# My F GSD killed my pek-chi mix



## Missbeccaroo (Oct 3, 2015)

We just recently moved into our new home with our three dogs, M sheltie (6), M Pekingese-chihuahua (3), and F German shepherd (1.5). All dogs got along great and we have never had issues between them. We do have issues with our GSD growling at strangers and new dogs and fear aggression. She started showing this behavior around 8 months. We have worked with her with socialization with many dogs and U.S. establishing dominance. I always make her sit and wait for me and spend time making her do basic commands. She's obedient and very submissive and even gentle with small cats and kittens. She will even share her food with them. Her and the pek-chi played all of the time. I took all dogs running and to a large field to play fetch 3 times a week. Yesterday the GSD and pek-chi were snuggled up in her very large crate together. They have shared the large crate together before. Before we left we put them back in the crate together to finish cleaning our old home. We had been gone for 2 hours and when we got back, we found our pek-chi lifeless with the GSD in the corner of the crate. Her ears were down and that's the last thing I could see. I was told she had some bite marks on her cheek and he had bite marks on his back. I can't even begin to comprehend how this happened. I am deeply upset and can't be around the GSD right now. I don't know if we should rehome her but if we don't, I don't trust her now, and I said training would be 100% required by a behavior specialist. Any advice would be great.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Trust her? Probably not with other dogs, but has she shown aggression toward humans? You can be mad all you want but she is a dog and humans set her up to fail. Dogs of different sizes like this should never be left unsupervised, anythin can happen. I am sorry your dog died but I don't put the blame on the GSD, it's poor management.


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## Stonevintage (Aug 26, 2014)

That is so sad. I'm so sorry for your loss. If this is really totally out of the blue I can't help but think that there must have been some kind of entrapment with collar or cage. This would cause panic, biting and distress sounds. Or, a sudden medical condition such as heart failure could produce panic, and distress sounds also. Blind biting would follow as a natural defense mechanism. That's why we are cautioned never to handle a dog in panic and pain mode without a muzzle. 

How has your GSD's behavior been since? I would keep her separated for a while. You may never know what happened. Hard to condemn the GSD when it could have just been a terribly unfortunate chain of events that caused these instincts to trigger resulting in the death of one.


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## Galathiel (Nov 30, 2012)

I'm sorry you lost your dog. However, it's not totally your GSD's fault. She should not have been left with a small dog in her crate. She could have accidently smushed the other dog when she moved around and the other dog snapped at her, causing a scuffle. 

She may need to be rehomed because of how you feel about her now, but it wasn't necessarily all her fault.


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## Moriah (May 20, 2014)

I'm so sorry for your loss. Can you consult with a trainer for an assessment and perspective about what happened--someone with eyes on your GSD? 

I have 2 chi's and a min pin. I crate and rotate to keep everyone safe. A GSD is large and powerful by nature--I do want even one unpleasant experience because even one incidence could end in an accidental death. 

Talking with a professional may help you forgive your GSD.


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## Missbeccaroo (Oct 3, 2015)

I don't blame her for what happened. I feel guilty and very upset because one of my dogs is dead. I have never once set my dogs up for failure. If this had been the only time I left them alone together, or if there were ever signs of aggression between any of the dogs, obviously I would have kept them apart. It was unforeseen. I'm just concerned now that after the death of one of my dogs that it may happen again, or instead of growling towards humans and other dogs, it may be biting and lunging, and therefore I do not trust her. She is separated now from me and the home at a parents home because I cannot bare to see her and think about the events. It will take some time for me to get over this nightmare. I was looking for advice on what type of training to suggest, how to handle this, or if anyone has had this experience.


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## MadLab (Jan 7, 2013)

Considering the 2 dogs have wounds then it is possible the other dog started it, simply the stronger dog finished it. 

It might not be the gsd's fault. It would be hard to live with for a while but you need to realize this side of dogs in order to actually understand them.

I'm sorry for your loss and hope you learn to look at the situation philosophically.

Accidents happen.


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## Missbeccaroo (Oct 3, 2015)

Stonevintage said:


> That is so sad. I'm so sorry for your loss. If this is really totally out of the blue I can't help but think that there must have been some kind of entrapment with collar or cage. This would cause panic, biting and distress sounds. Or, a sudden medical condition such as heart failure could produce panic, and distress sounds also. Blind biting would follow as a natural defense mechanism. That's why we are cautioned never to handle a dog in panic and pain mode without a muzzle.
> 
> How has your GSD's behavior been since? I would keep her separated for a while. You may never know what happened. Hard to condemn the GSD when it could have just been a terribly unfortunate chain of events that caused these instincts to trigger resulting in the death of one.


Thank you for the kind words. She was fearful and scared afterwards. I don't want to lose her but it's going to take time for me to trust her.


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## Missbeccaroo (Oct 3, 2015)

Moriah said:


> I'm so sorry for your loss. Can you consult with a trainer for an assessment and perspective about what happened--someone with eyes on your GSD?
> 
> I have 2 chi's and a min pin. I crate and rotate to keep everyone safe. A GSD is large and powerful by nature--I do want even one unpleasant experience because even one incidence could end in an accidental death.
> 
> Talking with a professional may help you forgive your GSD.


One of my friends owns a doggy boarding facility/day camp and has given me a name of a doctor at a nearby vet school that specializes in behavior modification. Thank you for the advice


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## MadLab (Jan 7, 2013)

> We do have issues with our GSD growling at strangers and new dogs and fear aggression.


You need a good trainer or be able to stop this yourself. There is a lot of training techniques which help to teach a dog this is not tolerated. There is countless posts here on walking a dog on leash and controlling it's behavior on leash etc.

You need to research this yourself.

A 2 week shut down can be implemented to give you some time to research and find different options plus putting the brakes on the dog, let it calm down, and start again with training.

The whole dominance theory is questionable in many circles. 

To me if you can't stop a dogs behavior on the spot, then you are not actually practicing dominance, you may think you are. 

How I deal with these issues in my dog at that age was coming between it and the stranger and letting it know it had to deal with me if it was aggressive to anybody.

I think you need to deal with the loss and look into training in the future when you accept the situation more.


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## Missbeccaroo (Oct 3, 2015)

Galathiel said:


> I'm sorry you lost your dog. However, it's not totally your GSD's fault. She should not have been left with a small dog in her crate. She could have accidently smushed the other dog when she moved around and the other dog snapped at her, causing a scuffle.
> 
> She may need to be rehomed because of how you feel about her now, but it wasn't necessarily all her fault.


Thank you. I know it's not her fault, it's just difficult to bear with.


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

I am sorry about the loss of your dog and in such a terrible away. I have a 6 year old chihuahua and 11 month old gsd pup. I do know the best of friends may possibly get into a scuffle and when there is such a huge size difference a "scuffle" left unattended can mean so much more. That is why when leaving the house it is important to make sure the dogs are separated . Your German shepherd and Pekingese/chihuahua mix were left alone in a tight space -even in a large crate it is such a small space to escape from any tension- and in a new house this could of been a big stressor that could of contributed to the events between your dogs. Even if the dogs don't seemed stress does not mean they are not -a new home is a big change. You should contact your trainer. If you find some time has passed and you find you can not forgive your gsd then she should be rehomed.


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

It's too late to do anything about it now. Things happen. My friend lost an elderly female when the dog snarled at her young male and he ripped her skin open and she couldn't be saved. He never did it again and lived 8 more years afterwards. You had no idea anything would happen. This can be used for other dog owners, never crate two dogs together when you aren't home. I don't know your dog but it may be a one time thing. Of course, you are going to feel terrible, but if you can learn from this, you can get over it. 

One of my relatives has a bunch of fosters and rescues. They are small dogs and because of space restrictions, they crate them in pairs. They came home one day and one little dog had chewed another dog's face. They still don't know why. The older, injured dog died a few weeks later. They don't know if it was from the bite or illness, or if an illness caused the other dog to go after the older one, but after hearing that, I won't ever crate two dogs together.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

This is human error. 

The humans forgot that the dogs were dogs and not humans. 

I am sorry this happened, but you left two animals, one that was easily able to seriously injure the other in a cage together. 

You do not need to learn to trust her again. You need to never do that again. I am sorry, you had to learn this a very hard way. She had bite wounds on her. Probably she rolled over or turned around, and came close to stepping on or crushing the small dog. The small dog probably gave her a warning, and because she was afraid at that point -- fight or flight, no opportunity for flight, she fought. And her size meant she won. 

It wasn't pretty though. 

This thread is important though, because we do this. We see our dogs as little people. We see them as pets who love each other, and would never hurt each other. But we have to remember that it only takes a tiny misunderstanding between critters in a cage for a large critter to do serious damage to a small one, even to the point one is dead.

You can leave dogs together in a home, but when you have one that is seriously smaller, or one who isn't even mature to adulthood yet, or same-sex females, you should probably separate them when you are not there with them. 

I can kennel dogs together, but these are dogs of similar size. They may fight, but are unlikely to, and if they do, they are likely to kill each other.

Sad. And now we are blaming a critter for being a critter. I think you have to put this past you. You made an awful mistake. Try not to blame the dog for it. Don't beat yourself up over much either. Learn from this, and then let it go. Some of us have to go on when we lose a dog to traffic in the road, or if we lose a dog to bloat, or if we lose a dog to stupid contractors who think it is funny to see the dog jumping up and down on the concrete. We failed those dogs, and have to learn from the near misses, the close calls, the dodged a bullet, and the ones where we didn't dodge the bullet as well. It won't bring them back, but if we learn from the bad mistakes, we can pretty much guaranty another dog will not suffer the same or similar fate. 

I am sorry this happened to you. I am sorry for the outcome. I am sorry that it is changing your perception of the furry critters that you share your home with. It is very sad.


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

Seltzer, thank you. Your words helped me out, too. We once lost a dog to a preventable condition and always felt badly that we didn't realize in time. I still regret it, which is why I suggested she learn from this and try to get over it. I never quite did and now I'm realizing I should do what I advised her to do.


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## MineAreWorkingline (May 2, 2015)

So sorry for your loss. It must be hard to lose a dog to another once trusted family pet.

German Shepherds are not gamebred and are not known for fighting other dogs to the finish. Not saying it would never happen, but almost always like most breeds of dogs they do recognize signs of submission and will stop. This behavior is not common or expected from this breed or most other breeds. This is one of the major reasons I choose to own German Shepherds.

Neighbors once had a similar incident when their small dog pestered their submissive female German Shepherd until she issued a corrective snap. Unfortunately, that corrective snap was placed just such that it was a fatal one. It was a tragedy for all involved. The neighbors, like you, could not look at their GSD, and had the pound come pick her up. After they had time to feel their pain and rethink, they realized that it was not the fault of the GSD, but an horrible accident, and they fortunately decided to retrieve their dog. 

I suspect as others have already commented, that a scuffle started in a small enclosed area and that things escalated accidentally culminating in a very unfortunate situation for all involved. IMO, things will not escalate with your dog due to this situation.


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## MythicMut (May 22, 2015)

I am sorry for the loss of your little dog. I do hope you can learn to forgive your GSD.


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## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

I truly do not thing this is a behavior problem or aggression issue that needs to be dealt with. Selzer said it perfectly. Better management and to remember our dogs are dogs and they have instincts, no matter how domesticated they are. 

To me, this was an accident. A VERY painful accident. OP, YOU need to learn from it and not let it happen again. It was simply poor management, a very common mistake that more often than not doesn't end like this. I don't think you "set them up for failure" I think you went "They get along, have always gotten along, we've done this before so why not again." Which any one of us could have and probably many have done. Yes, it's an awful way to be reminded that these are, in fact, animals. 

She did what dogs do. Even your "best buddies" get into scuffles, but usually you are there to put an end to it. It's not bizarre to think that this could have happened. Dogs get ornery and cranky too. My advice for you is to welcome her back and just carry on, being mindful of management and separations when you are not present. 

I don't think this is a problem you need to spend tons of money fixing or hire all these people. It sounds like you do well with your animals in training and exercise. You have already recognized issues you've had with her and have taken the means to manage them... this is just a fluke situation, IMO (a rare opinion apparently).. that just needs to be managed better in the future.

I am deeply sorry for your loss. It is never easy to lose a pet no matter how they go, I will pray for you and your family for peace with your loss and toward your GSD. :hugs:


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## Missbeccaroo (Oct 3, 2015)

wyoung2153 said:


> I truly do not thing this is a behavior problem or aggression issue that needs to be dealt with. Selzer said it perfectly. Better management and to remember our dogs are dogs and they have instincts, no matter how domesticated they are.
> 
> To me, this was an accident. A VERY painful accident. OP, YOU need to learn from it and not let it happen again. It was simply poor management, a very common mistake that more often than not doesn't end like this. I don't think you "set them up for failure" I think you went "They get along, have always gotten along, we've done this before so why not again." Which any one of us could have and probably many have done. Yes, it's an awful way to be reminded that these are, in fact, animals.
> 
> ...


You have no idea how much this helped me. I read this after we buried him and I said my goodbyes and it brought tears to my eyes. She will be coming home in the morning after this little closure today. Thank you for your honest but kind words.


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## Carriesue (Aug 13, 2012)

There was another thread recently where someone left a GSD with small dogs and came home to one dead. My GSD gets along beautifully with my small dogs but I would never ever ever leave them alone unsupervised together especially locked in a crate together. Despite you having no issues before hand you can see now why this is such a bad idea. This is the fault of the human, not the dog. I am very sorry you had to lose your dog this way but I hope you learned a valuable lesson here.


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## newlie (Feb 12, 2013)

I think, in hindsight, it was a mistake to crate these two dogs together and one you are not likely to repeat. That being said, a trainer I knew told me a story of another trainer who agreed to board several dogs, one of whom was small, for an aquaintance while they went on vacation. One day, the dogs were out in the yard and her GSD grabbed the little dog and killed it right in front of her eyes. She was there and did not have time to stop it. It doesn't take much for a large powerful dog to kill a little one, one snap of the neck and they are gone. I also think a big dog can do a lot of damage to a little dog without necessarily intending to, just in the course of rough play.


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## Debanneball (Aug 28, 2014)

I am so sorry for your loss. I pray that someday you will be able to look at your GSD with lots of love, this was an unfortunate accident. Peace


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## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

Missbeccaroo said:


> You have no idea how much this helped me. I read this after we buried him and I said my goodbyes and it brought tears to my eyes. She will be coming home in the morning after this little closure today. Thank you for your honest but kind words.


I am so glad you will be bringing her home. She's your baby too and deserves that. I understand the hurt you're feeling, but she needs you too. I hope that you are able to learn from this and educate people about it too. These experiences help us grow and be better fur-parents. So many times I have been able to reach back into my bag of accidents I learned from and use it as a means to relate and educate other dog owners. 

Still praying for you. So sorry you had to go through this PM me if you ever need anything, or an ear to vent to. (I guess it would be eyes in this case  )


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

I am glad you are bringing her home. She needs you. You will get through this.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

I am happy you are bringing her home too. You guys need each other. Just always remember she is a dog and can be a powerful one too!! Good Luck


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## Reef LeDoux (Feb 21, 2015)

Stonevintage said:


> That is so sad. I'm so sorry for your loss. If this is really totally out of the blue I can't help but think that there must have been some kind of entrapment with collar or cage. This would cause panic, biting and distress sounds. Or, a sudden medical condition such as heart failure could produce panic, and distress sounds also. Blind biting would follow as a natural defense mechanism. That's why we are cautioned never to handle a dog in panic and pain mode without a muzzle.
> 
> How has your GSD's behavior been since? I would keep her separated for a while. You may never know what happened. Hard to condemn the GSD when it could have just been a terribly unfortunate chain of events that caused these instincts to trigger resulting in the death of one.


I was thinking the same thing. Since you werent there to see what happened. It could have been anything to cause a panic and set one of them off. In the end the bigger one would win. So sorry for your loss


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

Missbeccaroo, I am gad you are getting her back after taking a break. PLease start working with her through classes and good hikes and other fun to re-bond with her again and regain confidence in her. She is just a dog with dog instincts. And like others said, it could have been an unfortunate accident. time to close that chapter and move on with your dog. It may take time but it sounds like you know how to get through this. Good luck to you and her. It doesn't seem that this incident will affect her behavior towards people or other dogs. Just keep an eye on her and maintain your leadership and bond with her.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

MineAreWorkingline said:


> So sorry for your loss. It must be hard to lose a dog to another once trusted family pet.
> 
> German Shepherds are not gamebred and are not known for fighting other dogs to the finish. Not saying it would never happen, but almost always like most breeds of dogs they do recognize signs of submission and will stop. This behavior is not common or expected from this breed or most other breeds. This is one of the major reasons I choose to own German Shepherds.
> 
> ...


I am glad the dog was still there to be retrieved. Pounds will often put any dog down with an aggression history -- even pets, and owner surrenders sometimes are put down before the owner leaves the parking lot. So I am glad they were able to get their dog back. 

How to say this? Frankly, GSDs are dogs that are not "game-bred", meaning they are not bred specifically to fight and kill other dogs; however, they were originally bred to herd sheep and guard them against all types of predators. They are not one of the few breeds that tends to pack well. Yes, they can be paired up with another dog or two. Depending on temperament of individual dogs, and leadership of the owners, and management, they can get along in larger groups. But it is not the norm for multiple GSDs to live peaceably together as a 24/7 free-for-all with or without supervision. And, females, well, they have been known to kill other bitches that they have lived with all their lives, even GSDs -- that is not that uncommon. It is more uncommon for males to fight to the death -- they usually submit, and a dog without a temperament issue will then lay off. Bitches can be this way, or not. And then there is the prey drive that some dogs just have. The little dog goes zipping by yapping or yodeling and a GSD may follow it's instinctual prey drive and that which runs... 

Do not feel complacent because you chose GSDs over pit bulls. I think Cesar has many pit bulls that can live peaceably together. I don't know if he would fare so well if he had 40 some GSDs and expected them to all just get along. 



wolfy dog said:


> Missbeccaroo, I am gad you are getting her back after taking a break. PLease start working with her through classes and good hikes and other fun to re-bond with her again and regain confidence in her. She is just a dog with dog instincts. And like others said, it could have been an unfortunate accident. time to close that chapter and move on with your dog. It may take time but it sounds like you know how to get through this. Good luck to you and her. It doesn't seem that this incident will affect her behavior towards people or other dogs. Just keep an eye on her and maintain your leadership and bond with her.


I don't think we are at odds here, maintaining the leadership and bond will help with any issues with outside dogs and people in that as the bond of trust that goes both ways, between human and canine improves, the benefit of less worry and therefore fewer incidents, results. 

I don't think any amount of leadership could have prevented what happened when people aren't there.

To the OP, I am so glad you are going to bring your girl back. I think she is probably grieving the loss of the little dog too. Which sounds weird, but the do feel losses, even an inside dog can become depressed when an outside dog is lost. They know some stuff. They do not comprehend death though. At least, they do not think it terms of "If I do this, my buddy might die, and then he will be gone forever." Which makes it all the sadder, you dog may be looking for the other dog when she comes home, she may take a toy or something of the others because she is grieving too. I really am sorry.


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## Susan_GSD_mom (Jan 7, 2014)

Very sad, and I haven't read other posts to your thread yet, but I would NEVER, EVER crate two dogs together. EVER. Hard lesson learned, but make sure it is something you never do again, no matter how well the dogs get along while you're there. Like us humans, something can irritate them, things can escalate. The poor little pek-chi never had a chance.

Susan


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## bob_barker (Dec 31, 2013)

As someone who went through something very similar recently, it's tough. 
I'm sorry for your loss, it's so so hard. Nothing anyone can say will make it better. 

But, bottom line, they should never have been crated together. Dogs should be in crates ALONE. They are never to be shared. No matter how well they get along. 

Just like I should not have left my boys alone with my beagles. I didn't come home to a dead dog, but she died days later. 


It took me a while to be able to look at these dogs the same way, and I'll be honest... There are still days where I look at them and all I see is my little beagle that I losts face. 
But, like it has been said multiple times now, it's not their fault. It's our fault. 

I've done an EXTREME amount of management in the past couple months... And the change in them is amazing. But I was prepared for how hard it was going to be. 
If you don't think you're going to be able to trust your dog. Find someone who will. She deserves a chance. 

I wish you luck. I'm sure you will get lots of great advice on here, I know I did. 

And remember you're not alone, we ALL make mistakes... Some just more tragic than others.


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## MineAreWorkingline (May 2, 2015)

selzer said:


> How to say this? Frankly, GSDs are dogs that are not "game-bred", meaning they are not bred specifically to fight and kill other dogs; however, they were originally bred to herd sheep and guard them against all types of predators.


This I agree with but they can't herd sheep or guard against predators when they are needlessly fighting other non threatening farm dogs in the area.




selzer said:


> They are not one of the few breeds that tends to pack well.


I disagree with this, have owned multiple GSDs, male, female, intact, and other large breeds as well. Unlike most other people on here, I also find them to be fantastic dog park dogs, of course there are exceptions. I hope I did not come across as leading anybody to believe that they did not need supervision when together, but then again I have kept them together unsupervised without issue because I did not know at one time that there could be issues, especially between females, males yes.



selzer said:


> Yes, they can be paired up with another dog or two. Depending on temperament of individual dogs, and leadership of the owners, and management, they can get along in larger groups. But it is not the norm for multiple GSDs to live peaceably together as a 24/7 free-for-all with or without supervision.


I agree with all of this.



selzer said:


> And, females, well, they have been known to kill other bitches that they have lived with all their lives, even GSDs -- that is not that uncommon.


I have never experienced this, but will not make light of it or dismiss it. However, I will say that although many have experienced this, no way do I attribute this to being game as was alluded to my another poster.




selzer said:


> It is more uncommon for males to fight to the death -- they usually submit, and a dog without a temperament issue will then lay off. Bitches can be this way, or not.


I agree with this. 




selzer said:


> And then there is the prey drive that some dogs just have. The little dog goes zipping by yapping or yodeling and a GSD may follow it's instinctual prey drive and that which runs...


I have heard of some German Shepherds killing small dogs, I have heard it often attributed to prey drive. 

I totally disagree with this on multiple levels. First and foremost, German Shepherds should not have this level of prey drive that they are killing their own kind. Thrill killing their own kind flies in the face of mother nature. As somebody who owns four highly prey driven dogs right now, not one of them views small dogs as prey or views any dog as something to kill. My dogs are all dog friendly, although they are also rather dominant and I do have to keep an eye on my one male with other dominant dogs, and none of them view a small breed of dog as a threat to their territory either.



selzer said:


> Do not feel complacent because you chose GSDs over pit bulls. I think Cesar has many pit bulls that can live peaceably together. I don't know if he would fare so well if he had 40 some GSDs and expected them to all just get along.


I do feel complacent, and should like anybody else, that we have chosen GSDs and not Pit Bulls and therefore do not expect our dogs to fight and kill other dogs. You don't train Pit Bulls to be top fighting pit contenders, they are born that way. You don't train a German Shepherd to be a police K9, the successful ones are born that way. One only conditions the raw genetics. A bred to the standard German Shepherd will never be a top pit fighter and a bred to the standard Pit Bull will never be a patrol dog. Insofar as Cesar, he has plenty of dog fights among the Pit Bulls and other breeds of dogs at his compounds. The internet abounds with the actual dog fights filmed at his compound.


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## WateryTart (Sep 25, 2013)

I have no advice, but I am so, so sorry for your loss. Both of your peke and of your total trust in your GSD. It must be so hard, and I'm very sorry.


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## RunShepherdRun (Oct 5, 2009)

I suggest you hire a certified behaviorist to observe the behavior of your GSD towards your other dog. No one can assess a dog over the internet, and, as I understand it, there is a second dog in the family. 

You can also film interactions between the dogs, their play, and their use of space and body language in the house. Filming is especially helpful when a dog is human reactive and will not show her/his usual behavior in the presence of a stranger.

Even if aggression happened under special circumstances, it usually doesn't come totally out if the blue. A professional in observing dog behavior can see signs that an owner often cannot see. Better be safe than sorry. 

I recommend professionals from this organization. If none is in your area, the nearest one is likely able to make a referral, or do a consultation using filmed behavior.
https://iaabc.org/

PS "Establishing dominance" doesn't help a fearful dog, it usually makes it worse. The dog needs to build confidence and needs support to feel safe.


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## Missbeccaroo (Oct 3, 2015)

Thank you everyone for your advice. These last few days have been so difficult and finally starting to look brighter. I did learn a lesson that I wish I would have known previously and will be an advocate for my friends fur babies. I would never wish anyone to go through what we did. We picked her up on Sunday morning. The first thing she did when she saw me was lay her head on my lap and let me hold her and I cried like a baby. She whined the first 48 hours and seemed very depressed. I kept my peke's blanket and she burrowed her face in it and would lay down on it. I know she misses him just as much as we do. 

We have given both dogs a lot of tlc and one of us has been around them every hour of the day. She seems to be coming around now but overall she is more calm than normal and not barking as much. We are setting up an appointment with a behaviorist but first wanted all of us to get some time together in our new house. We miss our peke so much and I finally have been able to not cry myself to sleep but I couldn't bare not losing two dogs. Going forward I will always remember they are my babies, but they are dogs.


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## Stonevintage (Aug 26, 2014)

Thank you for the follow up on this. I really respect how you handled the situation. I think it will help that you have moved into a new house. You will no doubt be super busy and that will help. Keep us posted on how everyone's doing. Wishing you the best in your new home.


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## gsdsar (May 21, 2002)

I am so heartbroken for you and so proud(sounds weird as I don't know you) that you have been able to look past the situation and see what could have been different. 

Nothing can bring back your peke. And for that I am so sorry. I don't doubt that your GSD did not mean to harm so horribly her friend. 

Sometimes we learn the most from the most horrible of situations. 

Grieve for your pup. Let her death be a beacon for education. 

I once had a foster dog seriously injure a roommates dog, with just one quick flick. Luckily the little girl was ok. But I will never forget that lesson. These are big powerful dogs, and with the little ones, it only takes a second, one quick flick. 

Good luck to you. And God Bless.


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

All of you must be going through so much. I'm glad things are starting to get better. Your story will educate many. The way you are handling this tragedy will educate many. You have such beautiful dogs and thank you for letting everyone know how all of you are doing.


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

Good luck to you. I admire your wisdom.


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

Pm sent


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## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

Thank you for the update. Your babies are beautiful! I know this is hard, but remember the good too and how you can move forward with this.. keep us posted!


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## bob_barker (Dec 31, 2013)

Thank you for the updates. 
It breaks our hearts when we have to learn things the hard way. I'm so sorry again for your loss. It's never easy, and losing them this way- I KNOW- just makes it all the more difficult. 

It's funny as you describe her reaction to you when you picked her up, it brought tears to my eyes as it was a flash back to just months ago when this happened to me. In my heartache and depression, the only one that could keep me calm was the one that caused the pain in the first place. 

Good luck with her, keep us updated 


I love the pictures ❤


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## Susan_GSD_mom (Jan 7, 2014)

Susan_GSD_mom said:


> Very sad, and I haven't read other posts to your thread yet, but I would NEVER, EVER crate two dogs together. EVER. Hard lesson learned, but make sure it is something you never do again, no matter how well the dogs get along while you're there. Like us humans, something can irritate them, things can escalate. The poor little pek-chi never had a chance.
> 
> Susan


I read back through your whole thread after I read your update--thank you so much for letting us know, and thank you so much for not giving up on your girl and for forgiving her.

I do want to add something else. Along with never caging two dogs together, I never leave them home alone uncrated, with a crate door open. A dominant dog can trap another dog in a crate and 'handle' any issue he/she thinks should be handled while you're not there. If they are free, the submissive/smaller dog can get away. Personally, I prefer to crate at least one of my two when I leave. I have just begun to leave them in the house, uncrated, for very short times if I go out in the yard without them, and they have been fine, but I am still undecided about even doing that--my female seems to think she should be able to correct my male, but won't try if I am around. Safety first.

Susan


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## bob_barker (Dec 31, 2013)

Susan_GSD_mom said:


> I read back through your whole thread after I read your update--thank you so much for letting us know, and thank you so much for not giving up on your girl and for forgiving her.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I honestly NEVER thought about open crate doors! 
Mine are crated when I leave, always. Unless I bring one and leave one, the. Who ever is left behind stays loose... 

Thanks for brining that up!


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