Help! My female EM bit another dog :(

[Kimber8787]

My 1.5 year old female English mastiff Mya is very aggressive towards other dogs. She's neutered, and was socialized as a puppy. We always took her to the dog park and she was able to run around and play freely with all other dogs. She was always the shy one. When she was about one she got into her first fight with an aggressive Irish wolfhound (boyfriends dog who we lived with at the time) and ended up biting the wolfhound. I now live with my mom and her 2 labradors. Mya gets along with them just fine but I think she has made it known that she is the pack-leader. Recently my brother from out of town came to visit with his black lab Guiness. Mya seemed startled by Guiness when introduced and a day later ended up biting the lab because he went after her toy. Poor Guiness had to get surgery as the puncture wounds were pretty deep and got infected. What can I do about this behavior? I'm very worried.

 

[Caleb]

Sorry for your troubles. Ive been where you are. I dont know what advise to give, but I know that adult dogs that havent established the hierarchy will probably settle it the ole' fashion way....especially if you dont have control of them. Im not a fan of dog parks....seems like trouble, for any breed of dog. I hate dog fights, and you never know who is bringing what to a dog park.

 

[PuppyPaws]

Sorry for your troubles. Ive been where you are. I dont know what advise to give, but I know that adult dogs that havent established the hierarchy will probably settle it the ole' fashion way....especially if you dont have control of them. Im not a fan of dog parks....seems like trouble, for any breed of dog. I hate dog fights, and you never know who is bringing what to a dog park.

Ditto to the dog park. I am sorry for difficulty too. In the future you might want to have a little more of a slower paced introduction to other dogs. Try to introduce on neutral territory and not necessarily face to face. Walk together but not to close. let them do the ol' butt-sniff but keep the smelling sessions brief. Dogs are kinda like people in a way. They don't always like every other dog, just like some people just don't "click" with others. Neutral territory introductions may help take some of the edge off. Also, might want to pick up any toys or treats so there is nothing for anyone to get grumpy over.

Something else, it seems to me and I think I have heard it elsewhere before but don't remember who said it... Sometimes 1 negative encounter like being bit by the wolfhound takes many, many more positive encounters to balance it out. I guess that's another way dogs and humans are similar. It is always easier to remember the bad things than it is the good things sometimes. You might want to try to start taking her out a little more and doing a little more supervised socialization with her or get her into some training classes. Good Luck and I hope your brother's lab heals up quickly.

I have also heard that with some breeds, females may start to be a little more aggressive around age 2 especially around other females. This may have nothing to do with it, but it's just a thought. Not sure if the same age applies to Mastiffs as they maybe a little slower to mature. Maybe someone else with have some thoughts on that subject??? Good Luck again and keep us posted.

 

[Marrowshard]

Been there with my BM, she bit a Pomeranian that ended up at the vet. No stitches, mercifully, but it definitely shook up all parties concerned. I'd echo what others are saying here: no dog parks. Ebony is usually fine with other dogs as long as they're leashed and they aren't actively trying to attack her. Loose dogs or ones that threaten her are instant aggression triggers. Have to keep in mind: mastiffs are bred to protect both from strange humans and from other (animal) threats. I can't fault Ebony for trying to put down a perceived threat, but I can try to remove her from those situations before it gets to that point. Ebony's internal hierarchy definitly runs like this: Mom and Dad > Cats > Me > All Other Dogs.

We try to take her to parks and things with other (leashed) dogs just for the exposure. She was a rescue and we're not sure how much positive contact she had with other dogs (we suspect it wasn't much). For now, I'd definitely keep her to leashed socialization. You'll be able to more quickly gain control of an averse situation. Whenever we're out walking and Ebony completely ignores another dog, she gets lavish praise and sometimes treats to help reinforce her behavior.

I have heard from more than one source that a spayed female can be more aggressive than an intact one; something about hormone compensation for the loss of the puppy-making bits. Not sure if that's relevant to your situation, but it might help explain things.

~Marrow