Updates on Sadie's aggression.
 

Well it's happening again. Almost a couple times a day now. :(

She's really attacking Bentley over and over again. I'm at a loss. We're going to the vets in the next couple days to do blood work and rule out a health related problem first. After that we're working towards behavior modification and training. I'm so worried that despite all my efforts I'll loose her. I can't bear the thought of giving her to anyone else even though sometimes I wonder if he's just not happy with another dog in the home. She's struggling with anxiety, she has no confidence. I want to try and do more special things with her like agility tunnels (she loves them) to help boost her confidence. But what if it's never enough and no matter what she'll always randomly attack Bentley. Is that fair to him? A lifetime of getting bitten and beaten by her? And what if it turns to my son when he comes. One time of her attacking him and I'd have to do something else with her. I couldn't just let her be in my home if she's aggressive towards my baby.

You guys know me, you know how much this is hurting. I'm so scared to loose my baby girl. I'm going to do everything I can for her. Starting with the vet and moving towards long walks to keep her energy levels down and agility tunnels for confidence and fun. I praise her all the time for calm behavior around Bentley. I treat her and love on her when she's near him and nice. When she attacks it's getting to where she doesn't even hear me telling her to stop. She has to be pulled off him or the fight will never seem to end. He's screaming and yelping and she's just biting at his face all over him. It's a furious mess.

I just needed to vent. I'm nearly in tears. I can't think about loosing her without feeling so bad inside. I hope my stress eases up before I cause her more stress.

HELP ME IF YOU CAN, I just need support, prayers, and some advice from other aggression dog owners.

Looks like you are taking the right steps to solving the problem.

I had the same problem with our newest gal toward the weakest one in our pack. It got to the point were I was scared to leave them unattended. It' gotten better, nothing in almost two months and counting. She just turned two last month. So I hope it was just an adolescent thing and that she has outgrown it.

It's strange how the one that she always targeted it the first one to sit and wait on her to go out the door when they go out side in the yard. It's a good sign.

I know how much you love your pups. I think you are doing the right thing by having Sadie checked medically first and then try behavioral treatment. I wish you all the best and I hope Sadie's aggression problem can be treated.:)

If she is attacking your other dog for no reason what about when you have your new human baby? :confused: Just a thought.

Good luck and best wishes.

Rachael Im so sorry youre going thru this. Toby Tyler and Dakota get into it too. Even though they are both fixed they just dont like each other. I separate them when we are not home and I have a rolled up newspaper in everyroom in the house. For us it seems when they get excited it triggers it, so I slap the newspaper on my leg or counter. So far, so good. Poor girls, duck and run when they hear the paper, but it beats the boys fighting like pit bulls.

I agree with your plan.
I'm not sure how big your house is, but could you just separate them until you can get this straightened out? If the love is divided well by you and the house isn't very tiny, it could be an alternative for now.

maybe i need to start seperating them. i haven't been seperating them when i'm gone and it appears that they both just cuddle in their bed and sleep. it's so weird that they are lovers and fighters. well Sadie is the fighter. but they seem to love to share my lap and their beds and always are close and snuggly. it's just randomly she goes at him.

i probably should seperate them in case she's attacking him when i'm not aware of it and not home

Oh no! Poor little Bently. At least you're taking good steps to try to work on the issue. I agree with the seperation, maybe absence will make the heart grow fonder. Maizey, my mom's dog, likes to randomly attack Mac, my brother's dog. It's like a love hate relationship. We seperate them, and alot of times I'll take one dog and my Mom will take the other, giving them both seperate attention.

Prayers for you and little miss Sadie. I know you'll get it worked out.

P.s. Agility tunnels sound like a blast.

It seems like you're taking all the right steps. After a health related problem is ruled out is there a recommended behaviorist in your area you could contact?

I'm sorry, Rachel, that you are dealing with this right now and I pray that you can find the solution to help Sadie. Separation sounds like a good idea. It must be so difficult to see them cuddling and then to have skirmishes.

What do you mean she is attacking him? Is it over food, toys, attention????? What does Bentley do when she does this? Does he back down? Is there blood?

My three will fight sometimes but it's always over in a flash. It usually happens when someone is walking past the house and they are all pushing to get the best view of the passerby.

She must being showing signs before she goes after him. Are you watching for her trigger? When you see the signs do you intervene before she goes after him? After she goes attack him what are you doing with her? Do you separate her into a different room or crate her?

the hardest part is this just isn't my sweet baby Sadie. something has to be wrong with her. she doesn't do this, it's not her. she had a year with Bentley and never did this stuff to him. and i feel so bad i brought him from an abusive master into a home with an abusive sister :(

She bites at his face, pulls out his hair, snarls and attacks him repeatedly until i pull her off him. he just sits or lays there completely submissive and yelps and cowers down. it's over nothing at all. it's usually when Bentley is waking up all sweetly, or he's cowering in the corner or he's frightened by something and she nails him. no blood but she has pulled out his hair. he yelps. it's never a flash fight. i have to pull her off of him each time and she still wants him. it's horrible. the worst part is it's not like she's growling or prowling towards him. she's always around him and then one min she just nails him and attacks.

the first time it ever happened i was bitten because i didn't know how to break up a dog fight the proper way. now i just pull her from behind her hips area to get her to stop. she doesn't listen to me hollar at them or clap my hands anymore. she ignores everything but biting his face off.

Did the vet suggest anything like prozac? I know another member who has hers on it, I believe, for this very reason.

So sorry you are having to deal with this. I hope you can find a solution to this and have your home peaceful and calm, especially when baby comes.

Sorry to hear you are having a hard time with Sadie and Bentley. My 2 girls do this but it is the youngest snapping and biting at the oldest. Usually for my attention. You are in my prayers that things work out for you and your babies.

My heart goes out to you, it is awful to see your own babies fight like strangers.

I think a time out helps to calm things down. And you may want to keep them separate when you are not with them. Face biting is scary. This seems to be a new behavior that is getting worse from what you wrote. You are doing the right thing by checking health, first. Perhaps your Vet can help you determine what happens next and who could help you with behavior modification techniques. If you could have them in your home that would be great.
I know you are expecting soon and need to get this resolved. I will keep you and your family in my prayers. Hugs

i think a combination of vet check, walking her daily to wear her out, agility to make her feel confident and special, a leash on her to correct her instantly and pull her off Bentley and into a time out safe area, and lots more love and patience will help pay off in the long run. can't give up on my girl, i'd be the only woman in the house and we can't have that :p stressing over it won't help anyone. just take action and try to make this better.

Forget the vet check, you need a dog trainer - a good one. For now, I would take away all toys and make her work for everything. I wish I were closer, I would help you with her.

This is just a random idea, but did this start when you were pregnant? Do you think it has something to do with her sensing that?

Also, will your vet somehow be checking her hormone levels? The prozac idea seems like it would be helpful!

Rachel I am so sorry you are still struggling with this. I completely agree with this. I am going to talk to my trainer and try to get some advice.

okay update. it's totally ME. it's something to do with me that's triggering her. i walked in the door tonight and turned away from her when she did her usual nutso greeting. the plan was to get a calm dog before greeting her. well instead of getting a calm dog i got a dog that ran around the house to find bentley and bark and attack him.

i'm the cause. now what do i do about it. right now i have her on leash and harness now so if she does aggress i can instantly stop it and give her a time out away from Bentley.

she's sleeping sweetly on my lap with Bentley close by us. figures!!

so it has to be the hormones. has to be the pending baby. and she doesn't do this with DH ever he says she's never done this around him alone and also it did seem to start around when i got pregnant. i'm the cause so that's at least a start.

now help me fix her and fix me.

Which dog was there first ~ Sadie or Bentley?

She might be 'resource guarding' and YOU are the resource she is guarding.

I would definitely keep them separated when you are not home and maybe when you are at home - until things calm down. I second the suggestion of a trainer. I like your idea of more walks to tire her out a bit. Can you walk them together to help build their bond?

IF no blood is being drawn - the fight is probably more noise and for show than anything else. But, still, it's upsetting and no one wants to live like that all the time.

I'd also start implementing NILF for Sadie ~ well both, I guess. Start teaching her some basic manners.

Nothing in Life is Free

Aggressive dog
 

How sorry I am that your dogs are having this problem, and very scary and concerning for you too. Does Sadie only go for Bentley or had she ever attacked people??
My little man started being aggressive in certain situations (mainly getting in his space, shoes and feet when they get close, and when he is resting or sleeping) after we moved and also he had eye issues. (A lot of upheaval and trauma for a little dog) We had him vet checked as we thought he may have a serious issue, but nothing turned up. He is a lot better now and we try to avoid the bad trigger situations. It appears to stem from fear and lack of confidence. We did try a trainer, but that did not help much and tended to make him more aggressive once she left. She used the treat method and he liked that and he would only then react well with us for treats.
It seem though that in your case it is the alpha dog syndrome and usually dogs sort it out among themselves, but if they are really tearing each other apart that is not practical or safe. Putting him on a leash is a great idea so you control the dog and his actions before they get serious. If you are not around, separation seems the only safe thing to do. I put my dog on a leash for a while when he was at his worst and that did show him I was the alpha and he could not do whatever he wished. Perhaps you have to be the alpha on the house over BOTH dogs???
It is a complex issue, but I am sure you will figure it out and that you will be able to keep Sadie. I know I was desperate and thinking of rehoming, but had to deal with it as he needed eye surgery. But I found that time and observation and home training and establishing boundaries have made the aggression minor now and I can deal with it. Hopefully he will calm down with age. (He is 2.5 yrs)
Good Luck and let us know what works!

OMG! We were having a similar problem with Rosie and Mikki when DH comes home. As soon as he would come home both girls get really excited. And then Mikki would go at Rosie for no reason at all. Then of course the fight was on because Rosie does not back down.

We have stopped it by having DH pick up both of them at the same time as soon as he comes in. That way they both are getting the attention at the same time. Before he would let them spin and bark while talking to them. That was giving them to much time and Mikki the opportunity to get her cheap shots in. Now, they are calmer because he picks them up immediately.
This seems to have worked for us. Just an idea!

:) God love you Kathy, right to the heart of the problem.
I try not to give detailed advice about aggression on line. There are just too many veritables. A trainer needs to see what the trigger is. What is the body posture, lip licking, is the tail tucked, or stiff barely moving or what. Is the body stiff, trembling, held high or low and what are the ears doing and so much more. I try to suggest a trainer because I know they can back up and look from things from an unemotional point of view.
The mom in me wants to run in and fix it, so I have curb myself. When I was having problems with my own Gracie, I had to get another trainer to come over and watch us. I couldn't put my emotions aside. I even had a handler tell me to do the Alpha roll ! Geeze I have used that since the late 70s ! I tell everyone when in doubt go to the professional, if it is a health problem go to the Vet. If it is a behavior problem, get a trainer. I really feel for OP she is a very loving person I can tell.

Sadie was the first dog. She's been here since she was almost 8 weeks old (my stupid mistake i'm still paying for)

Bentley came in at about the time they were both 10 months old and they were fine until i got pregnant. we're pretty sure this all started about the time i got pregnant so it's totally hormone/stress related from me.

I think sometimes dogs react to pregnancy in their pack. My sister had a lab mix (male) who got very protective over her during her pregnancies. She did not have another dog in the house, but he got real funny about her being out of his sight. He would be very anxious/pacing. He seemed to want to "supervise" her interactions w others. After the baby would come, then he would transfer it and be very overprotective of her AND baby.

Sorry to hear you are having this problem again. When Peek a Boo was doing this, the only way I found to begin to stop him was before he made contact with his intended victim. It usually occured in my bed, when he and anyone else was there too. Once he made contact, he was in another zone and wouldn't respond to me at all.

Part is resource guarding, and the other part was that I was not being Alpha enough and he felt the need to control situations. When I began doing the controlling, his aggressiveness subsided almost completely.

I put everyone on the bed and waited for him to react. I noticed he would stare at his intended victim and freeze, just seconds before he launched his little body to attack. Well, he launched and I grabbed him out of midair, told him 'No' and placed him back on his pillow. We did this a few times till he figured out that I really was one step ahead of him, now I only have to glare at him to get his full attention.

Maybe instead of ignoring Sadie when you come in the door, try making her 'sit' and then reward her, or tell her to go get a toy and interact with her positively. It sounds like she's frustrated and is using Bentley to get her frustrations out.

I found out also with Peek a Boo that his attacks would increase in frequency whenever he wants more attention from me and doesn't get it. I figured this out by accident, as telling him 'No' had no effect, so one day I just did the opposite and picked him up and held him and gave him some undeserved loving. His attacks stopped completely, until he felt neglected again. So now I make a point of giving him some extra attention, above and beyond our normal day to day interactions.

Hope some of this helps you...

reading at www.dogsandstorks.com for extra advice per my trainer. she's also researching methods to help calm and sooth a frustrated dog dealing with anxiety over the hormone changes in pregnancy. we're working on it lots. so far the leashing and time outs are what we're using. going to start crating them seperately at night as part of a new routine and also giving them "dog space" for time alone in their own crate space.