AboutShelley Davis Expertise Cageless Country Boarding, Holistic Health Concerns, Behavorial Concerns.
Experience Crusader in the founding of Dog Runs in NYC Parks, instrumental in changing the law in NY State which allows Pet Facilitate Therapy into Acute Care Hospitals, accomplished artist and craftsperson, certified by Red Cross in pet first aid, pioneer in Children Reading To Dogs program in Ulster Co. NY, founder of Bed & Biscuit:Where Dogs Run Free, www.bednbiscuit.com/
Question I have three female dogs that have been living together for a few years now> My oldest is almost nine years old> she had been an alpha female and used to be respected by everyone of the dogs> Last night I let my dogs out into the backyard together ( like I always do ) After about forty minutes I heard a dog fight going on> which within seconds became a one sided attack with one of the females attacking and biting the older female> It looked to me like th other female was also ganging up on the older female but only one was inflicting the bites> It was a terrible experience for me because the older female was crying which did not lessen the persistance of the other female> My dogs have had squirmished before but as soon as one gave up the fight was over with no injuries except a couple of scratches> This time however even though the older female seemed to have given up fighting and was trying to get away the younger female kept pursuing her biting and obviously intending to inflict harm> I don"t understand why there would be so much hatred coming out of the younger female since they are members of the same pack> Also what do I do now? Can they coexist again or is the pack likely to try to kill the older female?
Answer
Hi Aggie,
Thanks for writing to me about the problem you are experiencing wth your female pack.
This is a very volatile sitution that needs to be seriously addressed. The verocity of the fight you describe, has not come unexpectedly, because there has been a history of unease between the younger and older females for some time. I am not surprised that their level of competition has escalated and will continue to do so until the senior female completely defers to the younger one. There is a struggle going on for a new pack leader and it is taking a dangerous turn.
It is advisable that at the onset of any sign of aggression, all possible medical causes are ruled out. BEFORE you consult a trainer.
If an injury, disease or genetic congenital defect, is deemed the cause of the dog's mood swings or aggression, then no training will be effective until the problem has been resolved or controlled.
There are many conditions that can cause unusual or aggressive behavior in dogs. Anything from problems with teeth and eyesight to joint pain.
If the temperament problem is genetic in nature, then the likelihood that the animal can be completely cured of the aggression is minimal. The treatment would then concentrate on the "management" of the behavior rather than an absolute cure.
Other conditions (like Hypothyroidism) can be effectively treated with medication prescribed by your veterinarian. Any condition which causes inflammation of the brain, can also cause neurological problems, including aggression. A chemical imbalance can make their behavior unstable and medication may be required to rectify the problem. A dog in pain can react in a defensive or aggressive manner.
Some of the conditions that have been linked to aggression in dogs are:
Brain chemistry
Hypothyroidism
Encephalitis (bacterial or viral) Distemper
Hypoglycemia
Hydrocephalus in brachycephalics
Epilepsy
Brain tumors
Head trauma
Behavioral Seizures
Brain Chemistry:
This condition is not unlike clinical depression, obsessive compulsive disorders, etc., in humans. Serotonin plays an important role in the neurochemical control of aggression in the brain, especially when a component of impulsivity is present. As with humans, the family of SSRI drugs have the most success in combination with "therapy" i.e. behavior modification techniques. There are not many behavior cases which will respond to medication alone.
Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome which is associated with age related degeneration can be managed through medication, and environmental and behavioral modification.
Hypothyroidism:
A common endocrine disease where the body produces an abnormally low amount of thyroid hormones. An autoimmune destruction of the thyroid gland, which affects more than 50 dog breeds and crosses.
Encephalitis(bacterial or viral):
Distemper and rabies are a viral form of Encephalitis;
There are two common forms of Encephalitis;
Acute encephalitis Commonly seen in young dogs or puppies and Chronic encephalitis seen in older dogs, even those with a good vaccination history.
There have been studies, which show that the distemper vaccination, can actually cause an animal to contract distemper
Hypoglycemia:
Is a medical term meaning low blood sugar. Symptoms of a hypoglycemic attack can include:
Or water on the brain, is a condition that affects the toy breeds and the "brachycephalics" dogs with very short noses, like the boxer, pug etc.
Epilepsy:
There are many causes of epilepsy so diagnosis is not always easy.
Primary Epilepsy - is a hereditary condition which is more common in certain breeds.
Other causes include; Canine Distemper, Encephalitis, Meningitis, Poisonings, Liver and kidney disease, Head injuries, Brain tumors, Strokes and Cerebro-vascular disease, Hydrocephalus etc.
Many of the causes of Epilepsy still remain obscure.
Brain tumors:
A brain tumor can cause changes in temperament, some or all of these changes might be observed in an animal afflicted, at varying times and degrees:
When the brain has suffered trauma or injury, swelling or bleeding may result. This swelling or bleeding will interfere with the normal function of that part of the brain. Many unusual neurological symptoms can result, including aggression.
Behavioral Seizures:
Or what has been called "Rage syndrome"
Partial seizures occurring in a region of the brain that controls aggression can cause sudden unprovoked aggression.
Most aggressive behavior does not go away on its own. The longer your dog's aggression continues; the more intense it gets, the more frequently in occurs: the worse the prognosis is for treatment.
Avoid what sets your dog off.
Dogs are pack animals. The average pet owner does not understand how strong the genetic instincts are that float under the fur of their lovable pets.
Here are some of the issues that develop when people build a dog pack:
Dogs are territorial (like wolves).
They have a pack or rank order which includes a pack leader. Every dog in the pack knows it's rank.
The worst dog fights are amoung bitches (they are fierce) and unneutered or neutered/unneutered dogs.
Once attacked a dog will always be leery of meeting new dogs. Many will automatically become fighters the rest of their lives.
When aggression has excalated as you describe, allowing the dogs to work things out themselves is a big mistake.
You may need to start working with a crate. Put the younger dog in a dog crate in the house where your older other dog can go up and look at and smell it. If there is growling, correct the older house dogs for showing any sign of aggression but never use a hard hand as aggression breeds aggression.
Training the dogs to wear a head halter or body harness with trailing leashes and a basket muzzle will increase the owner's level of control and safety when the dogs are together. If they growl give a correction but not so hard as to cause physical injury. Remember, YOU are the pack leader in this family. Pack leaders determine when the pack members get aggressive. Your house dogs genetically understand this. If you have a rank problem with your relationship then this needs to be addressed and corrected.
The pack leaders is the one who determines if and when a dog will fight. So if your position in the pack is firm (as a result of solid obedience training) a correction for growling will tell the house dog that "YOU WILL NOT ALLOW AGGRESSION TOWARDS ANOTHER DOG."
So for the first three weeks (or as long as it takes) when you want the one dog to be loose in the house, the other dog is either in a different room or in his dog crate.
In order for aggression to stop, both dogs must accept you as the pack leader. Your middle dog is merely showing allegiance now that what she perceives as the upcoming new pack leader. It is in her best interest to do so.
When the dogs are allowed to meet face to face. Allow them to sniff one another. Talk to them in a happy voice. Keep the meeting short. Then take them for a walk together. If there is any growling a VERY STRONG VERBAL NO ! Command is given and they are separated.
In extreme cases where you are not sure of what may happen, both dogs should have a muzzle on. That way if there is a fight the dogs will not get injured and you can step in and break up the fight.
If you lose control of the situation, NEVER STEP IN AND TRY TO BREAK UP A FIGHT BY YOURSELF IF THE DOGS DON'T HAVE MUZZLES.
Do not allow any posturing. This means one dog trying to show dominance over the other. You will see one dog "T" off to the other. It will put it's head over the top shoulder of the other dog and press down. This is the beginning of showing dominance. Mounting is the excalation of this behavior. You could try using a squirt bottle or squirt gun and when one tries to mount the other, give a squirt under the face. If water is not enough of a deterant then add a pinch of lemon juice or vinegar to the water.
If there are concerns at this point continue the exposure to one another away from the house for a few days. Take them for walks together but they will remain on leash. If need be walk one dog while a friend walks the other. Remember the use of the head halter when moving forward with this plan.
If there is the slightest possibility of aggression use a muzzle. At the first sign of posturing you should be giving firm verbal warnings. If that does not work, then a very firm correction, such as a squirt of water or shaking a penny can, is required to show the dog that "you are the pack leader and he must listen to you".
When the back yard is working, then you can allow the dogs to be loose together in the house. Make them wear a drag line. I will also have one dog go lay down and stay in one spot and then the other dog will do a down stay in a different spot. It will become very clear who is the boss (YOU !)
Again, use a muzzle if there is question. Never feed your dogs together. Feed them in their dog crates. Never leave food out for the dogs.
Also never allow dogs on the furniture or on your bed. That's just asking for dominance problems with the dogs. You will have enough pack juices flowing in your dogs without allowing things to happen that increase these pack drives.
One of the most common causes of dog fights in the home are fights over food and toys. Never allow the dogs to be together with toys. Toys are triggers for dog fights. The bottom line on this process is that owners should always err on the side of caution. Go slow and don't try and skip steps. That's when problems develop.
Also those people who tell you to just put the dogs together and let them work it out are drop dead stupid. They have not seen the damage a serious fight can cause.
Again, you must establish a strong leadership role over all dogs in the household via a non-confrontational dominance program. Owner leadership is essential for safely establishing and maintaining a stable social hierarchy. I recommend working with a trainer or behavorist who specializes in aggression and uses positive reinforcement in their training techniques.
It is important to avoid confrontations between the dogs to prevent reinforcement of the learned component of aggression. You need to identify all sources of conflict and competition and change your management strategy so that you can prevent future altercations between your dogs.
The owner must determine which dog is most likely to achieve and maintain a dominant status and reinforce his higher ranking position by ensuring that he is the first to receive access to all resources. The second ranking dog should be obliged to follow. This decision is based on the age, tenure, health, and temperament of the two dogs. In general, the elder, incumbent dog is the one to support (“senior support program”) and this approach is usually the best one when setting out to correct such problems. However, there comes a time in the pack hierarchy where the younger dogs start to compete for position as top dog over the established alpha dog. This has a genetic motivation which involves the survival of the pack. In nature, a strong, decisive pack leader can determine the fate of the entire pack.
In the event that your dogs begin to compete over a resource, the subordinate dog should be removed from the situation while the top ranking dog remains in the company of the owners.
Verbal correction directed towards the subordinate may be effective at curbing aggression when the subordinate does not readily defer to the dominant dog's initiative.
If fighting is severe, the dogs may need to be separated and gradually reintroduced using systematic desensitization and counter-conditioning training methods. I would again suggest working with a trainer specializing in positive reinforcement, who can evaluate the situation in person and make precise suggestions.
In some instances, pharmacological therapy can facilitate the reintroduction of feuding dogs. Anxiety-reducing drugs or natural suppliments, or antidepressants are the medications of choice.
The usual background adjustments of providing appropriate daily aerobic exercise, an all-natural non-performance diet and regular daily obedience training sessions are highly recommended.
For safety reasons, it may become necessary to confine the dogs to crates or separate rooms. They should not be allowed to have visual contact when confined if they continue to threaten each other. This may increase their arousal levels thus perpetuating and possibly exacerbating their aggression towards one another.
Some dogs (individuals and particular breeds) may be genetically predisposed to developing a dominant temperament. Neutering a male dog will diminish this drive.
Your dogs are establising a new pecking order. The younger one is trying to achieve a new level of dominance over your older dog. You will now have to help them to relearn the previous pecking order, if that is possible as new behavior has now been learned.
Whatever you do, do not leave these two pooches alone. It could set the tone for a deadly fight to escalate.
Here is some helpful information:
You must be willing and able to dominate your pet.
The first thing to do when trying to correct this problem is to change the pecking order of the pack – in this case the hierarchy within your family.
Dogs are always happier not to have to be pack leaders. Your dog needs to be at the bottom of the pack. You must become the pack leader. Husbands are often more assertive than their wives which is why many dogs that I see in my practice obey the husband and not the wife.
To gain control of your dog you need to dominate every aspect of the dog's life.
I would suggest that games like Tug of War be eliminated totally.
When you feed your dog, make her sit and wait and do not let her eat until you give her a command to come and take her food.
Do not let dominant-prone dogs sleep in your bed or in the bedroom. Reserve that space for your family.
Crate or tether your dog during meals and feed her last.
If you have a dog that is prone to aggression or bad behavior of any kind always have your dog sit and heel before petting, going outside, or entering and exiting the car.
Dogs should be taught to sit calmly when you snap on their leash. These may not seem like important things but they help define the rules that apply to all activities that you and your pet will share. They also teach the dog that you set the rules.
You must be totally consistent in your praise or criticisms. Your dog will quickly learn that a given behavior always illicits a given positive or negative response from you.
Never let her win a showdown or take charge. If you give an inch they will take a mile.
Praising and loving a dog spontaneously out of the blue confuses the dog. It also elevates the dog's social status and can lead to dominance aggression. It is much better to have him shake hands, sit or fetch and then give him all the praise you want.
You can try to alter triggers in your home that lead to outbursts of dominance aggression.
For an aggressive dog, the sofa or chair should be off limits.
Always reward your dog when she show signs of submission. These signs include laying her ears back on her head, licking her lips, rolling over, sitting, avoiding eye contact and curling in her tail.
Dogs that are severely dominant aggressive often stubbornly resist change to their status in the family. There are professional dog trainers who will attempt to modify your behavior toward the dog and the dog's behavior toward you.
If there should be fighting or biting behavior
the halter gives enough control to stop the behavior in most cases. Reminding your dog that you are in control and giving her something else to think about by making her follow commands such as "down" is a very good
idea and it is good that she responds to this.
There is a very strong possibility that your dog's dominance over the older one was apparent to the trained eye, a long time ago. There are many cues that can predict where a dog's behavior is heading.
Every time a dog does something, it reinforces that behavior. What this means is that every time your younger dog attacks the older one, the repetition of this behavior become more and more normalized in your dog's mind...making it more and more acceptable. Prevention is one of the keys to successful behavior modification.
I wish you the best of luck in dealing with this situation.
