[Dailydrool] fightinh.

[Susan Kitz]

I had 2 male, littermates both weighing over 100 lbs.  The got along fine when young, both were neutered and suddenly at around 18 months the began fighting.   These were terrible , fierce fighting that ran up huge bet bill.s  . i was aware of sme of the psoturing and if I saw it I woud send them outside.  They rarely fought outside.  I t took putting one on Prosac to stop the fighting.  They were mutts of many different breed and it would have been difficult to rehome one.     They never fought with their sister, though Vega snarked at ther once or twice.  In their puppy hood the little female rkuled the roost.  With the bassets  it would seem Beau is the alpha now that Buttercup is gone.  He tends to get into fights with the fosters, usually over food and will snark at them now and then.  The fights are easily broken up.  One of the worst fights was between Ruby an feisty little female and Beau. over an empty dish,  but he did send Roxanne to the emergency room for some stitches when she first arrived.  Both Buttercup and Beau ganged up on her and she got cornered before I could get to he them.    Usually she would just run away.  None of the basset fights are as bad as the two brothers.    I admire the person with 5 beagles.  I am fostering one  beautiful male between 1-2 yrs and he is very energetic.  He is always enticing a basset to play, digging his way to China hunting varmints, or telling the coyotes what for in the dark. He zips around the yard with the bassets baying at him, everyone flying around trying to catch him.  Somewhere along the line his tail was broken and e=healed without medical attention so it always tilts up..  He is my foster from the local group.  They go to the shelters and pounds and pull from the ones that are to be put down.  Every dog I fostered for them has been a darling, loving  and very lovable dog.  I also have two foster basset both very laid back,  Quincy is my first unaltered dog in a long time.  He is so sweet that except for his determination to hump the beagle, he has never cause a problem.  Truffles, the beagle made it clear he was not putting up with such rude behavior so Quincy stopped and the 2 of them play very nciely together.  I do avoid bones or chews.  They love them but that is when there is a lot of growling and posturing and the occasional fight.  Roxy sneaks off with them and hides them downstairs in "her" room.  It seems no matter how carefully I make sue each one has their own and even have a few extra no one is pleased.  They want the other guy's chew.   and when there are only bits left fights erupt even with the most mild mannered. Most disagreements are over food and chews, when I hand out treats they know I give everybody some.  Only Honey will snap at any dog who dares to come near her Dadperson.  He is HERS, so there Roxanne.  Den calls her the Cobra because she strikes out with lightening speed.  She pouts when Roxy or Dutch gets her spot before she can get it.  Roxy has been know to sneak along the back of the sofa and slide down the sofa of so carefully so she has her spot next to DadPerson and behind a sleeping Honey.  Sleeping arrangements ae very fluid and depends on who can get where first.  Den gone to bed early with book in hand and falls asleep and whoever can grab the best spots in the bed do so , the others make do with dog beds or sofas or the bean bag.  I have noticed that if the basset acts very puppyish (or beagle or a whatever) they are often indulged by the others and allowed to find a spot on the bed.  We, however, are not always that lucky if a night time trip to the bathroom is required.  Leave your spot at your own peril, upon return it will be filled with a soundly sleeping dog that expanded and now weighs twice as much,  Den has tried sneaky things like making kitchen snaking noises with limited success.  I usually try the wiggle and butt ush method or give up entirely and grab a blanket and pillow and head for the sofa.  
 		 	   		  
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