dog fighting

[mastiffzmom]

Hi, I have a 2 year old intact male mastiff (truman) a spayed 4 year old mastiff (cloe) and a 12 year old intact male little river (sam).All was well in our world until sometime last month when my boys took a liking to cloe.For some reason they wouldnt leave her alone smelling, licking, following her around...even licking the floor where she'd been laying after she got up.This went on for alomst a week and then our usually gentel calm truman attacked sam.I wasn't sure what to think.He's never displayed that type of behavior before... & there was no warning leading up to the attack....just BAM truman on sam....he did it again about a week later. The first thing I did was make an appointment to have truman neutered but he can't get in until dec3. I'm hoping this will stop the behavior.I've been keeping the boys seperated except for a few hours here & there with truman on a leash.He doesn't show any kind of aggression towards me, my husband, or my kids but it was a very tramatizing event, & i dont trust him around sam unleashed. I started to the nothing in life is free program with truman & it seems to be going well but we never really had any issues with him before.There has to something I can do with them without putting sam at risk.Anybody have any advice????

[Karen]

Is there a reason Sam is intact? Neutering both boys will likely cut down on a whole lot of the tension. You are doing the right thing being cautious, and the NILF program cannot hurt.

[mastiffzmom]

No reason...he was my first dog.I got him when i was 16 so it was lack of knowledge. I learned from him & he was our only dog until I got the mastiffs.By then the vet didn't recomend it because of his age.Truman on the other hand we got to breed.He's ckc reg. & has had all his health tests so it's a shame to have him neutered but I can't have him guarding cloe all the time...

[Karen]

Yes, it is better to get it done and life will be much calmer, I promise.

[mastiffzmom]

I sure hope so.It's a long way until december though to keep them seperated & a total pain in the @$$ lol I have more gates in my house now than when my kids were babies! I had them together today during supper (truman on leash of course) & all was well.Sam never ever starts with truman which is good.I'm just wondering what has them so attracted to cloe...she is fixed after all.

[Sighthounds4me]

I would take Chloe to the vet, with a urine sample. It' spossible she has a urinary tract infection (UTI) or vaginal infection.

My spayed bitch gets a vaginal infection on occasion, and that gets the boys (yes, even the neutered one) very interested in her. A course of antibiotics usually clears it up.

I do agree that neutering a large bred dog, like a Mastiff, before he is 18 - 24 months old is not always a good thing. But the dimple fact that he is registered is not a good enough reason to breed him. In addtion, I have a question: what "CKC" are you referring to? If you mean Continental Kennel Club, GET HIM NEUTERED!!! Cont. KC is worthless, and will register a pair of socks if you provide a pedigree.

If you mean Canadian KC, you can show him, if his breeder considers him show quality. But I would discuss this with the breeder, as he/she would probably want to help you in any breeding ventures anyway.

But if he is not to be shown, or bred responsibly, please do get him neutered.