Catch dog help needed.

I agree Circle C, and I have used a technique very similar to what you have done.

Trash breaking in a controlled environment is pretty simple with a shock collar and proper knowledge of how to use it. I would definately recommend breaking any catch dog of cattle. There are multiple scenarios I can think of where things could go wrong if not. (ex. meeting a calf when turned loose to a bay, missing a catch...hog breaking and catch dog running free for a period of time, or perhaps a young dog baying cattle when you think there is a hog on the line and sending the catch dog in)

This is what I have done in the past. Put a shock collar on him set pretty high. Get a long rope and tie one end to the collar. Get close to the cows, but not close enough that he will get to them without hitting the end of the rope. Turn him loose and when he takes off towards them, roll him at the same time yelling for him to "get out". It shouldn't take but one or two times to get your point well understood. In a real hunt situation, you usually won't be within distance of telling the dog to "get out" should this happen, but anytime I scold my dogs I say the phrase "get out". Whether it be fighting, jumping, trashing or whatever my dogs recognize the term as "quit doing whatever their doing". The mistake people make sometimes is trying to shock a dog while the fight/event is taking place. The dog will associate the pain of the shock with the other animal and things could get worse, and usually will not stop the event. Same thing with dogs that are fighting.

As far as being dog agressive, thats a little more tricky and I have noticed that all dogs are different. Some will get straight with a little scolding, and some never seem to learn. The tricky thing is that most dogs won't tie up at first glance of each other. They run around sniffing, and then one ticks the other off I guess. Once they go at it, the shock collar is useless. I just break them apart, give each a STRONG scolding and hope they learn. Sometimes I have also noticed a good fight between dogs will establish their pecking order and you won't have any problems after that.

You mentioned that the pit was a male and your other dog is a female. I've never had trouble with male/female dogs fighting and in fact can't think of a single time it's happened. Is your female agressive towards male dogs as well? Thats interesting!