What to do!? 1 Year old BT sudden aggression
I have a 1 year old BT female that I've had since she was 6 weeks of age who has suddenly become extremely aggressive towards my other 4 dogs. 1 Boxer-Pit Mix, 2 Senior Chihuahuas, & 1 EBT who is an absolute angel. Genevieve (the problem child..lol) is the youngest. She was properly socialized with other dogs, people, animals, children from an early age. She is on a high quality diet, supplements, and in great overall health. She goes hiking and on long walks DAILY and has a HUGE fenced in yard for extra play. She has always gotten along great with my other dogs, she had always been submissive to my Boxer-Pit and they could eat beside each other with no worries. One day she randomly attacked my Boxer-Pit for no apparent reason and after this incident that left Genevieve bloodied... She goes into EXTREME aggression and attack mode at even the sight or sound of my other dogs. It's so bad that she's tried busting down barriers and doors to get to them.. It is absolutely heartbreaking to see her get in such a rage and not be able to play with the other dogs. She gets so stressed and determined trying to get to them that her mind just won't click over to anything else no matter what measures I take. She is very submissive to me and has never shown any signs of aggression towards humans. ALL the other dogs get along great. My other BT, BoxerX, & Chi's all eat, sleep, & play together in harmony. Re-homing is not an option. She is here to stay and I'll do what I have to do for her, but I'm not going to lie, it has made my household become very stressful and at times difficult to manage. I practice extreme safety measures and leave no room for mistakes. I just want me sweet girl back. What does one do at this point?? I use to be a firm believer that human error was the only reason for dog aggression.. Let's just say that's not the case anymore..
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Hates dogs, gets along with chickens.. -_- lol Any help or insight is greatly appreciated.
That's a tricky story and kind of heartbreaking.
Sadly it's not too uncommon to hear of an English Bull Terrier NOT getting along with other dogs or animals.
Many of them never have any problems with living in one household with other dogs or animals.
Some EBT's are just not interested in other dogs - that's my girl Djamila, for example. But that also leads me to believe that I would not do her a favor, if I brought another dog into our home.
Some EBT's go beyond the point of disinterest and just don't get along with other dogs. Just now there happens to be another case in this forum with a dog attacking her sister (I think it was, not sure, if I remember that correctly).
One year - your dog is maturing and developing her own habits and character. If re-homing is not an option, I am afraid, you will have years of extra careful managing ahead of you. It may lessen over the years, but you will probably always have to watch and manage.
(I hope your children are not too young anymore. I know you said your dog is good with the kids. But I am honest, I would be nervous, at least if the kids were little.)
The problem I see is that the aggression has developed, AFTER the dog at first had gotten along with the other dogs when younger. I don't know, if that is even reversible in any way.
I still admire your energy to tackle and manage that task! You seem really dedicated to your whole family.
I like that!
I hope there are others here with some more encouraging news than mine.
When I read your first sentence I already knew there was big problems and I could easily identify many derogative factors based on that sentence alone. The pure knowledge of knowing you received a Bull Terrier puppy at 6 weeks of age speaks volumes about the breeder in a sense you and many others wouldn't even recognize. I've had MANY litters over the years I know how crucially important it is for the puppies future temperament to be allowed proper social time and bonding with their siblings. The time frame from 4-6 weeks old is SO important because they are learning so many things that deal with patience, tolerance, dominance, bonding, affection, excitement, sharing, team work, etc, etc. During this time frame the siblings are contributing more to each puppies success in character, temperament, and personality more so than the Dam. At 4 weeks of age most puppies are weened from their mother and starting the process of eating on on their own and fending for themselves. I couldn't even imagine the stress a puppy would endure if it was taken away from their comfort zone 14 days after getting off the nipple. I understand there are many breeders eager to get rid of their puppies at the earliest possible opportunity and put money in their pocket and alleviate further care and attention. Heck, at 6 weeks old this is the exact time frame puppies can finally get health tested, vaccinated, fecal tested, etc during their first visit with a Veterinarian. This is NOT the time frame they are meant to go to new homes. The next two weeks after vaccinations the puppies can now be left to play outdoors and really socialize. It's during the next two weeks they will set in good habits during play, wrestling, and bonding that will mold them with the proper temperament they need. Yes, a lot has to do with their bloodline as well because aggression can certainly run in the lines. But when I already noted the breeder welcomed the aspect of rehoming their puppies at 6 weeks old I can already conclude the puppies are not coming from a reputable breeder so I know the bloodlines mirror the same qualities. Sadly these type of backyard breeders and puppymills do not concentrate their energy with bettering the qualities of the puppies they produce. Normally they have absolutely no interest what so ever in health, temperament, breed standards, or any other form of quality to pride themselves on to represent their bloodline name. It's these type breeders that often carry the genes of dog aggression due to the availability of Bull Terriers with open registry that that are capable of breeding. With this said, your first sentence stating you received your puppy at 6 weeks old already provides me enough data to know exactly what you are dealing with. Under no circumstances would any reputable or responsible breeder entertain the thought of rehoming their puppies at 6 weeks of age which is why I can accurately judge the bloodlines of your Bull Terrier with concern.
As most of us already know, the Bull Terrier initiated from fighting lines. They were (and still are) a Gladiator among the various other breed types. Over the years they have had many of their bad traits bred out, dog aggression being one of them. During early years when they developed the Bull Terrier they used the (now extinct) White Terrier. That breed was known to be predominately deaf and had many skin issues. Although over the years we have added color and mass to the breed we still carry some of the bad traits with certain genes. Those breeders which are conducting thorough research in order to gain better lines are avoiding the negatives genes in order to develop a better example of the breed per the Standards. However, if no efforts are conducted with proper breeding in mind the chances of bringing back some of the negative genes are heightened. This is why we still see deafness, aggression, and skin problems popping up within the breed. Your breeder is one of those who has no care what so ever about the importance of proper and professional breeding and development of puppies which should be an improvement to the future welfare of the breed.
Have you ever wondered why APBT's have received such a bad reputation? Most of those puppies are bred without any thought, sold at 6 weeks old, and have so many differences in shape, size, color, and structure that they can;t even have a Breed Standard defined enough to be called a pure bred by AKC. Many of the APBT's didn't have a chance to non-aggressive dogs because they were bred with aggressive behaviors from the sire and dam and left to go to new homes at premature ages.
So why did I put so much effort into explaining all this? Because I have rescued MANY Bull Terriers that came from breeders like yours. The owners gave their Bullie up for reasons of dog aggression and other behavior or health issues. Even through training and endless efforts they could not change the behavior in their Bull Terrier and they couldn't admit to the fact that their dog was poorly bred and possessed the genes that instinctively caused this type of aggression. Almost NO trainers want to deal with aggression because they no that in many breeds it's almost impossible to ever expect that you can take that natural instinct out of a dog that was born with it. Yes, there can be improvements but rarely could that dog ever be fully trusted unsupervised. These type dogs become a liability and safety risk for the owner forever and need to be raised in a fashion that requires constant awareness of their dogs security and supervision. Normally these type dogs are in homes with no other dogs or animals. Often they are very people friendly, loyal, and make excellent companions.
It's one thing to notice a Bull Terrier that is dominant and independent. A Gladiator of type that will not seek out a fight with another dog but a dog that will not condone being dominated or challenged. Many Bull Terriers no matter what bloodline they come from won't tolerate aggression or dominance from another dog and they will instinctively react with their own defenses against it. However, your Bull Terrier doesn't fit into this category as she is seeking out the fight without an excuse. Right now she has just entered maturity and learned real quick she's the alpha among the other dogs in your home. She may have been raised with them since a pup but she longer feels the need to bond with them appropriately. She's already engaged in a fight which makes matters worse. Her need to fight at the sight of another dog is an instinctive behavior she has born with. I wish I could tell you it will get better but I'd be lying if I said so. Chances are it will get worse especially if she engages in more fights due to accident meetings with your other dogs. I commend you for not wanting to give up on her. I'm sure she displays the good traits of love and affection to you and other people she meets which is why you love her so much. Sadly you won't see that compassion from her with other dogs.
There are many people who will disagree with me and many trainers who will to because they might be eager to get you to pay for a LONG and EXTENSIVE training program which they will never guarantee success with. However, if you were to ever wish to test my predictions of your Bull Terriers with authenticity I encourage you to call your breeder and let them know you wish to visit them again with your Bull Terrier and allow your Bullie to play off leash with the sire and dam. In the event your breeder welcomes this and schedules the event please come back on this Forum and bash me for being wrong. I would welcome the embarrassment because I can tell by your concern you have a lot of heart and love for your dogs. Is there a chance for your Bull Terrier to improve with her aggressive towards other dogs? Yes, but you need to completely separate her with your Boxer/APBT mix because that dog also has the instinct to fight back and doesn't have the tolerance to submit to another dog that wishes to initiate a fight. If you chose to try and train them to get along while under supervision I suggest you purchase muzzles for them and allow them to interact in this fashion until they can be trusted to interact without a muzzle on. Please realize that if there's something that can trigger jealousy or challenge over possession they will fight.
I'm truly sorry that I couldn't provide you with more encouraging advice but I know having your dogs in the same house right now is dangerous to them, you, and your family members and I don't want you to take any risks from someone that might not know the breed as good as they think. Djammy provided good information above as well but she too knows about the breed and the difficulties in regard to dog aggression and the capabilities of a Bull Terrier. My suggestion to you would be to try yourself to see how the two dogs would do with muzzles on. Spend some time with them and see if you can get to a point in which the two dogs can at least look at each without the need to instantly look for a fight. If you can accomplish that you might be able to handle keeping them in the same house together either separated or under constant supervision. If they can't learn to accept each other you may need to consider rehoming your Bull Terrier to a home with no other animals. this wouldn't be a choice due to your lack of care or devotion, this would be a decision after coming to the realization that she may be happier and less stressed in a home where there were no other dogs. Sometimes it takes a lot to admit the dog you love may be better off in a different environment where she'd be better suited and happier because of it.
"It's not just a Dog, it's a Bull Terrier!"
www.bulliesofnc.com
Thankfully, I work from home (Husband works out of state) and have over 5 acres of land and a decent size home for just me and my dogs so I am able to manage this unfortunate situation as safely as possible. I place my other four dogs securely in a back room "doggy" area before releasing the muscular nightmare known as Genevieve. We have a system worked out that everyone seems to have down now.
I will continue to work with her the best I can, but agree that I will never be able 100% trust her around other dogs. I purchased an awesome muzzle that she can pant and drink through, but is heavy duty as well.
I greatly appreciate your response, yet sadly made me come to the realization that things will never be as they were before. My main goal now is to give her the best and stress free life as possible. Kind regards.
"It's not just a Dog, it's a Bull Terrier!"
www.bulliesofnc.com