Help dogs fighting at home.

Looking for some advise, my two girls have recently started fighting (last 3 weeks). The fights have been getting worse and hard to separate. Had to move the older one to my mums temporarily for their safety. Have been walking them together and doing simple commands with both dogs but they won't snap out of it. The younger (12month) one has fully submitted and is now scared of the older (12years). But the older one won't back off once she's submitted. It's been a week since we separated the dogs and in that time I have had to deal with an infection on the younger dog due to a bite and the older one has been seriously ill, vets discovered some nasty cisits on her ovaries. She has just come home from her operation removing uterus and ovaries. They have subsequently not been walked together now for 5 days and obviously she will need time to heal from the operation. I'm after advise on how to move forward I don't want to re home either dog but need to gain peace in the household again. We suspect that the aggression has come from the older dog being poorly but cannot test until both are fit to walk. Any ideas welcome I will try anything to get them both home together.

I think you instinct is probably correct. The older dog simply was not in the mood to be bothered because she was ill. Walking them together is a good start. I'd keep them separated in the house unless you are there to supervise. I'd also initially keep them on lead in the home when they are in the same room for increasing periods of time to see how they are going to get along

That's what we was doing prior to her getting sick. I am hoping she was still aggressive due to the pain she was in and we can move forward when she's recovered but don't want to mess it up. They have never fought prior to this.

I would also suspect that this all stems from your older one feeling incredibly ill. Once fully healed do a controlled meet on lead and somewhere neutral and see what happens, with luck they'll be pleased to see each other and this will pass, after all they say absence makes the heart grow fonder etc.

If it doesn't go so well I would rethink then and there and perhaps go back to basics with training and reinforce some rules but hopefully and with fingers crossed Sarah, all will be ok.

It sounds like you're pretty well on the ball anyway, so you've possibly already thought of most things, but just in case...

Are there any triggers that you can think of? Is during play, over food or another resource? In other words, is it possible to manage specific times carefully and then they'll be ok or is it more random than that?

Something that I've done to keep a dog quiet after surgery before was to keep her on the lead in the house. It will obviously depend on the time that you have available and the layout of your house, but might it be possible to keep them in separate rooms when you're not there and at night, but have Jade (the older one?) or even both on lead in the house so you can have them in the same space but apart. The aim would be to teach them that they can share the same space again, rather than have this as a permanent arrangement.

How easy are they to separate when they do fight? Do you think Jade would respond to a pet corrector? If so, I'd also try to pair her change of mood with an immediate blast, each and every time, to see if you can add a deterrant, but then also find positive rewards for calm behaviour.

I'd also be hunting round for a really got pet behaviour trainer, someone who could come into your home, assess the situation fully (including dogs, you, environment) and give advice based on what their experienced eyes are seeing.

I so hope you can resolve this safely for all of you. So, so hard for you.