New Pittie...but old Pittie is being a total tool!
Urgency:Need to know
Category:Behavior & Training
Asked by: Nancy S. (CalvinsMom) 4 months ago
We adopted Brock yesterday and he is a great dog...Seriously great. My first dog (adopted in December) is being such a total jerk to him and is being very aggressive. He won't let Brock do ANYTHING. Every time Brock moves, Calvin is in his face. He growls, pins him down, snaps at him, etc. Brock is doing his level best to keep the peace but in his uneasiness and insecurity...he is trying to be with my husband or I all the time and Calvin is getting more pissed off.
We have leashes and collars on both of them for now. I'm hoping this will change because we dearly love both of them but I don't think I can handle another 10 years of this.
Any ideas?
Answers from Zootooers
Answered by beaglemutz 4 months ago
You quickly need to assess if your behavior is contributing to the problems as well...pack order and how you may be altering it unintentionally. Contact your vet and get a referral to a behaviorist before this gets out of hand. It can be solved but you need to get professional help. Don't just rely on reading a book.
Answered by Jill R. (DocJill) 4 months ago
that sounds like a dangerous situation. separate them asap and contact a behavioralist.
From Arden Moore, author of The Dog Behavior Answer Book
"Seek the help of a professional animal behaviorist. There are various levels of expertise available. For mild to moderate problems, consult a member of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (www.iaabc.org). For more severe problems, ask your veterinarian to recommend a certified applied animal behaviorist in your area."
Answered by Marta J. (2pitpuppies) 4 months ago
Forgot to mention walking both dogs together renforces the pack thing. Just make sure both dogs are behind or next to you, not in front.
Answered by Marta J. (2pitpuppies) 4 months ago
I have 3 (sometimes 4 pits) at my house. As soon as one even looks like they want to show any aggresive behavior I'm right there to stop it. Sometimes it's a sharp poke in the side of the neck with a low growling voice that says "hey!" If that doesn't work the offender finds themselves on their back with me over them and the same "Hey" and they stay that way until they submit. You can also lay the dominate dog on his side and make the new guy lay next to him. Do that often and not let your old dog move or even look at Brock. He's trying to establish his dominance over the new dog. Somebody in a pack has to be the leader or one of the dogs takes over. You need to make sure he understands YOU are the leader, not him.Try watching the Dog Whisperer on Nat Geo. Or look him up on line. If you don't get this under control you could have a real fight on your hands if Brock decides to challenge him. If you have a real problem you can contact the Dog Whisperer on line and maybe end up on one of his shows!