AGGRESSION BETWEEN DOGS IN THE SAME HOUSEHOLD

Question
In June 2003 we got a 3-4 month old female springer spaniel mix from a litter of 4; the owners lived on a farm and their springer got pregnant from an unknown dog and they were giving away the pups.  "Annie" is exeptionally sweet, gentle and obedient.  

Six months later in January 2004, we adopted from the local animal shelter a female CATAHOULA mix puppy, appx 4-5 months old, with no known background.  The two instantly bonded and have had a wonderful, trouble-free existence until this past week.  "Cayenne" -- our Catahoula female mix, is now just over 3 yrs old and "Annie" our springer female mix is appx 6 months older.  

Three days ago, Cayenne viciously attacked Annie for no apparent reason -- Annie was laying down on the living room floor and Cayenne just started to attack her; my spouse and I were in the same room.  We were able to separate them and we put Cayenne in her kennel crate while we checked Annie for injuries (she had a bite on her nose).  We kept the dogs apart for several hours and then took them out on a walk together and they were fine -- Cayenne was trying to smell aound Annie's face to see what she had done (or so we reasoned).  They slept in their separate kennels thoughout the night and the next day we re-introduced them to each other and they were fine. They played outside and inside.  

They always eat separately in their kennels -- we use large size kennels that we keep in the kitchen/sitting room area and they stay in there whenever we leave the house or have company over and need them to be put up.  My spouse and I are both home all the time as neither one of us works -- I am 62 and she is 45. We also have a very large, fenced in back yard for them to go out and play.  Cayenne enjoys being outside for more of the day than Annie, who prefers being inside.  Also, Cayenne is scared of any bad weather and especially thunderstorms.  

The second incident occurred last night, about 36-40 hours after the first incident.  Cayenne attacked Annie at the end of a hallway which leads to the bedrooms; neither of us were in close proximity, although my wife was down the hall in our bedroom office and could see them at the end of the hall.  My wife was able to run down and break them apart until I got there and got Cayenne away and again we put her in the kennel while we checked Annie for injury, which there appeared to be none.  They have been separated since.  

We are extremely upset about this as we both have had animals in our lives all our lives and we do not know why this is happening after such a pleasant exitence among the two for almost 3 years.  A note about Cayenne's personal behavior: if we bring home 2 new toys from the store, one for each, she quickly takes both toys in her possession.  She also can make Annie move from laying near us with just a look, and then she takes her spot.  She always tries to protect Annie any time there is a perceived threat such as a barking dog on TV or in the yard (she jumps in front of her and sometimes nips at her face but NEVER threatening.  Cayenne also tries to play with Annie by bringing over a toy or blanket and pushing it in her face to play.  Cayenne does like to lay against or on either of us humans.  We have let them lick a bowl of our leftovers together and they do that without any animosity towards each other.

We have been searching the internet to try to find help in dealing with this situation.  Some say it is common for female dogs at this age because they are reaching social maturity and trying to establish dominance.  Whatever the reason, we need help and advice in how to stop this behavior and get things back on track.

We look forward to hearing from you with great interest as we love both of our dogs very much and are very upset with this recent turn of events.  Thank you very much for your time.  

Answer
Dear Jerry,
Thanks for the question. Inter dog aggression is a complex issue, especially when it is between dogs in the same household. First, rule out any medical issues that could contribute to the behavior. Dogs have been known to attack a sick dog and dogs sometimes experience a sudden change in behavior due to medical problems. SO, get them both checked by your vet. Get a blood chemistry profile, thyroid measurements, the 'works'.

How well are they trained? You can't really train this out of them, but training does help to establish your position as the giver of all good stuff. In addition, having the ability to interrupt any stares or tense moments with a verbal command is very helpful. Training also teaches them about self control, another good attribute.

The situation is complex and beyond what I can offer on this board. For example, Cayenne's reaction to thunderstorms is a component of her personality, which is a component of the inter dog aggression problem. You would need to address her fearful behaviors too.

In addition, you should begin a program  - a sort of benign doogie boot camp. It's the first step to solving any behavioral problems. Here's an article written by a vet behaviorist.
http://www.vin.com/VINDBPub/SearchPB/Proceedings/PR05000/PR00470.htm  

Here's a good book about multi-dog management: Feeling Outnumbered? How to Manage and Enjoy Your Multi-Dog Household. (Paperback)
by Karen B. London, Patricia B. McConnell

You might need some hands-on help. Visit http://www.ap[dt.com and search for a trainer near you.

Happy Training!
AT

http://howsbentley.com