Dog aggression between pets

Question
I have 3 pure bred Maltese terriers and one Maltese Shih tzu cross. All have lived together with my husband and i since puppies. Two are female (not desexed) and two Males (Both desexed)
For about the last 2 years the youngest of the pack (The cross) has been growing more aggressive with the other 3. He is 4 years old this year and is beautiful with people but as soon as the other dogs so much as look at him the wrong way he attacks them. Today he and my oldest female got into such a bad fight i honestly thought he was going to kill her. She is due to go on heat and is rather grumpy so all she did was growl at him and he into her. Thankfully he didnt break the skin and i was able to separate them before any major damage was done. Im at a loss as to what to do. He is a very healthy dog, has never been attacked by another animal and never been mistreated by humans.
PLEASE PLEASE offer some advise. Is there a tablet i can get from the vet to calm him down??
Any thing you can offer im willing to try.
thanks

Answer

Hi Jo,

There isn't a quick fix like giving your dog a pill. To train your dog out of his aggression means diligent, consistent, persistant work on your part.

The short answer is that you aren't a strong enough "pack leader", and your dogs have taken matters into their own hands, so to speak. The solution to dog on dog aggression problem begins with changing the pack leader issue. Obedience training is the first step in this. If your dogs know any commands give them frequent pop quizzes each day, and also practice "Nothing in Life Is Free". Read about that passive training regimen here:

http://k9deb.com/nilif.htm

It would be very helpful if you were to work with a professional dog trainer in your area. Your vet's office or a local boarding kennel might be able to give you a referral to a trainer in your area.

If this same dog has attacked your other dogs in the past, be diligent about separating him from your other dogs until he has been trained out of this behavior. It could be helpful if he was to wear his leash in the house, so he can be kept at your side at all times. Tie the end of the leash to your belt loop, praise him when he's just laying peacefully at your feet, give the leash a firm tug and tell him "NO!" if he glances at another dog in a threatening way. It can be helpful if he wore a muzzle. A basket style muzzle is the most humane because it allows the dog to pant, and even drink water while it's being worn. Preventing attacks from ever occurring is very important.

You can read more about dog on dog aggression here:

http://leerburg.com/dog-agg.htm


Best of luck,

Patti