I'm having problems with one of my dogs and was wondering if anyone has any suggestions.
I have two female Golden Retriever/Labrador dogs. One is 15 months old the other 13 months old. The younger dog is the dominant dog. The dominant dog hates the other one getting any attention, especially when we come home. It attacks the other dog around the head, viciously growling and causing yelps of pain. The same thing happens when I take them for a walk. The dominant dog dislikes the other dog running off on her own and will chase her down and attack around the head. The submissive dog, which is the bigger of the two, tries to get back to me for protection. Today it resulted me in being knocked for six with the dominant dog hell bent on getting hold of the other dog irrespective or not that I was in the way.
At all other times they get on well with each other. They sleep together, eat and play together and have been together since they were 4 to 6 weeks old.

Try muzzling the dominant dog, first just on the walks.

The link may help, especially the section where there is more than one dog in the household.

http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-p ... g-dominant

Galee wrote:I'm having problems with one of my dogs and was wondering if anyone has any suggestions.
I have two female Golden Retriever/Labrador dogs. One is 15 months old the other 13 months old. The younger dog is the dominant dog. The dominant dog hates the other one getting any attention, especially when we come home. It attacks the other dog around the head, viciously growling and causing yelps of pain. The same thing happens when I take them for a walk. The dominant dog dislikes the other dog running off on her own and will chase her down and attack around the head. The submissive dog, which is the bigger of the two, tries to get back to me for protection. Today it resulted me in being knocked for six with the dominant dog hell bent on getting hold of the other dog irrespective or not that I was in the way.
At all other times they get on well with each other. They sleep together, eat and play together and have been together since they were 4 to 6 weeks old.

Dogs need a leader. You should be the dominant leader. You should clearly show that you don't tolerate any dominant behavior from your dogs. If you were to show leadership, then neither of your dogs would show dominant behavior. It's that simple.

If one of your dogs show signs of dominant behavior, then it means that this dog is missing leadership from you, and is challenging your leadership.

Frankie 1 wrote: Dogs need a leader. You should be the dominant leader. You should clearly show that you don't tolerate any dominant behavior from your dogs. If you were to show leadership, then neither of your dogs would show dominant behavior. It's that simple.

If one of your dogs show signs of dominant behavior, then it means that this dog is missing leadership from you, and is challenging your leadership.

We learned a trick (more like 20) from Cesar Millan, Dog Whisperer, about being the pack leader. Two of our dogs sleep inside at night. When it's time to let them out in the morning....they're excited....but we require them to sit before we'll open the door. No sit, no door. Then, when we finally open the door, they hop up and try to be first out. Again, no dice. Sit.....wait patiently for the 'leader' to decide when it's time to open the door. Then......when the leader opens the door and the dogs make a beeline for the outside, again.........sit and wait until the leader decides it's time to exit....and then...only AFTER the leader exits.
It might sound complicated.....or difficult......but once the dogs understand the routine, there's nothing to it. They understand who's the boss.
Although we learned lots of good ideas from Cesar's show, this one is my top pick.
Good luck with your dogs......if you figure out the magic touch, please let us know what worked for you.

Take them both to the Temple and when they're not looking run away....!! Works every time!

You could use the e-collar for this problem....

Every time he mis-behaves zap zap if the button is pressed at the correct time of mis-behaviour he will very soon get the message..

You might b e interested in this , taken from one of my training manuals.
First you need to classify the aggression by your own observations.The most common are:
Protective
Possessive
Fear
Defensive
Social.
From the age and sex of your dogs I would guess the last could be your particular one .


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.
Social Aggression

Animals who live in social groups, like people and dogs, typically live by certain rules in order to minimize conflict between group members. Canid species, including the dog, adopt a type of hierarchical order that influences which group members get first crack at food, the best resting spots and opportunities to mate. So rather than having to fight for access to valued things each and every time, those lower down on the totem pole know to wait until the higher-ups have had their share before taking their turn. These ordered relationships are frequently reinforced by displays of ritualized aggression. Individuals of high status use aggressive threats to remind the others of their place in the pack. The relationships between people and dogs who live together are certainly more complex than this simplified description, but it's still important to know that a dog who perceives herself as high in status may show aggression toward family members. (This kind of behavior is sometimes called dominance or status-seeking aggression.) This is why a dog might be perfectly trustworthy with one pet parent but react aggressively toward the other or toward young children in the family. Such dogs are often described as “Jekyll and Hyde” because, most of the time, they're happy-go-lucky, friendly dogs. But if they feel that someone in the pack has overstepped his or her bounds, these dogs can quickly resort to aggression. An aggressive response is usually provoked by things that a dog perceives as threatening or unpleasant, such as:

Taking food away
Taking a chew bone, toy or stolen object away
Disturbing the dog while she's sleeping
Physically moving the dog while she's resting
Hugging or kissing the dog
Bending or reaching over the dog
Manipulating the dog into a submissive posture (a down or a belly-up position)
Lifting or trying to pick up the dog
Holding the dog back from something she wants
Grooming, bathing, towelling or wiping the dog's face
Touching the dog's ears or feet
Trimming the dog's nails
Jerking or pulling on the dog's leash, handling her collar or putting on a harness
Verbally scolding the dog
Threatening the dog with a pointed finger or rolled-up newspaper
Hitting or trying to hit the dog
Going through a door at same time as the dog or bumping into the dog

Social aggression is somewhat more common in males than in females and more common in purebreds than in mixed breeds. Puppies are rarely socially aggressive with people, but they can be with other dogs, particularly littermates. Social aggression usually develops in dogs between one to three years of age.

It's important to realize that the complexities involved in social aggression are poorly understood and hotly debated by behavior experts. Some believe that all social aggression is rooted in fear and anxiety, while others believe that it's motivated by anger and the desire for control. When consulting a professional, make sure you're comfortable with her treatment recommendations. If the professional's suggestions consist of techniques for instilling fear and respect in your dog, such as alpha rolls, scruff shakes and hanging, there's a very good chance that your dog will get worse rather than better-and you might get bitten in the process. Punishment may be appropriate, but only when it's well planned and limited in application. The judicious use of punishment should always be embedded in a program that's based on positive reinforcement and trust.
Further on line info here .http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist

I must confess to reacting with mild amusement when I read the article you (and trekkertony) link to Val - the use of the term "pet parent" had me

These two dogs should see you,the owner,as the leader of the pack to be obeyed.
This younger dog could be challenging your status.You need to be firm and fair with her.....dont take any nonsense and slowly re-assert your authority......similar to the wife,I spose !

jackspratt wrote:I must confess to reacting with mild amusement when I read the article you (and trekkertony) link to Val - the use of the term "pet parent" had me

Believe me Jack I would rather raise 10 dogs than one of the little "b"s I see running around in Udon . :-"
What a shame there isn't an instruction manual for troublesome brats .

I'd say 50% of the dog problems attended to by Cesar were owner induced. That's not to say there aren't some badly behaved dogs out there, but most people seem completely blind to the idea that something they do ( the owner or family member) may be at fault. Any ten episodes of the dog whisperer will give insight into many of the basics of dog training. You may be able to find some on the internet.

The TV series by Cesar Milan are called the Dog Whisperer.

Search on YouTube for: "Dog Whisperer" There are full episodes.

garym1959 wrote:Take them both to the Temple and when they're not looking run away....!! Works every time!

Good one!

Tracechain wrote:

garym1959 wrote:Take them both to the Temple and when they're not looking run away....!! Works every time!

Good one!

If I did that he would go and rescue them. He's the biggest softie going when it comes to dogs.

Thank you everyone for your replies. I don't agree with all of them but definitely a few things to ponder.

The only advice i have as to fixing the problem is continued socialization with no toys for a while. My dog wont let another dog play with his toy until he is VERY use to them. And even then he gets a little protective.

The only advice I could give is this:

I have a 40kg Lab/Retriever cross and he has a wonderful nature so I guess we're lucky. But I did take him to puppy training when very young (in Australia).

What I learned will always stay with me. The most interesting part was the trainer said - "I'm not here to teach your puppy, I'm here to train you how to teach your puppy".

One of the very first thing we learned was to teach the dog who is boss - yourself. It involved having the dog lie down and you sit next to them on the floor, but 'over' them. Give the command to stay. They are not allowed up until you say - keep them there - and I mean hands on keep them there. At first about 1 minute. Then 2 mins, 3 mins, 5 mins etc. My dog started nodding off which is fine.

Everything else you do with them, you do first - someone mentioned when you let them go through a door, you go first. Yes that's correct.

Teach them to sit, drop (to the floor), stay, come etc. The tools we used for that was garlic sausage - dogs go nuts for it. I ended up cooking pork sausage in garlic, cut into small pieces. As soon as they do something right, give a piece - immediately. It really doesn't take long for them to get it.

Your aggressive dog is showing his dominance over the other, but you have to show you do not tolerate it. That's what happens in packs - the leader sorts out the troublemakers. That's yourself.

I'm sure you'll be able to Google Dog training for sitting, staying etc if you look.

Good luck.

At one time I had 50 dogs for a sled dog team and learned the importance of being alpha. Imagine being 100 miles from civilization and having a fight break out! This happened to me once when I was with a friend and his team and he was a hitter, by the time the fight was over two dogs were injured, he broke his rifle hitting the dogs and they chewed through the gang line. Fortunately we were only a couple of miles from town and limped the team home. A string of 12 dogs is a lot of different personalities and quite a group to keep in control. What I learned worked best was biting their ear and growling at the same time. This is with 50 pound well conditions animals and it worked every time. All my dogs knew I was alpha and rarely questioned it, but when they did the lesson was quick and over with and once correct behavior was chosen we could be friends again.

A Punch in the Head and an Hour outside alone. Then let her in and give her a big sloppy kiss. After a couple of times you'll find she prefers the Sloppy Kiss

Aardvark wrote:A Punch in the Head and an Hour outside alone. Then let her in and give her a big sloppy kiss. After a couple of times you'll find she prefers the Sloppy Kiss

Aardy, is this what you picked up from marriage guidance counseling?