Raising Two Female Pitbulls

Just because your two female pitbulls get along while they are young that does not mean they always will. As dogs reach maturity, especially females, fights over dominance begin to occur. This doesn't mean all female pitbulls will fight; some pitbull owners report having two female pitbulls who get along just fine. There are numerous things you can do to raise two female pitbulls to ensure they are well-behaved and increase the chance of them getting along as they age.

  1. Encourage Individual Identities

    • Raising two female pitbulls, especially if they're puppies from the same litter, can lead to "Littermate Syndrome," resulting in aggression, fighting and separation anxiety. If this syndrome becomes too severe and cannot be properly managed, re-homing one of the dogs with a trusted neighbor, friend or family member is the best option. The other option is to allow them to develop into two individual dogs by separating them as much as possible during their first year together. Crate, feed, play, train and walk each dog separately. This will also encourage each dog to look to its owner for bonding and love. They can play together but in moderation.

    Be the Alpha

    • Every pack includes an alpha dog that enforces the rules. As your female pitbulls' pack also includes their human family, you need to be the alpha dog so that you're the one enforcing the rules, not one of them. With regular training and interaction, your female pitbulls should already recognize you as the alpha. While neither of your female pitbulls will be the alpha dog, one will rank above the other, and fights can still result from the pitbull lower in rank challenging the one higher in rank. You'll need to enforce the rules of the pack to ensure that everyone lives together harmoniously; with the most important rule being,"No fighting."

    End Aggressive Behavior

    • Recognizing the aggressive behavior that precedes a fight is the most important step in prevention. As it is always easier to prevent a fight than to stop one. Pay attention to your female pitbulls' body language when they interact and look for strong eye contact, growling and pushing. Stop the fight before it begins with a firm "No." If your female pitbulls ignore your verbal correction, keep short leads on them when they're together and use leash corrections.

    Crate and Rotate

    • Sometimes two dogs simply cannot get along, and if you find that your two female pitbulls cannot, you may have to resort to the "crate and rotate" method. It simply means keeping one of your two female pitbulls crated for 4 to 8 hours while the other is out in the house and then switching them. Never use the crate as a punishment; let your pitbulls enjoy spending time in their crates by feeding them meals and keeping them occupied with bones and chew toys while confined. Make sure your pitbulls get plenty of exercise while out of the crate to further reduce aggressive or destructive behavior.