I have an issue that I don't think anyone will really be able to help me with but I thought I'd try. First off I'd like to say that I won't be re-homing any of these two since they are family members and are 10 and 5 years old. I have put up with this situation since before I got the 5 year old. Anyway, a little background:
My two Corgis, Mina and Bits have each been with me since they were 8 weeks old. Mina will be 10 and...well...seems a little special needs. There is something not quite right about her, even as a pup. She even would fight with my first Corgi (gone now for five years) so when Bits came along, I had already been through several dog fights. Bits can be a little timid of new things and people but very affectionate. They are both my dogs and follow me everywhere. I very rarely go to the bathroom by myself since they feel I need to be herded there in case I get lost. The fights though are another thing.
These have never taken place when no-one is around. If they did I'm sure Bits would be dead. Triggers seem to be food, toys and affection. Sometimes though, we have no idea what started it. It's extremely hard to say who starts it because there is no posturing, only Bits will growl and by that time you can't intervene because it is on.
It had been a year with no altercations so I thought with age came wisdom and that was all behind us now. At my granddaughter's birthday, my unknowing Brother-in-Law put his plate down on the ground for them to lick. I understood that one but everyone at the party was traumatized. It isn't pretty to watch and they don't stop unless they are broken up. One month later on the 4th of July, I was calling them to come in and Mina came running at Bits and T-boned her, bowling her over. The only thing is I was the only one around and could not get them to break. I had to stand there and watch it to the finish as Mina held Bits down in a throat hold. They were both bloodied.
Yesterday we had another one happen. My mud room has one of those bristle mats and hiding on it were some crumbs of chicken breading that one of the children must have dropped. It blended in perfectly. I had no idea until later what had triggered it. We were coming in from first outing of the morning and I wasn't quite awake yet. It was another brutal battle. My daughter finally heard me screaming and came from her side of the house and we broke them up. Bits has a torn ear and it looks like under her eye was scratched. The whites of her one eye is bloodshot.
What bother me is that after they have been broken up, Mina acts like nothing happened and will sit with the biggest Corgi smile on her face, like it was such good fun. Bits will sulk off to lick her wounds. They are both fine today as is usually the case. They will sniff each other's wounds and go about their day like nothing happened. Except for these outbursts, they get along great. Even yesterday when I had Mina on the back porch to separate them, Bits would not leave the door. She sat as close to Mina on the other side of the screen as possible. These dogs have never intentionally bitten a person either or they would be history.
I'm sorry this is so long and thank anyone who read it through. Is there anyone who could offer advise?
My two Corgis, Mina and Bits have each been with me since they were 8 weeks old. Mina will be 10 and...well...seems a little special needs. There is something not quite right about her, even as a pup. She even would fight with my first Corgi (gone now for five years) so when Bits came along, I had already been through several dog fights. Bits can be a little timid of new things and people but very affectionate. They are both my dogs and follow me everywhere. I very rarely go to the bathroom by myself since they feel I need to be herded there in case I get lost. The fights though are another thing.
These have never taken place when no-one is around. If they did I'm sure Bits would be dead. Triggers seem to be food, toys and affection. Sometimes though, we have no idea what started it. It's extremely hard to say who starts it because there is no posturing, only Bits will growl and by that time you can't intervene because it is on.
It had been a year with no altercations so I thought with age came wisdom and that was all behind us now. At my granddaughter's birthday, my unknowing Brother-in-Law put his plate down on the ground for them to lick. I understood that one but everyone at the party was traumatized. It isn't pretty to watch and they don't stop unless they are broken up. One month later on the 4th of July, I was calling them to come in and Mina came running at Bits and T-boned her, bowling her over. The only thing is I was the only one around and could not get them to break. I had to stand there and watch it to the finish as Mina held Bits down in a throat hold. They were both bloodied.
Yesterday we had another one happen. My mud room has one of those bristle mats and hiding on it were some crumbs of chicken breading that one of the children must have dropped. It blended in perfectly. I had no idea until later what had triggered it. We were coming in from first outing of the morning and I wasn't quite awake yet. It was another brutal battle. My daughter finally heard me screaming and came from her side of the house and we broke them up. Bits has a torn ear and it looks like under her eye was scratched. The whites of her one eye is bloodshot.
What bother me is that after they have been broken up, Mina acts like nothing happened and will sit with the biggest Corgi smile on her face, like it was such good fun. Bits will sulk off to lick her wounds. They are both fine today as is usually the case. They will sniff each other's wounds and go about their day like nothing happened. Except for these outbursts, they get along great. Even yesterday when I had Mina on the back porch to separate them, Bits would not leave the door. She sat as close to Mina on the other side of the screen as possible. These dogs have never intentionally bitten a person either or they would be history.
I'm sorry this is so long and thank anyone who read it through. Is there anyone who could offer advise?
