Help for One Dog Attacking My Other Dog

by S.R
(Toronto)

My Jack Russell is attacking my other dog and making her bleed at the neck. What can i do to fix this? I've tried everything but they do not seem to resist and keep acting aggressively towards eachother. They've never done this before only the once in a full moon thing, now it is almost everytime they're around eachother.

The Jack Russell is 6 years old and the other dog isamutil-poodle (Part Chihuahua, Part Poodle) They've always gotten along before recently.

Why is this happening ?

Thanks


Vet Suggestion on Changing Dog Behavior when one family dog attacks the other


Hello S.R,

The first thing that needs to be done when two dogs start acting in a different manner towards each other is to rule out medical reasons for the behavior. It is possible that one of the dogs is in pain or sick, and is therefore either instigating or over reacting in ways that he or she wouldn't normally.

Make an appointment with your veterinarian for both of the dogs. The doctor will start with a physical exam and complete history, and depending on what he or she finds, may need to run some blood work and/or other diagnostic tests. If something is medically wrong with one of your dogs, addressing it might take care of the behavior problem as well. If your dogs both get a clean bill of health, your veterinarian can then make recommendations as to behavioral modification protocols that should improve the situation.

In some cases, he or she may even prescribe medications to make one or both dogs less anxious and more receptive to training. In the meantime, do whatever is necessary to keep your dogs safe, including separating them if that’s what it takes. The longer this type of behavior is allowed to continue, the harder it is to change. A large, comfortable crate would be worth the investment. One dog could remain inside, while the other is eating, getting attention, etc., and then they could switch positions.


Regards,

Jennifer Coates, DVM