Sudden aggression towards mother dog

Question
QUESTION: I have four dogs, Male German shepard 10 yrs, Female mixed breed dog very small 12 years and Dalmatian mother dog (Liya) 10 yrs and daughter(Mimi) 7yrs old. Only the male is neutered. The mother and the daughter have got on exceptionally well all these years licking each other early morning etc. They have had rare occasional mild skirmishes over food mainly. We have never had Mimi crossed.Mimi has always been the dominant one,even bossing the german shepard who is quite gentle.Liya too is a very friendly dog. Yesterday Mimi suddenly bit Liya's ear and tore a hole about and inch long. Liya was sniffing for something on the kitchen counter when this happened. We had to get the ear sutured under anesthesia . And Liya has to now  wear  a protective collar. Usually when there has been a skirmish they , forget about it  after a while. But Mimi tried to get at Liya again after we got back from the Vets and also this morning. I am keeping Liya separated as I dont know how to handle it. Am very worried that this aggression might last.What should I do?

ANSWER:
Hi Osadi,

Because the attack happened when your one dog was sniffing something on the kitchen counter, it sounds like food was the motivation for the attack.

Your best bet is to keep the two dogs that have taken to fighting separated, and you need to be diligent about this, until you get control of the situation. Preventing fights from ever occurring is important.

I can't say why two normally peaceful dogs are now having problems. Any time there is more than two dogs in a home you're dealing with a "pack", and dog packs have a social order, with rules. It's possible that Mimi is making a "power play" to become the pack's alpha female, or it could be a number of different (and equally complex) reasons. Rather than trying to guess, the best and quickest way of gaining control over this situation would be to have a dog behaviorist evaluate your dogs. Sometimes a trained professional is the best way to go. Until Mimi is brought under control, it could be helpful for her to wear a muzzle. A basket style muzzle is the most humane, it lets a dog pant and even drink water while it's being worn.

Your vet's office, or a local boarding kennel might be able to give you a referral to a dog behaviorist in your area, or might might be able to locate one here:

http://iaabc.org

Just so you know, dogs that are not spayed and neutered often have behavioral issues, not to mention that spayed dogs live longer healthier lives.

Best of luck,

Patti

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Liya and Mimi   QUESTION: Dear Patti,
This is not a question. Your answer was very helpful. I am keeping them separated. We also decided to have Mimi spayed ASAP. We live in Colombo Sri Lanka and dog behaviorist's do not exist here!I am in the process of obtaining a basket type muzzle, my sister who lives in London will send it to me. Liya is still wearing her collar, this also seems to irritate Mimi. She needs to wear it until the stitches come off.I thought we should try to put them together for a trial when the collar comes off and the muzzle arrives, hopefully in about a weeks time. My husband and I work from home, so we are around 80% of the time.Thanks once again and keep up the good work.Also i am supposed to rate your answer...there is no clear instruction on how to do it. In case it helps. I think it was very good!

ANSWER:
Hello again,

Your dogs are beautiful, thanks for the picture!

You should know that spaying an adult female dog doesn't always work to take away aggression. You might see a difference a month or so after spaying when her hormone levels drop, but you might not. There's no way to guess. You need to do some "behavior modification" to train your dog out of this, along with the spaying.

It can be helpful to keep Mimi on her leash when she's in the house. Keep the end of the leash around your wrist, or tie it to your belt loop. The very moment she glances up at the other dog or acts aggressively, give the leash a firm tug, and firmly tell her "NO!" and make her sit down (praise her or reward when she listens). Praise her when she's laying calmly laying at your side. Anytime she can't be on her leash and at your side, she should be separated from the other dog. Don't always shut away, or crate the one dog, take turns with which dog is getting the run of the house.

Practice "Nothing In Life Is Free", an easy to follow training regimen that helps to put dogs in their place, and helps to put you in the "alpha" position as the one who must be obeyed, and the one who sets the "pack" rules of no fighting! Read about NILIF here:

http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/dogs/tips/training_nothing_in_life_is_free.

Also, become aware of the dogs status that they have imposed on themselves. If one dog is the submissive one, but you're feeding her first, taking her outside first, petting her first, etc. you're treating her like the pack leader, and the more dominate dog will continually try to reestablish her dominance by acting aggressively. Respect the rules your dog have set, as they can't be changed.

Be aware that aggression in a dog that isn't normally aggressive can mean the dog is in pain. At 7 years old, it's possible that Mimi has some arthritis or hip dysplasia. You might want to have her examined by your vet to rule out that possibility. Any time your dog shows sudden onset aggression, a veterinary checkup is a good idea.

You might also try increasing the amount of Mimi's daily exercise. Lack of the right level of exercise is responsible for many behavioral issues.  Exercise releases endorphins, which contribute to a state of well being in dogs, just as it does when people exercise. Plus, a well exercised dog will spend more time calmly sleeping, instead of picking fights. This doesn't necessarily mean running your dog, a long leashed walk is just as helpful. Also allow your dog time to sniff around, for a dog that's mental stimulation and it's important  in keeping a dog satisfied and happy!  
If it's hot where you are, exercise your dog in the coolest part of the morning and evenings. Bring water with you, should your dog require a drink.

Best of luck,
Patti

PS. I've opted not to be rated, is why you weren't able to do that.


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Mimi n Liya   QUESTION: Dear Patti,
T wanted to let you know that Mimi and Liya are together again.I could see for a few days that Mimi was missing her.They had been apart for two weeks.We finally put them together on Saturday as Liya's collar came off on Friday.Kept Mimi's muzzle and leash on and let them be together for a while.
Then I kept the leash on and took off the muzzle.After a while took off the leash. They wagged their tales and sniffed at each other and all seemed to be ok after that. We decided to make few changes in our habits. We used to give them tit bits all the time when ever we were snacking. We have stopped all that . They now get fed only at their meal times.I am keeping my fingers crossed.Thanks for all your support.Keep up the good work!  regards, Osadi

Answer

Hi Osadi,

Thanks for the update! Good to hear that things are going well!

If you give your dogs tit bits in-between their usual meal times, make them "work" for it. Give them a command, and give the tit bit only when they obey you, as a reward.  This helps enforce your "pack" status of being the leader. Of course, you might want to have your two dogs separated when doing this, since food seems to be a trigger for their aggression problem.

I hope you have continued good luck!

Regards,
Patti