Aggression
Conflict between the two young bitches.
The conflict leading to fights began with the usual eyeballing, growling, competition and probably jealousy.
The conflict leading to fights began with the usual eyeballing, growling, competition and probably jealousy.
Underpinning everything is keeping stress/arousal levels as low as they can. Too much of anything, whether it’s attention, fuss, exercise or play, causes stress of sorts. Arousal primes the two dogs so that the smallest, most insignificant thing then tips them over and can trigger an explosion. Just a look, even.
Being weaker and wary seems to make eleven-year-old Poppy a target. Dogs aren’t always sympathetic (I don’t actually know if they do ‘sympathy’ in the way that we do) but a yelp of fearfulness or pain can often trigger an attack from the already dominating dog.
It’s quite common for a younger dog, as she matures, to challenge the older one – particularly when they are both of the same sex.
Nellie isn’t very happy. This is despite being treasured, along with their other two tiny dogs, Luna and Sandy. Nellie is a two-year-old Pomeranian, the last to join their little dog family of three. Luna is a Chihuahua Pomeranian mix and Sandy a Chihuahua. Jealous. Luna is Nellie’s problem. Tiny Read more…
The two females have had several minor fallouts over the past year, but during the last few weeks things have escalated with the two dogs fighting in ernest. Three big fights in three days. Blood has been drawn and the owners injured splitting them up. Once this door is opened Read more…
Once an attack happens, its done. It can’t be undone, The clock can’t be put back. If nothing changes it can only go one way – downhill. With every incident it becomes more likely to happen again – rehearsed behaviour that becomes a habit.
The two dogs got on very well to start with, but as they reached maturity, what was a bit of bullying from excitable Rosie became rougher as she jumped on the more placid Rottie, Missy.
Missy retaliated
t’s amazing what tiny pieces of cheese and a quiet voice can achieve!
It took a long while – most of the three hours that I was there discussing all the things necessary in a consultation. By the end Millie was sitting down in the corner beside my chair. I did it by simply not trying to tell her to do anything.
At the time of the first incident the family were there including young children. Dolly suddenly roared and leapt on Flossie, grabbing her by the throat. So much noise and panic ensued that neighbours down the road were asking what happened.