The Poop Home Page

Custom Search
Member Area
Join ThePoop.com

pet news and community blog

Subscribe to our Petville blog. You'll get updates on new content - only when there's new content!

Delivered by FeedBurner

Shootin The Poop
dog behavior bif       

Viewer Question Topic: Aggressive / Dominant Dogs


I have an almost five year old Siberian Husky mix that I have raised from the age of 7 weeks. She attended a number of obedience lessons in her first 3 years, and was extensively socialized with humans, as well as as many dogs as I could get her around. From the age of 8 months there has always been at least one other dog in the household. By the age of 2 years, she had started to show agression towards *some* other dogs. One black lab she had been friends with was suddenly her enemy. Corrections do nothing. Now I never know what dog she will like and what ones she'll want to fight. She is a very dominant dog, but submissive to me. In the past 5 months she has decided that she dislikes my adopted 9 year old Golden Retriver, and I cannot allow them to be in the same room or yard any longer. I am constantly kenneling one dog and letting the other out, or one is inside and one outside. I can't keep this up, and am considering placement of the Golden, who has been here a year. The Sib mix doesn't seem to have a problem with a two year old male GSD who was raised from 8 week in the household, or a 10 month old lab currently being raised in the household. They both respect her as the alpha-dog. Is there any hope of getting her to be more comfortable and controllable around strange dogs? Thanks for any advice you can offer. - Nancy

Hi Nancy, First a few questions: 1) Sib. Husky mixed with what? (possibly a wolf hybrid)? 2) Are the aggressive episodes always related to dogs that won't show "respect" to this Alpha female? 3) is she fixed? If she thinks she is the matriarch in her "pack" (only second in command to you), then any dog in the area who doesn't give her proper respect needs to be taught who's boss. This is a very "wolf pack" attitude and larger strange males will be in more danger then smaller dogs. You need to talk to your vet and ask if spaying will have any effect on her behavior at this late date and a check up to see if any medical problems are causing her nastiness. Otherwise she may just not accept any dog being dominant towards her! How to deal with that is up to you. Keep her out of trouble and good luck.

return to Question Topic: Aggressive / Dominant Dogs

go to top of the page



ThePoop.com Home | Petville | Petville on Facebook petville on facebook

Site Terms of Use / Privacy Policy | Contact Us

Copyright ©1997-2010 JB Duetsch Incorporated. All Rights Reserved.