She's jealous and I'm worried!!!

[Tillysmommy]

I need help! I am so worried for my little girl's safety.

We have a 60lb. chow chow (Sandy), 2 cats, and my little 8lb. Tilly girl. In the last couple months, she has become super overprotective. Anytime she is sitting next to me and either Sandy or one of the cats come near me, she starts growling aggressively and lunges at them. While I am not so worried about the cats, I am terrified about Sandy. She is getting older (almost 11) and can be cranky at times. I am scared that one of these days she just isn't going to take it anymore. I tell Tilly "no" very firmly anytime she does it and hold her in my arms and hold her face to keep her from lunging, but she just keeps growling. It also is a problem when I give them treats (which they get often). I have to hold Tilly while Sandy finishes her treat.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

~Thanks!

[Sunnie]

Hi
I would definitely keep them apart when you aren't around. My dad had the most wonderful chow who was as gentle as can be. He also had 2 yorkies. Penny was about 5 lbs and Skippy was 3 1/2 lbs. He had both yorkies before he got the chow. Christopher (the chow) LOVED those babies. But when Penny got spayed, Christopher got very protective and Skippy came over to lay down by Penny and Christopher bit him in the head. He had to have surgery and it looked like he would be okay. But when he came home, the next time he went near Penny, Christopher bit him again and it killed him this time. I know Christopher was just protecting Penny and he felt so bad. He was licking Skippy trying to get him to wake up. It was so heartbreaking. Even though they are gentle, it only takes one bite to kill one of these little babies. I would be very careful.

[Rosey07]

Maybe this will help you understand...he is protecting whats his...no matter how good that feels, he needs to be put in his place.... or trouble will brew.

Dog Aggression
by Brandy J. Oliver, MA

This article is meant to give simple ideas to help some dominant dogs realize their place in the pack and to help some fear-aggressive dogs gain confidence in themselves and their people. It does not cover all aspects of, or all the different types of aggression that can be diagnosed.


Recommended Books by Brandy J. Oliver:

* Dogs Are From Neptune
* Jelly Bean VS. Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde: Written for the Safety of Our Children & the Welfare of Our Dogs


Dog aggression is a serious problem for people, their families, and their dogs. Dog aggression (in general) is easy to diagnose, but many times is difficult to treat. Many "dog trainers" do not specialize in dog behavior, let alone dog aggression, so it can be difficult to find someone that can help you with your problem. There are only a few excellent sources on dog aggression that have published material. One is Jean Donaldson and her book Dogs Are From Neptune. Another is C.W. Meisterfeld, Ph.D. His philosophy of teaching based on mutual respect and trust has earned him many awards. He is the pioneer of canine psychoanalysis and Psychological Dog Training. He is considered the first canine psychoanalyst expert witness to be recognized/approved in the judicial system of the United States California Supreme Court. He has written many wonderful books, including one that I especially urge you to read if you're having aggression problems with your dog: "Jelly Bean VS. Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde." You can find more information about his philosophy at Meisterfeld's Psychological Dog Training website.

It is usually not recommended to suggest treatment for dog aggression without actually having studied the dog, his environment, and his family in person. If your dog has bitten someone, and especially if he has drawn blood, he has a much greater chance of repeating this action. I strongly urge you to seek a reputable animal behaviorist to help you with your dog.

Dominance Aggression

Dominance aggression is many times seen when a dog perceives that his place in the pack hierarchy is being threatened. This can refer to his place in the "family" or in just the "dog pack" if there are two or more dogs in the household and it usually occurs when there is a change in the living environment of the dog in question, such as getting a new puppy, moving, someone moving out of or into the house, or a change in working schedules, and/or where the dog spends his time.

Scenario 1:

When dogs are insecure in their place in the pack, they will exaggerate the essence of where on the hierarchy ladder they think they should be. For instance, if you bring a new puppy or dog home and your original dog becomes insecure in his status, he may exaggerate his dominance. Exaggerating dominance = aggression. In his view, his aggression will secure his position. If you feel this is the cause of your dog's aggression, please read the "Two or More Dogs" article.

Scenario 2:

Some breeds of dogs, and some individual dogs, tend to be more dominant than others by nature. These dogs tend to be very intelligent as well, and if you're not careful they can have you trained before you realize what has happened. This type of dog, if in the wild, would be the leader of a pack of dogs. They have a strong "Will to Power" (WTP), meaning that they have a high potential for dominance and assertiveness. They are leaders. Because they are natural leaders, it is then your responsibility to make sure you are the leader by harnessing their "Will to Serve" (WTS.) A dog's WTS is directly affected by the training he receives (or lacks.) This means that the sooner you begin teaching your dog proper behavior, and the more time you spend teaching your dog, the greater his WTS will grow. When your dog is fulfilled by his WTS, his WTP will diminish. If you feel your dog has a strong WTP and is a natural leader, and that he may be "challenging" or "testing" you, the first recommendation would be to enroll him in a basic obedience class as soon as possible. Once your dog understands and can regularly demonstrate "sit," "down," "stay," and "settle" you can begin incorporating these commands in your daily activities. In order to harness a dog's WTS he must feel he is "serving" you. When you command him to "down" while you prepare his meal, "sit" before you give him a treat, "wait" before he goes out the door, you are taking control of these situations by becoming the "leader" and commanding your dog to "serve" you. This reassures the dog about his proper place in the pack hierarchy.

Scenario 3:

Some well-meaning people simply do not understand the behavioral patterns in dogs and can actually be the catalyst for some unwanted behaviors. A dog is a living, breathing animal. He deserves respect; however, sometimes people confuse respect with giving in to their dogs' every whim and desire. Do you move over on the couch or bed if your dog wants to lie where you are? Does your dog "demand" when you should play with him? Give him a treat? These are simple examples that show you are being submissive to your dog. You are leader of the pack, you should not be submissive to your dog. Many other instances, sometimes complex in nature, can signify your submissive position to your dog. When a dog does not sense that there is a leader of the pack he will many times instinctively assume the leader role. When this scenario happens, the people involved often don't realize that their dog views himself as the "true alpha, leader of the whole family."

If a dog with a strong WTP assumes the leader role in the family, he may become very dominant and aggressive, as any good doggie leader would. If a dog does not have a strong WTP, yet assumes the leader role due to lack of anyone else assuming that role (according to the dog's perception), he will most likely experience a great amount of anxiety with his new awesome responsibility. This anxiety will infiltrate his instinctive protective behavior and (seemingly) unexplained aggression will occur. If this sounds like your dog, you also need to harness his WTS as mentioned above, but at the same time you need to change your behavior so that your dog will feel confident in you as his leader.

In all of these scenarios, your dog needs to know where he stands on the hierarchy ladder. He needs to know he is on the bottom of the ladder, below all humans. This does not mean you should be mean or harsh with your dog. Unfortunately, many normal "corrections" that are taught in many obedience classes are quite coercive. Sometimes very dominant dogs will not respond to force, punishment, or other means of a negative nature. Over time, (and sometimes quite quickly) these types of actions can be severely detrimental to your dog. If you use harsh techniques and coercion on your dominant dog, instead of making him feel submissive, it can trigger his "survival instinct." When dominant animals are cornered, they do not submit - their survival instincts kick in and they fight back. The more punishment, or threats of punishment, given the stronger their inborn survival instinct becomes. Therefore, it is very important that you teach with positive reinforcement and praise.

[cataholic]

I know that is all very true, we spoiled our cocker spaniel and he now is very aggressive to our bigger dogs but he loves Fritzel. Fritzel can take his toys and food but not the other dogs or the cats. I don't understand why he acts so nice to Fritzel. He acts submissive to him. But nobody else. He even growls at my husband and has bitten him when he was being nasty to our bulldog. So we have to keep a baby gate up when we are not right there with them. We did get him first so he thinks everything is his, including all toys, food, treats, and me. And he wil bite anyone if they come into the house. We rescued him when he was 6 months old. He definately has some issues. I don't think Caesar Milan could fix him! I know I am to blame too.

[Rosey07]

Honestly You could fix him. It would take work and time but it can be done.I bet he would surprise you, if you'd try. If not ummmmm....I don't know.

[tjdmom]

Occasionally Zoe will do that to Sasha. Although she is usually submissive to Sasha and everyone really, sometimes when she's sitting on my lap and Sasha comes over she will lunge at her. I don't allow it and it stops but then she'll test us (well, really me I guess) again in a few weeks. Basically, I firmly tell her no and then I put her down on the floor. I give her the message that in no way will that behavior be tolerated. She's usually very sorry but I don't allow her back up for awhile. She gets the message and I it hasn't happened in a while so maybe it has finally sunk in for good. Good Luck!

[Tillysmommy]

I think maybe I will try that TJD....I usually just firmly tell her "no" and hold her face so she can't lunge. She gets along great with everyone when she isn't near me (playing, cuddling, etc etc). It is only when she is cuddling with me that this behavior comes out. Maybe if she is put down and not allowed back up, she will stop. Thanks so much guys!

[Yorkiekids]

I had the same problem with my Penny. I tried everything giving her more attention, feeding her by herself, and nothing I did every worked. I finally had to rehome her, because she definetly needed a house where she could be the alpha. I found her a wonderful home after interviewing a lot of people. It might come down to this unless you want to rehome your Chow. Just make sure you don't leave the Chow alone with her, because one bite from the Chow could finish her off. The other choice is to get a behavior trainer in your home. I don't know how much it costs, but I'm sure it's not cheap. I think you have to follow your heart on this, and do what's best for your baby.