Another dog fight, after months of thinking we were in the clear

I am so sad. And worried, and stressed. All over again.

Background: In November we had to give our 6 month old puppy away. Luckily we had some acquaintances that were ready for a family dog and the transition was smooth. Sad for us, but the best solution to our problem. Our problem was one of our other dogs, a 4 year old jack russel/dachshund mix. He did ok with the puppy when she came home at 2 months, but as she got bigger and more boisterous he got scared and aggressive. We did training for all the dogs, all kinds of strategies for a several weeks but it got worse and less manageable, so we found a solution. This is the very, very short version- I was so unhappy and stressed and I tried so hard. But anyway, moving on.

The little butt munch dog that we kept and we love, we kept because he would be harder to re-home. He is aggressive when he's scared, he resource guards, and he is not responsive to training. He will come, stay, do this and that when he is calm but if he is nervous or upset he can't listen or respond. We just manage his environment to keep him feeling happy and calm. Part of his environment, our environment, is our other dog, a 6 year old big girl, mix. (All were adopted from our local shelter, years apart.) She lived here already when we got him, and he adjusted to her as he adjusted to his new home. She is very chill. They work together. Until tonight.

I think it was set off by my son giving the big girl a treat too close to the other dog, which we don't do. All day, and for a few days, my son has ignored all the dog rules like this, lulled into a sense of complacency like we all were, that things were fine now. I kept reminding him... don't get him hyper, play with him calmly, don't let him stare at you while you eat, pick up those chips you dropped, don't play chase with the dogs, don't play things that are competitive with the dogs.... all these crazy rules we have just to coexist with this dog. They work.

For some reason when he snapped about the treat or crumb or whatever it was tonight, my big girl dog growled and fought back a little. Usually when he snaps at her about something, like she's barking at a squirrel and it scares him/excites him so he snaps at her, she stops and walks off. She was ready to stop tonight when I said, but little guy does not stop. I pulled him off and away, and now I am scared again. Both dogs are ok. I have this horrible anxious feeling just like I did back in the fall, that he's going to snap and they will start fighting again every minute.

I have them both in their harness with leashes dragging. For easier pulling off if needed. Do I just.... what? I hate this.

submitted by /u/Cashew_box
[link] [comments]

from Pets https://www.reddit.com/r/Pets/comments/g7m1d9/another_dog_fight_after_months_of_thinking_we/