It doesn’t sound like things are going terribly, but I would wait a little longer for hormones to settle, sometimes females can take a while for things to calm down. I think 4 weeks minimum is a good rule of thumb. Also, did you do any pre-bonding (side swaps)? This can help a lot when buns are very tense around each other.
I personally have never had good luck with small spaces it as a primary method. It can be good for stressing and smush-petting, but once you need them to interact more it seems to not work as well, especially when one bun is very timid.
Do you have a larger space you can use? Even the whole bathroom floor? While I don’t know exactly what’s happening, my guess is that Rummy wants Brandy to groom her, and she isn’t, so she starts nipping. Brandy has no where to get away from her, so Rummy interprets that as her challenging her and the fight ensues. Giving a bit more space lets them move away from each other to avoid conflicts escalating.
Definitely work on preventing fights from happening. Some when they approach each other, be ready to start petting them. If nipping starts, for now don’t be afraid to break it up because it gets tense.
It is also usually not productive to try to project which bun will be dominant. There are signals going on that we may not pick up on. For example, Brandy may be pinned to the ground, which can actually be a grooming demand or a refusal to back down, which is more dominant that you may think. Sometimes the more fearful bun ends up being the instigator of fights. This is what happened with my first pair, the more aggressive bun actually ended up being the submissive one. You never really know how it will all fall out, so just try to focus on preventing fights and helping them feel more calm around each other.
.
.
.
The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.
.
