My dog attacking/bullying my other dogs

[jimmyc1993]

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Hi everyone

Im posting on her for some advice/help

One of my dogs that is a springer spaniel (girl) aged 5years old has started to bully and attack my other dogs.

She mainly goes for my chihuahua (girl) who is around the same age as my springer but my chihuahua is a really quiet dog and well behaved. She is quite timmid in a way and likes to keep her self to her self.

Its started off with my spaniel patrolling around my chihuahua and invading her space. My chihuahua would growl at her to say back off. My spaniel would also do this to one of my other dogs occasionally put mainly targets my chihuahua.

it has got to the point now where she is attacking my chihuahua with aggression. There has been 2 times now where she has bit the chihuahua on the mouth and cut her and drawn blood. She mainly attaks just after they have had their dinner. My chihuahua goes and hides under the kitchen table after her dinner so my springer cant get to her. So its come to the point where i need advice/help to try and make her stop attaking and bully. I dont really want to have to rehome one of the dogs but if it carrys on thats what i will have to do.

thanks in advance for any info/advise/help

Jamie

 

[eingana]

Hi Jamie

When did you get both of the dogs please?

Are both neutered or is one or both entire? If they are entire, could either of them be in season or coming into season at the moment?

I've seen so many problems recently with an entire bitch picking on other bitches when there's a season due that we do need to rule that out, because if it's something as simple as hormones then neutering can help with that- but of course it won't help with the fear that is already instilled in your chihuahua from being attacked by a bigger dog from whom she can't escape, and no matter what the cause may be, that will take extra work.

Are there any food aggression issues with either of them? How about other behavioural problems/boredom/lack of exercise for your springer?

Sorry to sound like the Spanish Inquisition here

 

[jimmyc1993]

hi eingana,

we have had the spaniel since birth as we have the mother to her. we took the chihuahua in from an old couple who couldn't look after her about 3year ago. they have been together since. it was only about a year ago the spaniel started bullying/attaking.

neither of the dogs have been neutered so that could be something to try. what do you mean by entire ?

there is no other aggresion issues with the spaniel as she is lovley with people and kids. she would never growl or go for people and kids.

however the spaniel is abit unusual at times as if she has some sort of OCD. she is obsessed with certain things. e.g she is obsessed with going out in the garden even though she gets walked. you could let her out in the garden and then let her in but if you go near the door again straight after she gets all giddy and excited again to go out.

she also likes to lay in another room on her own in the quiet. its rare that she comes and lay in the room with the family and other dogs. its not like we dont give her attention either.

thanks for the advice,

Jamie

 

[goldenbear2013]

Hi Jamie,

Entire means, that she hasnt been neutered. if neither of them have and you are not planning on breeding them, then please do get them done. Their behavoural and health benefits are vast!

Springers are known to become obsessed over things. Tennis balls is usually the main culprit. They will fixate (cant spell that word!) on it and nothing else around them will matter. This may be the same with the garden. As long as she is not doing any harm or hurting herself through over excitment then I wouldn't worry too much about that. Same with staying seperate from the rest of you. That might just be her way, as clearly there is a lot going on in your house hold with the other pets and every woman needs her peace and quiet every now and again!

As for the agression, and Eignana said get them neutered first and foremost. In the mean time I would reccomend the following:

* Feed them seperately. Either at different times or in seperate rooms. If you feed them at different times then make sure the other is out of the room whilst the other is eating.

* If you don't already, walk them seperately if you can.

* Correction- if you see the behaviour start to appear in your springer, or even with your chihuahua, then either give which ever one it is a nudge in the side just past their shoulder and before their ribs to knock them out of their state of mind. Or if you don't want to do this a loud noise which will distract them from what they were planning on doing. A corrector spray is a good one for this and you get this from pets at home or on line. You must watch them carefully as you need to stop this before it escalates into full blown biting and fighting.

* if the matter becomes out of control then remove the springer immediately and place her in a quiet room or if she has a crate put her into their until she has calmed down and giveher a firm correction! This can be done by grabbing her at the scruff of the neck (dont worry you wont hurt her) or using her collar. Either a smack on the nose if this is your way or a firm "NO". if her energy levels is at such a point that she wont calm down and could destroy whatever there is in the room your put her in to calm down, then hold her down firmly but not hurting her until you feel her relax and then put her into a quiet room until she is at a point where you feel she is calm and happy enough to re join the rest of you.

* try not to pick your chihuahua up when this behaviour happens, as your springer could end up jumping up and biting you by accident as well.

From having experience with my dog that wouldnt quit with his barking, being destructive and biting etc (this was when mine was a pup) these were the methods i used to teach him that the behaviour is not acceptable. He was about 6-7 months old at the time and it took a long time (i'm talking months now!) for him to learn! It was an exhausting process but if you are consistant and dont give in they will soon learn. Springers are so clever she will soon catch on that she cannot continue with this behaviour.

I hope my pointers are helpful and no doubt Eingana will follow suite from me with some other helpful advice that you can use to help you on your way with your dogs

Good luck

Sophie x

 

[gypsysmum]

Hi Jamie

Bitches are know to be very territorial. If the they decide they do not want to live alongside another bitch then aggression may be the result. It is their way of driving the other bitch away and is thought to be a way of diluting the gene pool when all the bitches used to breed.

If that is what is going on here then there is very little that can be done about it. No amount of training or harsh correction will persuade a bitch to live alongside another bitch that she sees as invading her territory.

Your little Chihuahua is at quite a risk of being badly injured in all of this turf war. I would take urgent steps to keep them separate. A behaviourist may be able to offer you some sort of a solution if it is nipped in the bud but many will say that it is the one behaviour that does not respond to behaviour modification techniques.

Perhaps the Chihuahua would enjoy being the only pet of another elderly person?

 

[goldenbear2013]

I'm sorry but I don't agree with re homing the Chihiahua.

They have lived together for years and only now something is going a bit wrong. I know plenty of people that have the same sex dogs/bitches and they get on fine.

I feel what me and Eingana have said should help, but I so agree with what Gypsymum said about bringing in a behaviorist. They will be able to give you one on one time with your dogs that could be vital given the circumstances.

Sophie x

 

[jimmyc1993]

Hi sorry for not replying for a while. I havent mentioned that there is 5 dogs in my house hold. 1 of them is male and he is a chihuahua cross poodle. All other dogs are bitches. When the springer is not attacking/bullying my chihuahua she gets along with her. She licks her sniffs her bum and do what dogs do haha. Its every so often she attacks her. We have got a tea cup chihuahua too and the srpinger dosent bother with her. Just targets the bigger chihuahua

The teacup chihuahua is the newest dog in the family. Witch we had from a cup about a year and 3months ago

 

[goldenbear2013]

Happy dogs living together, that's what I like to hear

There is absolutely no need to consider getting rid of any of your dogs.

You have pin pointed where the issue lies already, in relation to the most common attacks are around feeding time.

As per our advice I feel is best and definitely feeding them separately and keeping them away from each other when the other is eating.

It maybe an option to remove the bowl once they have finished so they don't feel they need to claim their bowls?

Sophie x