Aggressive American Bulldog

by Barbara
(Dewey, Az)

Nadja resting on the Chihuahuas sofa

I have an American Bulldog that I love but need to find a new home for, to keep my two Chihuahuas safe. I have tried many aggressive dog training tips and thought that I had it under control until last night when I had to rush my female Chihuahua to the vet. She lost a lot of blood and was having a seizure. I was afraid she was going to die.

I don't know what caused the attack because it was all so quick. I saw my bulldog in the crouched attack position and before I could get to her she had my little 5 lb. dog (Lupita).

Lupita is going to be okay and will mend. The vet said she probably got nicked by a tooth and even small injuries to the head cause a lot of blood loss.

The Chihuahuas growl and snap at the bull dog when she gets too close because they are afraid of her, since she has attacked them on more than one occasion. I have tried scolding the Chihuahua first for acting aggressive and then praising my bulldog when she doesn't react. I have made the bulldog wait while I give the Chihuahuas their food first to put myself in the Alfa dog position. I even make (Nadja) the bulldog wait for the Chihuahuas to go outside first.

When I first started working on her aggression, I kept her on a leash while the Chihuahuas were loose in the house so that I had more control over her. There had been no attacks for a month until last night. I don't know what else to do, and I am 68 years old and can't handle this. It breaks my heart to think about giving her up but I worry about her injuring or killing my families dogs when they come to visit me.

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May 18, 2013
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Stop Dog To Dog Aggression
by: Adam G. Katz

Your problem is that your dog didn't get a motivational correction for exhibiting the aggressive behavior.

You need to:

1. Establish yourself as the pack leader.

2. Put both dogs on a "Nothing In Life Is Free" program.

3. Do not leave these dogs together unsupervised.

4. Get both dogs fixed/neutered/spayed.

5. Keep a leash and collar on both dogs, when you're with them-- so that you can start correcting the aggression.

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Employ the "Nothing In Life Is Free" approach, so that your dog starts to view you as the "pack leader." If your dog doesn't see you as the leader, then your corrections will be meaningless. So, if you're doing subtle things (inadvertently) to undermine your leadership role around the house-- it will be counter-productive.

-Adam

Adam G. Katz is the author of, "Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer!" -- which you can find at DogProblems.com.

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