My jack russel terrier is starting fighting with my other dog

by Krystal Z
(milford, nh)

I have a male jrt whose about 3 and a mutt retriever mix whose about 2 and they both need to be fixed, in the mean time, my jrt has been starting fights with my other dog and its been getting worse and worse. they used to be fine, best friends. Then all of the sudden when we didnt have a yard anymore the fights started becoming more frequent and now its to the point my jrt has to stay caged a lot now because I can't have them fighting all day. It used to just be about food now its just my jrt being a asshole for no reason. I've been trying to show him I'M dominant by doing some things I've read to do, like pretending to eat your dogs food before giving it to them, because the aplha eats first, makin him sit 2 get his food or go out the door, going through doors first... it doesnt seem to phase him. I'm starting to worry that fixing them both wont even stop this. I love them both so much and it would kill me to have to get rid of either. My jrt is very very attached to me and has separation anxiety, and is a handfull. I worry rehoming him would mean certain death weather its by being put down because he attacked another dog, or ran out the door and got hit, or got sent to the pound and put down. I never chose to have a jrt, my ex husband bought him for me and brought him home one day. (Which I really wish he didnt do, I wanted to go to a pound not a pet store, and wouldnt have bought a jrt as they are a handful and I only have one arm which is why i cant pull them apart when they fight) What do I do, this is getting bad and I'm very stressed about it. I feel like I have to constantly watch my jrts every move when hes out because it can go from fine to him fighting the other dog in a second for no reason. I can usually tell when shes about to fight the other dog cuz he acts weird, gets shakey and stares at him, or they will circle each other. If I see any of this i'll usually grab jay quick by the scruff and put him in the cage thus preventing the fight. Then I let him out a couple hours later when I feel hes calmed down and got over his tude, and he will be ok....till the next fight. I'm so tired and sick of this, please tell me what to do... will fixing them help???? please tell me it will :( I plan to get them both fixed in the next couple weeks.. sorry if that was hard to follow like I said i'm very stressed and tired over this.