[shrpshtr]

I have two dogs that 95% of the time get along great, but for the 5% they don't it's a knock-down drag out brawl (usually over a toy). I have a male Weimaraner (7 months), and a female Basset (11 months). Now I seperate them, and hold them on there backs until they give up, but as soon as I let them up they go at it again. Looking for ideas.

don't take this the wrong way, but...

in the little bit of info you have posted above, it sounds like you're the problem. what i mean by that is you keep breaking them up. see, dogs have this thing they live by called a "pecking order". they are pack animals and someone has to be in control. i am sure you have heard of it. right now, your dogs are trying to establish that. when you intervene, all you are doing is teaching them that they can't beat YOU. it still leaves the matter of "2nd" in command to be worked out. which, they are going to do, whether you like it or not. so, the solution. you really need to let them sort it out. RARELY, will they inflict a serious wound on each other. just watch them. one will cower to the other and take their place in relatively short order. this is the only way to have any harmony between the two of them. once this has been established, they will live by that. i will tell you though, every once-in-a-while they will revisit this. again, keep a close eye, just stay out of it. you will obviously need to get involved if things turn south. but try and let them handle it.

****DISCLAIMER****

if you decide to let the dogs work it out and one gets hurt, i don't want to be held responsible in any way, shape, or form. this is how i would handle the situation just from my knowledge of dogs. others may disagree with me. you decide for yourself and take caution if you go this route.

btw, welcome to the board and good luck.

 

[shrpshtr]

What kind of fighting are you talking about? I thought I had seen dog fights until this past season while I was pheasant hunting. One shorthair turned on the other and they laid into each other. Holes in ears, jowels, legs. It was nasty! If this is not the kind of problem you are experiencing, definitely let them duke it out, and establish the pecking order the other guys have mentioned.

Also if it turns into a locked up dog fight where they are actually tearing eachother up, don't grab them by the collar to pull them apart. (Good way to get bitten yourself) You need two people to do this, but go up behind the dogs and grab their back legs out from under them and just pull the dogs away from each other. This makes the dogs feel like they have lost control and they will turn loose then. Good Luck.

what i have found works even better, grap the very end of their tail and squeeze. they'll turn loose of each other faster than you can get a good grip on 'em. ALL DOGS HATE THIS.

btw, with "fighting dogs" (pitbulls, rots, boxers, etc.) this is the original reason why the owners would crop their tails.