Bull terrier aggressive

Karen

Hi guys i have a 26 week old male bull terrier, i noticed recently that him and my spayed female jack russel have been getting into fights mainly coz of toys or food normally he lets her eat from his bowel, could this have anything to do with him not being neutered

chooba

No,
He needs to know the boundaries.
Fixing him will have no effect.
You have to address the problem now. Firmly and consistently. The older he gets, the harder to correct the problem will be without constant early correction


I have 2 male 2 EBT's one is 3 and the other is 5. Both spayed.
And I still have to correct them, maybe once a year, although it is increasingly rare as they get older.

JParanee

Don’t neuter your puppy train him

Karen

Today i was sitting on the sofa wtv he was sitting on ne then my jack russel also jumped on tge sofa, he kept staring at tge jack russel but then turned and bit my nose im so shocked. Why did he behave this way

chooba

He did it over nerves.
The other dog put him on edge. The natural reaction from that is defense.
Did you do any research before getting a bull terrier ?
Where did you get him from ? Is it a good breeder ?
This is not a typical breed, and some lines can be more prone to outbursts than others.
How have you addressed the issues since the last episode ?
Get a professional trainer, or this will get worse, either for you, for the Jack Russel or the bully, and maybe all 3.

Karen

I did do research before getting him, from what i read they are lovibg dogs, good with kids. This is the first time he has done something like this, he only started acting agro like a week now after he had his rabies shot. I dont know anything about his bloodline but the guy i got him from is a breeder. The bully and jack russel both live indoors, as a form of punishment my husband locked him outside as i was too shocked with what happened.

Brooklyn

What he did called redirected aggression. He got aroused by jack russel jumping on the sofa - (he could be territorial of the sofa or even you at this moment). Probably jack russel was out of his reach but you were close to him. He redirected his aggression from the source that triggered it to the person next to him. Did you talk to him, called his name or touched him while he was staring at jack russel? Who usually does start a fight in their pack?

Karen

Yes i was thinking the same, the bully is very playful but the jack russel she jus growls at him even if he goes to sit next to her. KHloe (jack russel) normally very fiesty with him even when they are playing tyson (bully) very calm

Karen

Another incident happened this morning the bully and i was sitting on the sofa he was sleeping then the jack russel came into the room he woke up noticed her, khloe came to me to be petted wagging her tail he woke up so fast and attcked her started fighting. I think i finally know what the problem is and he is over protective of me.

that1Boomer

Or he is Jealous of the Jack Russel. Either way, that needs addressed. Better sooner then later.

Brooklyn

He is overprotective of you but probably not the way humans think about it. Dogs are pack animals and live by pecking order: leader/submissive dog or Alpha/Beta/Omega dog. A dog reaches social maturity between age one to two years and begins to establish its social position in the pack. Tyson grew up and claimed his position as Alpha dog. Alphas usually exhibit calm confidence, they become jealous or pushy when attention is given to another dog, they sleep in the best spot like sofa or chair and wont share with other dog, push her way to be first in or out of doorways, make an eye contact and hold it whenever another dog comes near, If aggression is required of the alpha, it is typically swift and to the point.
Khloe the jack russel, probably, is the Beta dog. A beta dog is constantly testing the waters, challenging other dogs, pets and people for pack position. Dog fights are common with beta dogs as play often escalates to rough play since they often misinterpret other dog's play as a challenge for pack position. Possessive guarding of toys and food is common. A beta dog wants to be alpha and leader but does not know how to achieve it. This often results in repetitive conflicts when living with other dogs.
As a Pack Leader you should control and manage the pack. All unwanted behavior should be corrected before they escalated into full fight. Some even can be prevented. Like fighting over food - just feed them in different rooms or opposite sides of the room. When you see their play becomes rough and they look overstimulated, give them time out. Usually few minutes are enough to cool them off.

Moose

I just read this thread and I’m a new BT owner. Although I’ve had bully breeds- OEB and EB in the past, and most recently St. Bernard, BT pup attitude is something I’ve never experienced- especially so young at less than 4 months. Pup is extremely dominant and pushy towards any dog that isn’t “tough” enough to stand it’s own ground. He is not food or toy aggressive, but territorial aggressive. I had repair men come to the house when he was 9 weeks old and he was growing and barking at the front door. He absolutely does not like other dogs- period. Is this normal for such a young EBT? Or in this threads conversation- why not just let EBT and JR work out hierarchy between them as they would naturally so long as it’s not violent? Genuinely asking as I’m used to more submissive breeds, even my other bully breeds were stubborn, but not alpha head strong like new pup- he doesn’t challenge me- only other dogs.

Brooklyn

@Moose
As you probably know the period from 4 to 14 weeks as the most important window of time for a puppy’s social development. After the age of 14 weeks that window starts to close. If a pup is well socialized during this period he’ll most likely believe the world is a safe and happy place. If he’s not well socialized, he’s likely to be fearful of new things. Puppies who do not get adequate socialization during this period tend to be fearful of unfamiliar people, or dogs, or sounds, objects and environments. You still have few weeks to fix your pups issues. Show him as many people as possible every single day - different sizes ethnicities, gender, in wheelchair and with a cane, long hair/short hair, beards, hats, people in uniforms. Show him cars, all kind of animals you can find - dogs, cats, mice, horses etc. Play him thunder and firework sounds, fire engine, police and ambulance sirens. Show him grass, asphalt concrete, sand, ocean/lake/river/rain paddles - so he will not be afraid of the water. Just make sure lots of treats, toys and games are involved to make those experiences positive and pleasant for your puppy.
3-4 months old pup is too young to be truly dominant or dog-aggressive. You still have time to socialize him with other dogs. As I know Petco has free puppy play classes supervised by professional dog trainers.

Moose

This is just it tho- pup comes to work with me every single day- he is extremely socialized and loves people. I’ve had so many dogs and this is the first time I’m unsure of what to do for him to show him being calm will allow other dogs to accept him. It’s just other dogs. He has no fear of loud noises- I run a mechanic shop. I have friends w dogs and we let them play but it turns mean real quick and you cannot break his focus.

DaveODonnell

Would be tempted to put such a dog on his back at aggressive behavior. The message being you decide. He will NOT not like it. Don't let up until his focus is completely broken & calm. That can take quite a tantum & it will need to become expected from you for his behavior to change.

How do you change a light bulb? First it has to want to change. ... It takes different things to reach different dogs. Some BTs have and amazing capacity for stubbornness.

I had a male BT that would get aggressive with new BT. The only thing that reached his stubborn ass was when I posted him out in the yard for 6 hrs (away from his people). I did not like it, but he got the message.

BulliesofNC

Here's an article I wrote a while back that you might find helpful -

https://bulliesofnc.com/dominance-aggression-issues-bull-terriers/