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Oh my, I am so sorry to hear this, it must be so heartbreaking after having the situation under control for so long. Poor Gertie. I agree with you that it sounds like your recent absence may have played a role in making you extra salient, but also any changes in the family dynamics where one person is away can trigger some stress, especially if there are changes in routines/boundaries/rules. You and the food nearby can certainly create a double whammy of valuable resources. You already know the drill, letting them cool down, separation, working on creating positive associations so as to try to rehabilitate any emotional scars, and trying to avoid future mishaps through management/training with help of a professional. I don't know if you and Steph ever went over teaching a steadfast response to some cue that gets their attention fast at the first signs of trouble, if so, it would be a good idea to work more on proofing that, although I know how quickly fights start and it's not that easy in catching them at earliest sign. Or maybe Esther could be conditioned to not respond to a challenge? I think this is a repeated pattern if I recall well. But now as she has grown older her confidence is up and the temptation to confront a challenge has likely grown stronger. I watched a veterinary behaviorist once teach a dog to no longer provoke/ attack the other dog when he had a toy, but to go and seek an owner who would give him a reward. The cool thing is that this was worked on at such a level of proficiency that, the dog would seek the owner even if he was in a distant room. This was the usual dynamic: Dog approaching the dog with the toy →dog with bone reacting→fight/potentially leading to dog losing access to the toy it then looked like this: Dog sees the dog with the bone→rushes to one owner→owner gives the dog access to a high-value reward. Or Gertie can be conditioned to no longer guard things from Esther if this is a common pattern. Or strict management if the fights occur in a blue moon and in the same usual contexts, so that any conflicts can be avoided. However, management is often prone to failing no matter what (statistically this is a reality, even among the most careful professionals) and when fights lead to injuries, more stringent approaches are needed so as to have backups for managing a failed management. It can get very draining as this often means implementing significant changes. But yes, your concerns are very valid, these fights are starting to get more worrisome in intensity and this makes me concerned about the common cliché' of two female dogs fighting, with the fights being triggered by the younger and newer addition and exacerbating around the time of social maturity (24-36 months). I hope Gertie heals fast, but emotionally and physically, and I would agree on the no dogs on the couch rule so as to prevent conflict over which dog gets preferential access to it. Sending you a virtual hug at this difficult time.