Alright people, let's put the wolf pack studies aside. Besides the fact that the validity of most of the studies is currently up for debate, most ethologists will agree that dogs are very different than wolves and certainly the environmental and social setting dogs live in is greatly different than that of wolves and results in behavior in dogs that is different than wolves. Think about it--through domestication and breeding we've altered the physical and social development of dogs. We've artificially increased and/or decreased many of what were natural canine instincts. We have changed how, why, and with which of their species they reproduce and created an environment whereby they don't even rear their offspring as a wild canind does. Lastly, by bringing them into our homes and caring for them, we've altered and/or eliminated any natural competition for resources which is the very thing that wild canids structure their social heirarchies around. Accurate comparison studies of wolf behavior vs. dog behavior are extremely enlightening. If they tell us one thing, its that dogs and wolves are very different animals and there is still alot about both that we don't know.
Considering the verdict is still out in the wolf vs. dog debate among ecologists, biologists, and ethologists, it doesn't make much sense for a bunch of Average Joes like us to get our panties in a bunch arguing the point on an internet forum. Nor is it productive to berate other posters posts or experiences. Just politely offer a counter-point or your opinion and move on.
As for the "2 females" debate. In my experience (BTW, I'm a certified dog trainer, and have competed for years in dog sports) I have seen a greater incidence of aggression between females living in the same household. The number is not huge but it is greater than other sex pairings. The incidence of it occuring depends on a number of factors including but not limited to: difference in the age of the dogs, age at which the dogs entered the home, breeds of the dogs, reproductive status of the dogs, amount of time the dogs interact with each other unsupervised, the degree to which each dog guards resources, the manner in which resources are managed by the owner.
I will restate my observation that most of the dog people I know have choosen not to keep multiple females in the same household. It is not because they are concerned that it will automatically result in a vicious bloodbath. It's because they have heard of it happening often enough and they are too busy having fun with their dogs to want to have to deal with it should it happen to them. So if a bunch of people who are experienced and have the skill to deal with the situation would rather not, then maybe the Average Joes out there might want take that into consideration before they put themselves in that situation.
Now, as for the OP, she's already got 2 females so let's return this thread to it's original question. What can she do now to limit the chances that any aggression will develop between her two females?
