aggressive chihiuahua

Question
I have two Chihuahua and one is mixed with terrier and the older one is being very aggressive towered the other one for no reason just out of the blue she will attack the other one they both sleep on my bed and have ever since i got them both they have grew up together i was wonder if there something you could tell me to do to stop this as they both are my pets so please help me i don't want them to hurt each other

Answer

Hi Tina,

You didn't mention the age of the dog that's getting attacked, or if it is also a female dog. Aggression is often a problem in households that have more than one female dog. Spaying doesn't always help the situation as neutering does for male dogs, though spayed dogs are healthier than unspayed dogs.

Dogs fight for many reasons and the most common, especially in dogs of the same sex, is a dispute over their status in the family "pack". Dogs were designed by nature to run in packs with a clearly defined order of authority from the top dog on down. As long as everyone knows his or her place and follows orders, life is usually peaceful.
With most dog packs, it's easy to see who's boss and how the rest of the dogs fit within the order. Watch your dogs interact -- which one takes the best toy, goes out the door first, gets to eat first and takes the best sleeping place? This is the "alpha" dog, the leader of the canine pack. The alpha dog achieves her rank by being smarter, stronger or sometimes just more domineering than the rest. Some dogs are born leaders, others fall into the alpha role because no one else wants the job. Most dogs don't mind holding a subordinate position and seldom challenge the alpha dog's authority.
Trouble starts when a lower ranking dog tries to move up the pack ladder or "forgets" his place. This can be a young dog entering his adolescent (teenage) stage or a subordinate pack member that senses the alpha dog is getting older, weakening or losing his authority.

In your case, it sounds like the aggressive dog is the alpha. The alpha makes and enforces the rules. Alpha dogs enforce their authority by the use of stern eye contact, growling, dominant body postures and if that fails, biting and fighting. If you watch your dogs closely, you'll see examples of this eye contact and posture in their daily activities.
Your dog's "pack" includes you and any other people living in your home. You are alpha in this pack. You have the right to make the rules and it's up to you to enforce them. Hopefully, your dogs recognize your alpha status and you've reinforced it through training and consistent discipline. As alpha, you have every right to make and enforce this rule: "There shall be no fighting!"

It's always easier (and safer) to prevent a fight than to try to stop one that's already in progress. Very few fights start without reason even if that reason is only clear to the dogs. If you pay close attention to your dogs, you'll be able to see the beginnings of an argument -- a dirty look, a low growl, a shove -- and be able to nip it in the bud.
When you see one of your dogs "talking trash" to the other, correct her in a firm, deep, sinister voice: "That's enough!" or "Leave it!" If you enter the scene late and don't know who started it, scold them both. If you catch them while they're still thinking about arguing, you'll be that much more effective. If your dogs are a little more serious and aren't responding to your verbal correction, you can leave short leads on them so you can give them leash corrections. Don't be afraid to sound tough; you want them to understand that this behavior will not be allowed, period. Make it clear that if they want to fight, they're going to have to fight with you first!

Trying to treat your two dogs as equals will only serve to counter the natural tendency toward a hierarchy. The dog that is the more dominant in a relationship needs to be supported in his or her position and the more subordinate must be taught to accept the relationship. When you support or encourage the subordinate dog as it tries to gain access to resources such as your attention, the dominant dog may begin to challenge and fight, in an effort to keep the lower ranking dog in it's place. If you then discipline the dominant dog, or pull the dominant dog away, you have favored, supported and come to the aid of the subordinate dog. This will prolong the dispute.

Your veterinarian or local boarding kennel may be able to recommend a behavior specialist to evaluate the situation between your dogs. There may be a lot you can do in how you run things in the house and handle the dogs to make things safer. Until then, reinforce that you are the one on charge, and no fighting will be tolerated. Read more about a simple to practice training regimen called Nothing In Life is Free, here:

http://thedogdude.1081media.com/2006/using-nothing-in-life-is-free-to-become-the...

Don't set up an attack. If things get nasty around meal times, stop feeding them anything whatsoever when they are together. No food, no treats, or chew toys. This taps into deep survival instincts in dogs, and will cause fights even between dogs not otherwise likely to fight. Become aware of the situations that cause a fight, and avoid them. Don't put your dogs in any situations where fights are likely to break out.

Obedience training for both dogs is often recommended by trainers in these kind of situations. If your dogs have already been through a class and understand commands, practice with them on a daily basis. A good drill is to put all your dogs on a "sit/stay," then call each one to you individually for attention or a treat...the "alpha dog" first, of course!

Read more about aggression between dogs, here:

http://www.vin.com/VINDBPub/SearchPB/Proceedings/PR05000/PR00316.htm

It may be necessary to separate your dogs whenever you leave the house, or can't supervise them. Child gates work very well for this purpose.

Best of luck,
Patti