opinion and I probably shouldn’t be airing it here lol
Having a puppy is, believe me, like having a baby in the house. To care for one puppy, housetrain, basic training, socialising and financial costs (believe me there will be) is very hard work and time consuming. To do all this for two is twice all of the above.
However, if you and your girlfriend are both prepared to dedicate a lot of time and effort to a puppy each it would work.
As for how long to leave them in crates….I know people leave puppies and dogs in them day in day out. Yours would have to be in crates for quite a while as you both work.
I guess its up to the owner but you may have problems with housetraining them….puppies ideally need to be put outside every hour or so for them to get the message.
I’m probably the wrong person to ask about this as I wouldn’t let a puppy go to someone who works all day…..again my personal opinion.
You seem to have given this a lot of thought and I’m sure it will all work out….it will be hard work for you both to start with though.
So good luck and enjoy your dogs.. I hope you have many happy years together. ?
Have a female American Bulldogog at the end of a heat cycle. She will be spayed Very soon. However, she has started fighting with my other female, an Alapaha Bulldog. Unspayed dog new to house 4 weeks no problems until a few days ago.
This sounds like a recipe for disaster. I would spay both of your dogs ASAP. In my experience, fights between new pack members always begun 4-6 weeks after the new dog arrived. There is kind of an initial grace period where everyone is adjusting, getting comfortable, and figuring out what the rules are in the home. Having to intact dogs is only going to intensify a problem that may already be there. I truly hope that spaying you dogs will be the solution to your problem, however if it is not I would recommend an trainer how specializes in dog aggression.
We spay all,of our dogs. The only one that isn’t is the new edition. We were told that she had been already. Took her in for a check up and found out she was just beginning a heat. We are waiting for that heat cycle to end. She is a sweet dog and they have gotten along well together until two days ago. I was questioning if the heat could cause this sudden aggression?
Sorry, it sounded like you had 2 intact females in your home. Having a dog in heat can definitely cause some aggression. I hope that is all it is
Is it safe to give a 9 1/2 year old English Bulldog a injection of diazepam5mg/ml inject./midazolam 5mg/ml without any blood work? Would this kill the dog.
Sad to say, this if a common occurrence when you adopt two males from the same litter. Either they grow up to be totally dependent on each other and can never be separated, OR they are in constant contention. How old are they? Have they been neutered? If they are over 6 months old they need to be neutered. This will help reduce the aggression.
However, it is not the cure. You need to find a behaviorist NOW! Don’t just pick any dog trainer – look for one that can come to your home and work with you there. Or one that specializes in aggression cases such as this. And sad to say – the only answer may be that you have to find one of the boys a new home. They may have developed such a dislike of each other that they will never live comfortably together.
You do desperately need help! But it is far beyond the scope of this forum. You need hands on help from a professional that can see your dogs and figure out what triggers the aggression. And in the future – remember – never get 2 puppies at one time!
They are almost a year old and have appointments scheduled to get fixed. You response is very insightful, but I do have one issue. One of them is a female. Does this make any difference? Thanks.
littermate syndrome – the issue you’re experiencing – has nothing to do with sex. it has to do with raising two puppies of the same age together and not giving them time apart for training and socializing.
and i agree with PK, this NEEDS to be handled at home. anyone giving you further advice online is being reckless. you need someone in your home, watching your dogs interact. until this can happen, continue crating each dog separately and rotating which has freedom in the house. this will help you to keep them safe from each other. every fight will get worse, every interaction will escalate, and you may end up with a dead dog if you continue to allow them to be around each other.