I have two females with me that now and then fight each other.

A little background.

These are litter mates, five years old, uncastrated, Azores Cattle Dog. The option for non castration was because both, unusually, become much more sedated during estrous.

I adopted one too early, at six weeks old, because the "breeder" was in a hurry to deliver the puppies as he was going to rehome the parents. The second I took in already bordering four months, as the last of the litter. The other option was being sent to a kennel and most probably put down; I couldn't let that happen.

The dogs and the mistakes I made

The first coming home was a very shy puppy. She bonded quickly. It was hard for her the first weeks, being so young. I commited my first mistake by allowing the veterinary to put too much fear in my heart. I had just lost my first dog, after twelve good years, and when I first took my puppy to the first check up I was told to be extremely careful as there was a warning for rampant infeccious diseases in the area, of the kind puppies are only protected after their full vaccination. I was to avoid all contact with other dogs, avoid areas where too much people passed, etc. Yes, I effectively botched the early period of socialization and badly.

The second arriving home had suffered, a lot. She has extreme food focus and delaying meal time puts the dog nervous. She had all the signs of having to wait and fight for every piece of food she ate. The first encouter at home was tense and she growled at her sister, as she didn't recognize her as such. Again, because she hadn't had her vaccines yet, led me to delay her socialization.

As puppies, I would walk them together but they soon started nipping and trying to correct each other, unprompted. The first time they attacked each other was when a bicycle sped past us, almost in front of their noses. One cowarded, the other lunged. Because she couldn't catch the bicycle, she turned on her sister. It was bad.

Growing up

At home, they're mostly peaceful. They share the same space, they switch beds, eat from each other's bowl. They play with us, they work as a team barking at passing cars, birds flying too low to their liking, people they do not like and that provoke them and any noise they disagree with.

Outside, the first arriving home became fearful. Bells tolling make her bark and stand on edge. People scare her to death but her fear turned her reactive: she tries to scare away what frightens her. Paradoxically, she is extremely protective of the family. So much so, when another dog feigned a lunge at my family, she lunged forward, broke a chain collar in the process, and mopped the floor with the other dog. Didn't kill him but hurt him. Enough to considered dangerous.

The second one tolerates human presence but prefers if people keep their distance. I can have a talk with a person on the street and she'll behave nicely enough. She is also extremely protective but her sense of protection includes against her sister; she distrusts her sister when she shows distress. It finally reached a point where I had to start walking them separately.

Adults

They have fought and hurt each other several times over the years. This isn't a fighting breed but these are dogs with a murky past; the islands from which the breed is original has dog fighting and dog fights with cattle history. When they fight, they do not stop. For anything. Separating them is dangerous and I have been hurt. But when the adrenaline goes down, they whimper, they cry, they try to lick each other, they give all the sign they are not in want of trouble from us.

I can't allow for this to go on. They don't present a danger to me or my family - they only fight each other - but this behaviour has to go away. For good. Rehoming is not an option. Puting one down, is not an option. Giving up them is not an option. I'm responsible for them, I have to take care of them.

Proposed solutions

Drugs. The vet only has that option. Medicate the dogs. There are no professional trainers where I live, with closest being about 50km away. Unfortunately for me, the main method in use in my country is still very much focused on punitive training. I tried; went and visited a trainer and the woman pressed my dog so hard she wet herself. I snapped and nearly snapped the trainer's arm.

What I am doing Since that episode with that so called trainerz, I decided to put myself up to become one. And I've been working and studying and the behaviour of my dogs has been improving but they still show those tendencies to rub each other the wrong way.

In my understanding, they are very protective of me and my family but to the point they view us as resources and each one guards us from the other in moments of tension.

At the moment, I'm at my wits end. I don't know what to do anymore to somehow help them improve and put a stop to this. If someone can spare some advice, please do so.

Thank you.