Help With Dog to Dog Aggression

[coastie_wife]

As I have posted on here before, just over a year ago my family adopted a beagle/terrier puppy. He is wonderful with the family, barks and digs but no major issues. He has been housetrained for over 6 months now. In April of this year we took in a female chihuahua mix off the street, and she has been not much but trouble. She is approx. 2 months younger than the beagle mix (he is 16 months old) and is nowhere near housetrained, although we've done the same with her that we've done with him. She comes in the house and 'marks'. She even lifts her leg :o She is not aggressive toward people, but she is becoming increasingly aggressive toward our other dog.

Two times in the last week I have narrowly avoided being bit by her as she attacked our other dog (who is 3x her size).....simply because he was getting attention from me. I have tried separating them and giving them individual attention.....but they each cry and whine until they are reunited. She growls and snarls if I give him ANY attention in her presence....as well as clawing me to shreds.

Honestly this subject wouldn't bother me so much if I hadn't had to put a beloved family pet to sleep last year over his insane aggression. With him (as with her) he didn't start out aggressive, but despite neutering him, training him, loving him, etc......the aggression just got worse, until he attacked my husband and left nerve damage in one of his hands. I am therefore more sensitive to dog aggression than I might otherwise be.

I am afraid that if this does not improve, my husband will get rid of her. I love her dearly, but the other dog I raised from a pup and he is my baby. He should not have to deal with being bullied because we pay attention to him--attention he deserves. And btw, she gets plenty of attention too...she's the only other girl in our household, and she's my little princess :)

Getting her training is not a possibility right now--husband and I are divorcing (amicably) and I will be moving out in about 2 months. Right now I cannot take either dog with me, although I will be able to in a few months.

Anyone on here have experience with this issue? Any suggestions?

[imported_Matty]

I would suggest the NIFIL policy. This really doesnt require a professional to teach the dogs to sit before getting any thing :D
I had 2 males that used to fight, I had to find out what their trigger was (it was me :oops: ). I had to keep a peice of plywood to seperate them during a fight. I also took the advise of another dog person and stuck my finger up one of my males butts to stop a fight once too :lol:
I found that if I came home, ignored both my dogs and went about my business, then came over with a treat and made them sit. I then would pat the one who seemed to be the aggressor first then pat the other. Then pat both at the same time. I could not give them any toys when they were together at all, I couldn't even let them know where the toys were kept as one of the males who guard that area.
It can be done and over come. Of course the NIFIL policy is not going to be your cure all, but, it might help. It would be really nice when your back on your feet to have the help of a dog expert to help you figure out the triggers and how to destress the dogs life. Never punish the dogs for fighting,this can esculate the aggression. Punishing also can teach a dog to not show any warning signs and just go right into an attack.

I am sure someone on this board will have better advise than I can give. All I know with my dogs is that I had to destress their life and figure out what was setting them off.

[BuddysMom]

If all else fails you may consider putting a "free to a good home" ad for the chi and making sure whoever takes her knows she will have to be the only dog in the household. It just seems like you have enough to deal with as is without this ...

[coastie_wife]

Oh, no problems there. My mother and I both belong to a chi-rescue group, and there are several (responsible) people willing to take her in, and if she cannot deal with being one dog out of 2, 3 or more I have others already willing. She's a wonderful dog, but I'm beginning to think she needs a one dog home.

[courtnek]

Coastie, look at this from a different perspective and see what you think.
Your "baby" is a beagle, a non-aggressive, pack type dog. Likes to be around other dogs. Likes people too. Unless a hunting scent draws him out, he's pretty laid back, although noisy (I have a Foxhound.noisy goes with the territory) enter the Chi. A more aggressive, persistant "I want my way" dog. The only position in the pack he wants his head dog (under you)
and he sees no resistance from your beagle. Is your beagle resisting? or just ignoring, or going along with it? if he is ignoring/going along, he is content to let the Chi be head dog. The pack places have already been drawn, and finalized. The beagle gives over to a higher dog in the pack. Chi's are very aggressive about things like this, even in one dog homes.
They need positive training to get around it. My foxhound gave over to Freebee, first day. Altho she can outrun the lab 10 times over, and compete with her in every trial, she backed down gracefully. It's a hound thing. they are natural pack animals, by breed, and they will back down to another dog they feel is the stronger leader. So even tho the beagle is your baby, you are upsetting the so far defined natural order, by showing her more attention (in the Chi's mind). Matty has the right idea. NILIF, applied consistently, and give the Chi the firsts. Once the natural order has settled down (in both their minds) the griping over attention will stop.

I sincerely doubt you will ever be able to raise your beagle to a level above the Chi, they're too willing to back down in the hound societies.
This is NOT a bad thing. The beagle wont feel left out, it appears he has already accepted the situation, unless his respoinse is different than what I understand. Once the heirarchy has been established, you can treat them both the same. If neither ones feels there place is threatened, neither will object to you lavishing your attention wherever you want.

hope that helps some.

[coastie_wife]

It's not the pack order thing which bothers me:) My beagle gave in pretty much immediately. My issue is that *I* am getting injured in the aggression, and that it has become much worse in the last month. She is not just being aggressive toward him, she is snarling at ME when I attempt to curb it (and no, I do NOT do physical punishment with my dogs).

I dealt with a very aggressive alpha male for 3 years, one who bit me every time I had my period....even after he was fixed. Now I am dealing with an alpha female doing the same thing, regardless of my menstrual cycle, and when she's not in her heat. Like I wrote, I am more skittish because of the past, but no, I don't think her marking her territory and snarling at us and the other dog is normal dog behavior.

[courtnek]

its not normal behavior for most dogs, but it could be normal for a dog trying to climb the pack ropes. if she is being aggressive towards you, then she has gotten too big for her britches. NILIF, coupled with pack rules, might help you now. You need to demote her below you, and then let her work it out with the beagle. I have said this before, and gotten flack for it, but its always worked for me with a dog who thought he/she was above me on the rank scale.

1. Do not let her sleep on your bed or furniture. dont let either of them, until the pack rules have been worked out.

2. eat before you feed her, even if its only crackers. let her see you doing it.

3. do not feed her from the table. make her lay down in a different room
(both of them actually)

4. do not let her enter doorways before you. In a dogs mind, the alpha leads. she should follow YOU. both dogs should, to get get good solid rules.

5. if you have an upstairs, dont let her sleep on the landing upstairs, looking down on you. Make her stay on your level.

I have used all and even some of these things to stop dominant behavior in dogs. Once your Chi accepts her "lowered"position in your pack, you can reward her by letting her come up on the bed and couches, giving them treats, etc. but ONLY if they obey your comands to get down, or stop. sometimes these things have to be reinforced with a really headstrong dog.

[imported_Matty]

One more thing I might add, punishment even a harsh no is unacceptable to a dog which is fighting. I have learned that you have to work with the dogs and set a calm relaxed athmosphere for them removing the stressors in their life. It is a fact that a dog which is punished for some thing which they are doing be it stress or dominance is going to lash out. They don't understand why you are attacking them verbal or physical.

1. calm athmosphere, many people tend to esculate the level of arousal during a fight by getting upset & hyper.
2. Set standards for the dogs and reward acceptable behaviors. for example both dogs sitting in front of you reward big time.

If all else fails you may want to rehome the little chi. It may be better off in a one dog home.

I also did long downs with my 2 males side by side alot. I found that my body language made alot of impact on my dogs as well. :wink:

[imported_Matty]

meant to add, great advice courtnek

[courtnek]

thanks Matty. one other thing...Matty is right about not physically trying to stop a dispute. In the Chi's mind, you are a "lesser" trying to break up a rank dispute. In my years of breaking this behavior, I have found that stomping your foot HARD ont he floor (if not carpeted, even better) or smacking something hard on a hard surface if you dont have hard floors
(like a bat against the doorframe) will startle them enough to stop. Then you step in between and stop the fight, without getting bitten. Standing above and in between will almost always make them stop. Then you send them to their respective "timeouts". You dont allow them access to each other. A baby gate will help here. in the meatime, you continue to train the Chi in pack rules. lavish reward for obedience, no priveledges AT ALL
for disobedience.