My 3 year old pug was spayed 10 days ago, since then she has been bright as a button. There were complications with the spay as there were some adhesions inside and the change of behaviour, back to a puppy, suggests she may have been in some discomfort.

Her son is 10 months old.

In the last week they have started to fight. It doesnt go on but they appear to want to pin the other one down, heckles up and staring. They start by both chasing a toy, then playing tug with it, then one just lays into the other. This is a breed and two dogs that have no aggression so it is so odd.

So if there are any doggy psychologist people out there can you explain what is happening here and what if anything I should do about it? Could it be something to do with the spay or his age, what is the dominance issue and why now???? i am hoping it won't esculate and feel i should let them sort it out whilst no one is getting hurt.

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I'm not really of any help
But I hope someone will have some advice for you
And that you are able to sort it out between your little two

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Thank you

any one any advice

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i would say it is more a dominate thing, he is 10 months old now and probably wants to be the top dog and she aint happy about it i know when my have little spats, no harm is really done ( puggy teeth just cant do it) and i leave them to it but there is a definate boss amongst them

She is no longer able to breed so top spot is now open for debate, naturally she should copitulate to the younger male if he is complete? It may stop if u neuter the male, if he's already done then I have no idea! LOL

Don't quote me tho I may be wrong

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Thanks for that. I kind of assumed it was his age and top spot, I just didnt expect him to be aware of the spay so soon.

Like you say Archieb pug teeth cant do damage!

My boy is complete. I have found no need to castrate him - I have almost been looking for a reason! He doesnt hump, no male agression and no bad habits.

Whilst he is younger he is more dominant than her generally. They have also started fighting over me. Pugs are owner obsessive but they have started bickering over who is closer, who retrieves the toy.....

I guess I just let them change places and bicker it out for a bit.

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We had similar with Molly and Mabel, Mabel is Mollys daughter but it started earlier in age than your guys and was only one sided from Molly (mum) she really would growl and try to flatten Mabel, (looked really aggressive) for what appeared to be no reason.

Mabel would run away and then turn to look/stare at her mum still quite poised, things got more heated and we were told Molly was possibly feeling vulnerable that her daughter was trying to take her place in the pack or that Mabel was being a bolshy pushy puppy and Molly was just being a good mum and putting her in her place, the latter was felt more likely.

We were told to support Molly in that when Mabel started to get lairy and too playful we should step in and play with her instead of Molly having to deal with her, we were to praise Molly when she did play nicely with Mabel, we also had to be mindful to give both dogs equal attention.

Advice given was to not interfere once Molly had chastised Mabel but to let them both sort it out, advice given was once Mabel has been chastised by her mum No telling off must take place towards Molly (mum), Just to ignore the behaviour.

The behaviouralist who helped us over this period said once Mabel submits to her mother things will calm down, it appears that by Mabel running away a bit and then turning and stareing at her mother was in effect still her challenging her mum and Molly was not accepting of this.

The day came when Mabel did submit to Molly and from this day on Harmony . Molly still puts her in her place not in the same strong way but Mabel accepts this and she is 14 months now, things have been good with them since about 4/5 months old, things got heated at around when Mabel was approx.. 12 weeks old and it took about 6 weeks to ease up.

Hope this helps a little

Good luck

re OP - peppapug



hey, peppa! :--)

is her son intact, or desexed? if he is intact, i would be getting him snipped ASAP; it considerably reduces dog : dog aggro, and also any overall aggro from turf to RG to human interference with the dog, and their likelihood of reacting with teeth to an interruption, being lifted off the sofa, etc.

re the issue of potential for injury -
i would NOT let them quote, Sort it - pugs have very shallow eye sockets, with large + protuberant eyes! eye-injuries are the single most likely result of any sort of roughhousing, even in play, or jumping-off ANY surface that they cannot get onto in one jump - like a high bed, the BACK of the sofa, etc. i have seen a pug jump from a height, and in a second have the globe of the eye hanging on their cheek - it is horrifying and PAINFUL, and can blind the dog.
so skip the hands-off diplomacy, get in there + separate them Every Time.
a PILLOW or CUSHION or the top of a TV-tray, serving tray, etc, is far preferable to ones *hands* getting in the scrum!

re the toy - Are U throwing it, and they both chase it?
or does one dog toss the toy, and both pursue?

either way, teaching BOTH dogs to honor the others right to a turn, while awaiting their own fun, is easily possible; leash both dogs, have 2 toys (in case one fails to fetch the toy back), and STAND on the leash of whoever is sitting out this turn. tell them to WAIT -
cue the other dog, Ready? fetch!... and toss.
reward BOTH dogs when the fetching dog brings back the toy, and switch places - the dog that fetched sits or lies, the dog that was waiting gets a turn. Always leave them wanting More!! do not burn the dogs out with fetch games till they sour on it... stop WHILE they still want to run eagerly!

as to Why there are fights now, any offspring given the option would --> leave, not stay on as adults; a certian amount of friction with siblings, parent + child, or other close relatives sharing the house, is IMO inevitable.
approx 12-MO is physically adult in a small breed - the pelvis is fully calcified, they are the approx-equiv of an 18-YO young-adult human.

if U really want to keep the son, U will need to work thru this, and it will be an ongoing process until the son hits around 24-MO, which is Social Maturity - everybody in dogdom now says U are a grown-up, there is no more leeway for pup-like rude behavior, and serious arguments are now possible.

making the presence of BOTH dogs a valuable, reliable indicator of Fun-To-Come is one way to make dam appreciate the presence of her son, + son glad for the presence of his dam.


re the *no aggro* claim -
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IMO this is balderdash - any animal with teeth can bite, and under the right set of circs, *Will Bite*. aggro is a perfectly normal facet of behavior, we speak of aggressive tennis-players or investors, for pitys sake, LOL -

as a matter of fact, it is part + parcel of why we pathetic, slow, thin-skinned, short-toothed omnivores teamed-up and (IMO) co-evolved with dom-dogs... BECAUSE they have big sharp teeth, greater speed, and can + will use them as a proxy for our own sorely-lacking physical characteristics, LOL.

that a Pug is less-likely to bite than a Corgi does NOT mean that no Pug will ever bite! i have been there when they did...
and natch, the first words of the owner were... well, s/he Never! did THAT before...
words to live by, LOL... i should have them embroidered on a wall hanging.


cheers, and happy B-Mod,
--- terry

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terry pride, APDT-Aus, apdt#1827, CVA, TDF
*wolves R wolves, dogs R dogs, + primates R us.*
tmp, sept-2007

He won't know she can't breed. She'll be the same to him as when she's not in season. It's more likely his age and her being a bit under the weather while recovering from surgery.
She won't be fully healed yet, so don't let them fight or play roughly. They'd be better kept apart for the time being.