This just sucks. I'm thinking I may have to consider re-homing my tyrant. Toby, ( my 10 lb Teapot ) has been getting a bit too aggressive towards Izzy. It's only when she's got something he wants ( which includes ANYTHING she's playing with, even if he has one himself that is exactly the same). He obsesses to an unhealthy degree. Like nothing else exists but her and that chew toy. And as soon as you give any slack on him he lunges for her and he used to just snatch it from her and bail, but now you hear them scuffle and she ends up yelping like a scream and curling up before one of us intervenes . Toby has been to training, and I've tried to teach him to leave it, or to stay... But he's so stubborn he just won't comply . Not when it counts anyway. The addition to this problem is that my boyfriend is fiercely protective over Izzy ever since the tragedy last year that took her sister from us, and last night when he actually hurt izzy it was Scott that intervened and when he grabbed a hold of Toby he had actual rage in his eyes. I had to tell him to back off that's enough right now, because I could tell that it wasn't registering in Scott's head that Toby was A) still a small dog and could be hurt B) already frozen in fear or C) not going to miraculously understand logic and apologize. I knew all he wanted to do was anhialate anything that hurt Izzy, didn't matter what it was. And when I told him that was enough , no more- he let him go and went upstairs and stayed up there for a good half hour just cooling off. Then it happened again this morning, although Scott did handle it much better, I can see this is going to be a major issue. We put a muzzle on Toby now if we leave so he can't hurt her. It just seems that ever since last week when I took him to the groomer and he got so freaked out about the sap on his paws and turned all vicious, biting and snarling and scratching at not only her but me too... That he has lost his feeling for knowing his bite limit. He used to only gnaw to a certain point and ease up. And if it me he would immediately switch to licking instead biting. But now he's much quicker to pull his lip back and get s**tty. I've been working on it with him, and I seem to be able to diffuse him pretty easily, but I can't always be the one he's reacting to and I don't always have treats in my hand to distract and diffuse. And izzy can't EVER have anything in her mouth at all or this comes about. I'm getting a real glum feeling about this, and I'm usually the great compromiser, fixer of issues, and can more than not find a way to have anything work out with all parties happy. But I sense impending doom on this one. I'm thinking maybe Toby just needs to be an only child. Or little brother to a dog he has a good healthy sense of respect for limits to...because I'm afraid either him or izzy will inevitably end up hurt if this goes on. And I hate that, because I don't just give up on my creatures. They aren't an "option" to me. I always find a way to correct behavior and everyone lives happily ever after together. I don't ever even consider giving one of my dogs up. But if I don't want him to end up hurt for his behavior, what am I supposed to do? I'm so stressed out. Sorry for this being so long.
