Male Jack Russell Terriers Fighting

by Melvina
(Minford, OH USA)

I have three Jack Russell Terriers. Two males and one female. The two males (father & son) have begun to have bad fights. I can barely get them broken up. I am afraid that one of them is going to kill the other one. I have been off work on sick leave and will be returning soon.

The dogs are home alone for 11-12 hours a day. I
really don't like to crate them for so long. I love all my dogs and really don't want to have to
get rid of one of them. If I have them neutered will it help with the aggression?

Editor Suggestions regarding two male Jack Russell Terriers fighting

When dogs fight, it usually represents some type of instability in the "pack" This includes human family members who may favor one dog over another, upsetting the natural balance of power. To resolve the problem, the dogs need some way to work out who is the dominant dog.

To stop the fighting, the dogs will need to work it out themselves without hurting each other. One approach is to muzzle each dog so they can't hurt each other. They will still tussle, but this will work towards resolving the problem.

It is also possible that the dogs only fight when you are present, particularly if you favor one dog over the other. Your presence can boost the status of one dog, upsetting the balance in the household. For this reason, never favor the dog that is subordinate. What you should do is support the most dominant Jack Russell as this will strengthen his position and make it clear to the other the he is in charge. The most dominant dog if you can't tell is the one that instigates the fights. Favor the dominant dog by feeding him first, petting him first etc.

If these types of techniques do not work, as a last resort there has been some success with the drug Prozac in treating these rivalry issues. As an alternative, you could try a homeopathic such as Aggression Formula, although it may or may not help, but worth trying.

Best of luck.