SG, Thank you so much for your insight--I believe you are a true "dog whisperer"! Let me clarify a few things and ask specific training & environmental questions: First I'll say, due to you and Annz' kind help, I believe I have corrected one of my problems. When I designed our new home I made space under the wall cabinets in the laundry rm for the dogs' kennels--next to each other. I thgt I was so smart doing this, but for my dogs' personalities, this may be one big problem. So hours ago, I moved Tiger's kennel to a different room (pantry next to L. rm) and he went right in! So now they will have their own space--away from each other. ~~I am also not going to allow either to sit under my desk while I am working--maybe that made Pepper (the Wheaton) think Tiger was getting special treatment (?). #2: The dogs do know I am TOP DOG for I, also, use their food & bowls to show my dominance--pretend to eat a kernel from their bowls before putting bowl down--pick up while they are eating & touch them/their food while they are eating. Never a problem--never a growl or resistance. Also, when we pass thru a door outside I am to go first, after I have them sit-stay & wait for me. I have them sit/lay/stay on command from time to time during the day to reinforce this too. ~~A trainer I consulted after the first attack told me that they both knew I was top dog but I did things to allow Pepper to think she was my equal--that we were BOTH top dogs. So I've been doing these things for a long time---more strictly for about a yr--but now you'll see NOT STRICTLY ENOUGH. ***Let me be specific in my info and question: When I open a door to let them out, Pepper does bolt out the door ahead of me about 1/3 of the time. I use my correction sound (Ehhhhh) and she immediately returns to my side to sit/stay until I give her the "OK" to move. (Sometimes just hearing the correction sound from me, she stops & returns to my side.) Specifically, WHEN I say sit/stay--she ALWAYS obeys. If I give NO command, she will start thru the door. ~~~Writing this out, I see I'm slacking and creating top dog DOUBT in her mind. So she isn't totally convinced that I am top dog? Or am I teaching her that I AM top dog but if she "assumes a top dog behavior" there is no real consequence besides "re-doing the situation" and moving on? SO, I need to go back to square one and take better control--using a lead to control, give commands EVERY TIME AND be persistent. But is it as "simple" as that? I can & will do these things correctly now but what else am I doing or what else can I do. Surely my "allowing" her to even consider disobeying my top-dog status isn't the only reason she's "comfortable" risking punishment in order to attack Tiger? I believe Tiger knows Pepper is Alpha dog and is comfortable with it. It has to be ME & my behavior that affects Peppers attacks. Hope I've been somewhat clear about what I do & don't do in order for you all to help give me instruction & advice. tks again in advance, CB

I understand you rescue your animals and want to love and help them so they have a home, but please trust me having 2 or 5 acres of land isn't going to solve any animals behavioral issues. I rescue and pet sit animals myself. October 3,2010 I rescued a chihuahua which thank god he has survived and living a happy life as my service dog now. May 2011 I rescued a 8 month old chow which the dog owner said he was pet and human friendly so my husband and I said ok. At the time of rescuing him we had 3 chihuahuas, 2 adult dogs and a puppy not including the chow. First few days the chow was great with the other animals. Fourth day came a bunch of older kids walked by our fence and was teasing our animals. I decided to let out my chow/boxer puppy so he could bark them away from the fence. My chihuahua ran out with him barking and running towards them instead the 8 month old chow grabbed him, threw him to the ground, and just kept attacking him and the noise from the kids kept getting louder and they were laughing and saying the most cruel comments. My husband ran outside had to kick the dog off so my chihuahua could get loose. When he did get loose the dog kept going at him so my husband kept trying to keep him away until we got inside. My chihuahua and I sat on the floor he laid in my lap my mother in law came over. Carefully she took care of his wounds and made sure he was wrapped up warm in my lap since he doesn't go to anyone else. Called the shelter spoke with them we had to immediately put down the chow because he kept attacking everyone after he attacked him. Got him in the van took him to the shelter and he tried to bite them as well. They do use the gas chamber and Euthanizing shot, but since he kept biting we got him in the chamber. When opening the door it didn't work on him until the 3rd try. If my husband hadn't got him off my chihuahua in time he would've killed him his tooth was very close to the rib. Having a huge yard is great and fun, but unless if you plan to train and socialize every animal with the ones you have you will end up with a problem just like I did. My chihuahua has survived, but since being attacked he's not the same dog and he only allows and feels safe around my Anatolian shepherd that we have which protects him from everything. We do have two cats they will play with him, but I'm very cautious about what happens outside and inside. If you believe your dog bit your cat you need to work with him one on one and I'm sorry, but at this time I'm moving as well and having furniture packed and boxes around doesn't make a dog attack another animal. I recently, just pet sit 4 dogs that weren't my own and two were aggressive towards mine, but it had nothing to do with me moving. I'm sure even with moving you could take the dog on a short walk twice a day, play with him inside for a bit, give him attention. If your going to rescue then you have to do it right not just build up a yard or house with a bunch of pets. It's unfair to them and truthfully I would consider you neglecting them. I am a cancer patient I at least take my dogs on one walk a day no matter if it's short long or even in the yard. My cats I spend at least a few minutes during the day several times petting them, hugging them, even talking to them so they know their important and loved. If you had a child would it only be sitting in front of a tv all day? Animals are just like our children maybe with four legs, but they deserve the same treatment love, patience, good health, and support always.

'Why on earth would you allow a breed like that in your home is beyond me. Keep the pit mix and expect more of the same incidents in the future.' Why would you question what type dog a person has if they are a responsible owner, as sarah appears to be. She has realized that there is a problem and working to resolve it. This dominance/jealousy problem could have risen with any breed dog, not only a Pitt. I have been around/worked with dogs all my life; the three times I was bitten was by a Cocker, a Jack Russell and a Sheltie. Pitts are not the top bitters, but as larger dogs they do more damage when they bite. A lot of smaller dog bites are also not reported making their bite statistics lower on the list. I've seen Pitts who were wonderful "people/kid dogs", who were wonderful pets and great with other pets and I've seen Pitts who were wonderful pets but couldn't be trusted around other pets, same as can be found in any breed. I can't say I would never have a Pit because I've had too many rescues to say never but I probably wouldn't go out and intentionally get a Pit due to not knowing bloodlines or how the animal had been raised. At one time there was a guy here in Florida who bred Pitts just for fighting. He took the worst of the worst and bred them over and over. If you got a dog from his bloodlines in error, you could very well have a problem because this IDIOT had bred them to be vicious. I've seen people who want their Pitts to be bad and train/abuse them to be so. Sadly, in cases like these the dogs are the ones who suffer. Personally I think that people of this ilk, people who fight dogs and people such as this breeder need to be put into a cage and forced to fight in the same manner which the dogs are forced to do. Animal abuse laws aren't strict enough in my opinion. People who abuse animals have no respect for any kind of life as far as I am concerned. Bless you sarah for fostering.

They can certainly get quirky with their poopy routines, can't they? I had a most wonderful dog I adopted as a young adult dog who must have been disciplined severely for choosing inappropriate spots to deposit his payloads. He would not poo on the ground, but parked them on anything raised up off the ground. I suspect, in his mind, as long as it wasn't on the floor or ground, it was OK. I would find the deposits (especially if he had an accident in the house) in wild places. Once in my daughter's ballet slipper right before a performance, once on top of a floor waxer ( I will never figure out how he managed that one) and once propped up on the top edge of the woodwork. He is long gone, but certainly not forgotten.