# Sudden, unexpected aggression towards dogs.



## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

I can NOT freaking believe this. Jax just attacked Banshee for no reason. They weren't even in the same room!! I heard her bark, turned to look at her and then she lunged 8 feet through the air to attack Banshee. What the @!#$# is going on with her?! What would cause that? She's never been like this at all! First the bones and now nothing at all!


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

Sudden onset of ANY behavioral change would have me taking the dog to the vet ASAP.

If she hasn't had a full thyroid panel done recently (within the year) I would have it done now.

You want at LEAST a 6-way test - NOT the 4 way. Check out the Hemopet website for testing info and prices. You can have your vet draw the blood and ship it to them:

http://www.itsfortheanimals.com/HEMOPET.HTM


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## Tbarrios333 (May 31, 2009)

Oh, I'm so sorry Michelle.








I hope Jax and Banshee are both okay and that nothing serious is going on.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Thanks Lauri! I"m still in shock. The bones were one thing. I could understand that reasoning. 

This was crazy! Banshee was just standing there next to the chair and Jax was out here next to me. She lunged a solid 8' to get to her. So we put her in the crate while I finished something up and she was growling and barking in there. 

I put her prong collar and leash on her and now she's just as calm as could be. Actually a little timid like she knows that was NOT ok.

I wonder if this lump on her neck is involved in any way. Seems a pretty big coincidence.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

I don't see anything about the "6-Way". 

Is it this?


> Quote:The COMPLETE Thyroid Panel AND the other Blood Chemistry values is the Profile 7200 which includes:
> 
> *
> 
> ...


Or just the thyroid panel that is $65?


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## RebelGSD (Mar 20, 2008)

She is two years old and becoming an adult. They can start acting more bossy at that age. Are you practicing NILIF with her. It seems that their interactions will have to be supervised.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Yes I practice NILIF. I've been running thru my mind anything that has changed lately.

When DD went back to school we put Sierra in a crate while we're gone, because she can't be trusted not to eat the house, and Baron (our dobie foster) is in the other crate. That leaves Jax and Banshee out. I wonder if Jax is taking her freedom as a signal to establish dominance. 

And yes...I would say she is a dominant female. If I am petting Sierra she will come over and try to hump her. I can catch her before she does it. You can tell from the look on her face. 

She has also taken to reprimanding the other dogs if we do. She usually will nip at their necks.  That just started over the last 2-3 weeks too.

The bones...she's always snatched up the bones and when we started taking them away from her the behavior towards the other dogs escalated from snatching the bones to growling to attacking.

Tonight Banshee was looking out this way and Jax could have taken it as a challenge but I don't believe Banshee was actually challenging her.

So is this sudden and unexpected or has this been building and I didn't recognize it?


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## maggs30 (Aug 5, 2008)

You are going through something very similar to what I am going through with my two males. They actually both were a bloody mess today from a fight and the vet swears that there is nothing wrong with the aggressor male.....I am not so sure. I am actually having a consultation with an animal communicator tomorrow afternoon. $50 for 20 minutes but if she can pick up on something that me or the vet are not seeing than it is all worth it. With my two it is a small growl from the aggressor...he gets reprimanded....he postures over the 2nd male head over his back growls again and if you don't get them separated in the 15 seconds these take place...they are all at it. After the fight is broken up by me....fun times....they are laying together licking each others faces and tails wagging. So it could be a dominance issue for both of us, or a very real medical issue that we haven't caught. I wish you the best of luck in finding what is wrong.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

ok...after thinking over her actions that last few weeks and her general behavior I'm sure at least a good portion of it is as Rebel said. 

Is there a really good book on how to handle this? I'm sure she is trying to establish her dominance over the pack. She is also possessive of me.


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## maggs30 (Aug 5, 2008)

Okay I may sound like a loony to those that don't believe in dog whisperers. I had my consultation today with one and my aggression problem and she was wonderful and Bear is listening. I would highly recommend her! Bear wanted to be alpha and told her he was the strongest and most athletic and we told him he was alpha but he was abusing it. After an extensive talk he is now calm and is not acting aggressive at all anymore!!!! If you want more information on her send me a PM and I do have to say that I was a little skeptical but it was the best $50 I have spent in a long long time. I now have my calm house back! If it is simply a hormonal alpha status issue like mine turned out to be then it would be worth a try and it was a heck of a lot cheaper than the vet bills I paid looking for what the problem was.


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

One book I would recommend for the resource guarding is "Mine" by Jeanne Donaldson: http://www.dogwise.com/itemdetails.cfm?ID=DTB740

Mostly though you are going to need to step up your role as leader. She needs to know that you call all of the shots. I would take away any special privileges she has, start over with NILIF and concentrate on being a fair, calm and confident leader. 

What kind of training have you done with her? I would enroll in an advanced (or intermediate) OB class with a good trainer.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

She has basic obedience and we go to agility and rally. I don't know if there is advanced OB around here. I'll ask my agility/rally instructor if there is.

I thought I was doing NILIF but then I read some more on it...close...but no cigar...so we're back to square one. I told DH that she gets nothing without doing something for it. She also has started jumping on me when I come thru the door. That's a new trick to get my attention. I think we have a long way to go but she's so smart...she'll get it.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

We started NILIF, correct NILIF, with Jax last night. She seemed to think I might be a little crazy when she jumped up on the bed and I told her to get off and sit...then let her back up. 

But I also worked on some basic obedience, mostly healing and turning left without running in to her, and that seemed to engage her brain a bit. 

It also engaged Baron's brain a bit because there were treats in my hand. When I said Down he throws himself on the floor with a thump and stretches out like he's dead....all for a cookie...what a HAM! 

Overall, it was a nice quiet night without any dogs creating havoc. She was also so good this morning. I think this is exactly what she needed!

I'll order Mine this weekend as well as Control Unleashed.


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## GSDElsa (Jul 22, 2009)

Michelle,

What about not letting her sleep on the bed and instead on a rug or bed on the floor? Do you allow all the dogs on the bed? I know this might be up for debate, but some people think that letting a dog sleep with you increase that possessive side IF they are already exhibiting that behavior. They kind of decide they are the boss because they are on the same level as you. I know a lot of people allow their dogs to sleep with them on this forum (I don't as an FYI), so this might not be a popular opinion, but it might be a worth a try to re-establish who is the boss.

If you ever have a chance to read the Monks of New Skete's book called something like "How to Be Your Dogs Best Friend" (the new, revised edition..I've heard some interesting things about the 1970's version), they have some good explainations and reasoning behind having your dog sleep on the FLOOR of your bedroom.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Yes she sleeps with me and the other dogs sleep where they want whether it's with the kids or in the livingroom. I actually have given it thought to put her back on the floor to sleep because I do know about and understand that theory. 

I kept her on the floor last nite while out in the livingroom instead of letting her up on the ottoman, and kept the other dogs on the floor also so they were all on equal 'footing'. I actually think she slept on the floor most of last nite anyways because it was to warm on the bed.


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## GSDElsa (Jul 22, 2009)

Hmmmmmmmm. In the land of dog pyschology think she's convinced she's better than the other dogs and above them in the pack because she sleeps in the bed and they don't (whether it's their choice or not?). That might be stretching a bit, I know!


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

I would take away her furniture privileges for now and let her earn them back. I do think that with the possessive behavior you need to work to reclaim all space and then decide when/if she's gets it back. 

Rafi is the first dog I've ever allowed on the furniture and he is only every allowed up there when I tell him. He never gets up there otherwise, even when I'm not home. Of course he also won't get out of the dog bed if Cleo (my 17yo, 7 pound cat) is in there with him or go down the stairs until she goes because she owns all of the space in our house.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

The only one allowed on the furniture is Banshee. But i came home last nite late from my son's soccer game and Sierra is in the chair, Banshee was on the floor and Jax was running around and being a menace...and DH sat on the couch watching TV. 

I'm thinking, since he's being a jerk and not enforcing anything when I'm not there, that perhaps he can sit on the floor and Jax and I will take the couch.

And the reason Sierra is on the floor now too is that she was attacking Jax for no reason so we have more than one issue going on all for the same reason...not sure what it will take to get that thru his head.


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## Lola1969 (Mar 6, 2007)

It sounds like someone is getting a little too full of herself! NILIF is the way to go.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

she is way full of herself. But I can't get it under control unless DH steps up to the plate too. And then he gets mad because "she won't listen to me" and "she's a different dog when you get home"

I'm thinking I'll put the e-collar on him for awhile. 

Just a little irritated and frustrated today..is it *shining *through?


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Jax is so much better in just a couple of days. We have a long way to go on the resource guarding. She tried to chase Sierra away from a toy last night. But she is learning that she has to earn her privileges. She quite often looks confused like she's not quite sure what I want but she's definitely getting it.


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## mistimp (Jun 17, 2004)

I have the same problem with dh. He tells me " you need to train your dog not to run out the door!" Its funny how the dog never runs out the door on me or the girls. Only when he is going out the door. Argh!


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## Riley's Mom (Jun 7, 2007)

I have thought of doing the communicator thing myself, makes me very curious. BUT ... like Lauri said ANY change to aggressive behavior in our house would be a trip to the vet for a thyroid test if nothing else at least to rule it out. Nobody thought thyroid problems in either of my dogs, but they both were found to have hypothyroidism. If there is a thyroid problem on top of say the age thing and dominance thing, once they kick in the meds will help you deal with the other stuff because you'll have corrected one reason why these things are happening. If you go about trying to correct and wait out the age/dominance issues and ignore the thyroid problem (if there is one) you'll be defeating yourself.


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