fight between daughter and momma lab

[andy]

Hey I have had labs all my life and this past weekend
for some reason one of the daughter of the momma
Lab attacked her so bad that she died the next day!!!
This is totally shocking!!!! I have 3 labs a older female lab
Which is 8 years old and 2 other female labs which are the daughters
of the older lab. I have kept them in a fenced in back yard for
The last 6 years. They have always been together since birth
And have always got along with each other and never even
growled at each other!! Any thoughts on why this happened!!!!!!!!!????????

[WhoopsaDaisy]

This is very disturbing, I don't know.
How much exercise do they get? Do they live outdoors? Was it during a feeding time? Did you see the attack???
It just sounds like something wild dogs would do, not pet labs.

[Meeps83]

Oh so sad! I'm sorry this happened to you. I don't have any advice though, just condolences.

[WhoopsaDaisy]

I am also sorry for your loss, sorry I forgot to say that. Very sad.

[Tanya]

no one on an online board can tell you what happened, we were not there, we don't know your dogs. We can make up a long list of possible issues/reasons but those won't answer your question. If the dogs were unattended when it happened you will never know.

You can start by bringing the remaining two dogs to the vet for a full check up to see if they are both healthy.

How much time do you spend with them daily? what is a normal day like for them?

[janedoe]

It sounds like a dominance thing. Your dogs seem to have become a pack which decides who is the leader based on who is the strongest. When dogs live closely with humans, the human is the leader and tells them how to behave. I have a younger dog who would go after my oldest all day long if I wasn't the one in charge. Our trainer had six Springer Spaniels at one point and had a situation very much like yours but the older dog survived. Those dogs lived in the house but she didn't feel at the time that it was her place to interfere. She changed her mind after the older dog was attacked.

I'm very sorry for your loss but my recommendation would be to separate the younger dogs. The one who succeeded in becoming dominant in such a violent way could go after her sister at some point.

Take care.

[andy]

Yes they live out doors and get plenty of exercise. Its
just so strange cause they were always together and they
don't have a mean gene in them. Its wasn't feeding time either.
The wounds didn't look life threatening at all unless she had something
going on internally.... I heard someone say that they will turn on one another
if o.e of them is sick or has cancer..... this whole experience doesn't
make any sense why she would attack her mom! The two daughters
are acting like nothing has happened.

[Sue]

If I'm reading your post right, your dogs are outside all the time. Is that correct? Did you witness the fight? The reason I ask is because if you didn't, could another animal have gotten in (coyote / another dog)?

Either way, you need to bring your dogs in now and start supervising them. I don't believe in pack mentality / dominance issues, but like humans, sometimes dogs just don't get along with each other. Also, like Tanya says, get them to the vet to make sure there is not a health issue in play.

Sorry for your loss.

[Tanya]

Yes they live out doors and get plenty of exercise. Its
just so strange cause they were always together and they
don't have a mean gene in them. Its wasn't feeding time either.
The wounds didn't look life threatening at all unless she had something
going on internally.... I heard someone say that they will turn on one another
if o.e of them is sick or has cancer..... this whole experience doesn't
make any sense why she would attack her mom! The two daughters
are acting like nothing has happened.

Did you bring the mom to the vet after the attack?

The issue may be just that - they are ALWAYS together.

Hopefully if they are not already spayed, both sisters will be soon. Obviously these are not dogs you want having puppies.

[andy]

no one on an online board can tell you what happened, we were not there, we don't know your dogs. We can make up a long list of possible issues/reasons but those won't answer your question. If the dogs were unattended when it happened you will never know.

You can start by bringing the remaining two dogs to the vet for a full check up to see if they are both healthy.

How much time do you spend with them daily? what is a normal day like for them?

Normal day is riding the 4 wheeler in woods to a pond and let them swim in the evenings.
Then get fed in evenings.... playing fetch and playing with a 3 year old kid. Just your typical dog stuff....