Spontaneous agressive behavior between dogs

[nascgi]

We have a one year old papillion and a five year old shih tzu. Occasionally the papillion will just start growling for no reason and then she jumps on the shih tzu and starts biting and scratching fiercely without any apparent reason. It used to happen only occasionally but lately it has been happening more and more frequently. Is this normal, and more importantly is there a way to curb this behavior?

TIA

[Karen]

She is getting to be an adult and is challenging to be "head dog." Are they both spayed?

[nascgi]

The older one is spayed but the younger isn't yet. Will that improve her disposition?

[Karen]

The older one is spayed but the younger isn't yet. Will that improve her disposition?

It may curb her attempts to dominate somewhat. Does she have other "issues" besides this? And, of course, there are the other health reasons for getting her spayed as well, better for her in the long run if she's not a show dog and meant to be bred.

[nascgi]

She is rather possessive.

We like to give our dogs pig's ears to chew on. We bring out two fresh ones at a time, one for each. Typically she'll hide hers somewhere, then find and take the shih tzu's, though she never gets physical because the older dog is so submissive she just lets her take it.

In these cases we just recover the "hidden" ear and give it to the older dog. Our papillion doesn't seem to care.

[Karen]

This is also a dominance issue, I'd separate them when giving them treats if that is easily done, and if the Shi Tzu shows any attempt at fighting back, this could get worse with time, especially with the Papillion's hormones calling the shots right now.

You need to establish yourself as "the big dog," and not let her get away with the attacks at all. Don't yell, as that may exacerbate things, but be prepared at the first growl to remove her and refocus her on you, not her 'competition.'

[Catlady711]

She is rather possessive.

We like to give our dogs pig's ears to chew on. We bring out two fresh ones at a time, one for each. Typically she'll hide hers somewhere, then find and take the shih tzu's, though she never gets physical because the older dog is so submissive she just lets her take it.

In these cases we just recover the "hidden" ear and give it to the older dog. Our papillion doesn't seem to care.

I unfortunately don't have any behaviour advice for you but I hope you find out the problem so the two dogs don't fight anymore.

I did want to add that pig ears are not healthy or good treats for dogs. They have alot of salt and preservatives in them, and depending on where they come from can be contaminated with salmonella, some dogs also can develop allergies to them as well, usually after a few years of getting them. Rawhides, nyla (sp?) bones, greenies, or plain chew toys are better as treats/chewies than pig ears are. Just wanted to let you know that.

[Giselle]

There is almost always a trigger to any aggressive act. The only time there may *not* be a trigger is when a dog is seriously mentally unstable or otherwise ill. Even with "hair-trigger" dogs (i.e. dogs that seemingly react to nothing or very slight changes), there are series of triggers that build up to the act of aggression. For example, a mere change in the environment can easily set off a reactive dog. You may not notice it, but the trigger is there. The hard part is then identifying the triggers and reading your dog's body language correctly.

It's actually a pretty thrilling puzzle. My first suggestion would be to make a list of all the times your Pap attacked your Tzu. Make note of as many details as possible. Be sure to include where they were, what they were doing, how close they were to each other, and what YOU did or did not do. After you do this for a few attacks, you'll start noticing similarities.mFor some dogs, you'll find a common thread very quickly. For other dogs, it takes a bit of brain-wracking, but we can help you with that So if you're having trouble deciphering what went wrong, just post your list here, and we can help.

Also, stop giving the pig ears. My Peke used to hoard and hide his Greenies. He would then guard his Greenie with his life and that caused many unnecessary scuffles. I didn't see the Greenie because he'd often hide them behind chairs or shelves. That's what sounds like is happening with your dogs, but you should double check with your list just to make sure.