11 months old attacked 11 year old!
 

Today was rather tramatic! My 11 month old female Yorkie attacked my 11 year old female Yorkie. It happened so quick. No growling, no barking, no warning, just an attack. The puppy bit down on her ear and wouldn't let go. I had to use my fingers to pry her off of the older dog's ear. Blood was everywhere! I didn't know if the ear was torn so I rushed her to the Vet. Luckily, she didn't need stitches but was placed on pain meds and antibiotics.

My question is why? Why the unprovoked attack? It's never happened before, they typically get along very well. There was no food or toys that might have triggered this either. The puppy has been with the pack since she was 8 weeks old so she's not new to the house.

What should I be looking for in the future?:confused:

I'm sorry you had a rough day. Glad you took your injured girl to the vet.

Do you have just the two dogs, or are there more? Are they all spayed/neutered?

You might read the article this thread highlights and see if it fits your situation:

http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/gen...other-dog.html

Look for the attacker's body language to change, which usually starts with the dog going stock still, silent, ears coming up to alert status or back flattened, eyes focusing intently and locked on the other dog, face tense, mouth slightly open or teeth bared, hackles raised(not many Yorkies can achieve this) or putting a paw up on the older dog, trying to mount her.....are all the body language indicators that one or all in combination can indicate your younger dog is about to escalate her behavior into aggression. All you have to do is stand up, say "No!", advance toward the dog and walk into her space - right into her body if she doesn't move at first, forcing her to turn and eventually give up and leave the area. Do this every time she begins to focus intently or make dominant or aggressive moves on the other dog and in time, she will begin to understand you have set boundaries of behavior she cannot cross and will immediately stop her improper behavior. In time, she will remember what is coming and begin to control her own aggressive behavior as she knows you will step in and back her off, forcing her to leave the area, which she will try to avoid to be able to stay with you.

Setting them up for success by taking up all chewies, toys or things they might have issues over until the younger dog is better trained about how not to react will probably keep them from conflicts over these things as well. They will have to enjoy chewies and toys one at a time with one in a crate or another room for a while.

There is more you can do if you want to train your younger dog to accept the other dog's right to exist and live her life if you want, if this problem somehow continues despite your standing the offender down each and every time.

Maximo: I do have others dogs for a total of 4. I have 2 girls and 2 boys. Both boys are neutered and the 11 year old girl is spayed. The attacker, the 11 mos old girl, is still intact because I plan on mating her next year.

Yorkietalkjilly: Thanks for your advise. I will definitely read the article that you recommended. I am very consistent with the dogs and I demand that they coexist. This attack just came from nowhere! Today after thhe attack, I noticed a change in her behavior. It was as though she wanted to get at the other dog again but I payed close attention to her and even if she looked at the other dog I corrected her. I did not leave them unattended and there weren't any more attacks. I made sure there were no toys or food left out that would trigger the behavior.

Normally they all get along very well but today was a nightmare with all that blood! My 3 yr old male seems to be guarding the wounded Yorkie by laying close to her so I'm also watching that behavior to be sure it doesn't trigger any protection aggression.

One other thing that I've noticed over the past few days is that the puppy has become somewhat annoying to the other dogs. She wants to play all the time and the older dogs get annoyed by her but don't hurt her. They just nip at her just as her mother would have done.

I'll definitely keep my eyes on them until I feel confident that the attack was just an isolated incident. When I leave home the puppy will have to be crated until further notice. I train my dogs using the crate, so crating won't seem like a punishment to her. I just want all of them to be safe.

Great article!
 

Yorkietalkjilly: I read the article that you recommended and I believe it addresses what happened with my dogs today. I think the puppy was over stimulated. It's exactly what I said in my post that she wants to play to the point of being annoying. My older Yorkie could have responded to her and this triggered the attack. Thank you so much, I think I have a better understanding of what to watch for. It's not just growling and barking that can be signs of an impending fight it can be a dog that is too highly stimulated by play! WOW I got it!;)

Yorkietalkjilly always gives the best advice. :thumbup:

I should add that an 11 month old unspayed yorkie could simply be coming into her own and maturing. They are terriers, after all, and while most yorkies tend to get along with their housemates... terriers in general are more prone to dog aggression than some, specifically same-sex aggression. Sometimes it's not necessarily a behavioral issue but just maturity and drive kicking in.

You sound like a very responsible dog-owner who will keep on eye on the young one and be sure that she's kept in line and looks to you to administer permissions and compassionate discipline within the pack. With a good leader who is clued-in and watching them closely, she will learn in time as she grows up a bit more, to control her own impulses and allow her pack leader to take care of things she doesn't agree with. But this does sound like it could just be a case of predatory drift that almost any dog can suddenly find him or herself engulfed in as genetic impulses kick in. Good luck with those babies down the road! :)

Some good responses!
 

Yorkietalkjilly: You're giving me hope that I can regain control of my little girl. I really try to be a responsible dog owner. Generally I do well with the pack but this issue really stumped me. I could understand food agression, toy possessiveness, or even jealousy. But none of these issues were present when the attack occurred. I"ve become very vigilent and crate the puppy when I'm unable to keep both of my eyes on her. So far, no more attacked but she has tried to stare at the 11 yr old which I immediately step in and control. I never planned to own 4 dogs and the problem puppy is one that joined my pack by default. I own her dad. She was actually sold but the owner was not prepared to be a pet owner and ultimately gave me the dog. The 11 yr old is a rescue from a puppy mill. So I do have my hands full! I appreciate posters like you who try to provide assistance through information.

Brister: I agree Yorkietalkjilly is awesome!:thumbup: I'm trying to keep the puppy intact for one mating. But it looks like it will depend on me being able to regain control of her. I understand the maturity and hormonal issues that you addressed. She just had 2 heats in less than 3 months so her hormones are probably raging! She's going to be 1 yr old on the 15th so she thinks she's now the queen of the pack. She's going to find out very quickly that I'm the only pack queen and pack leader in this house and I control everything including her. I'm going to be loving yet firm and consistent. I have hope that things will return to normal but in the meanwhille it's my responsibility to protect the pack.:aimeeyork