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Permalink Reply by Steph Bussema on July 17, 2011 at 1:02am

Unfortunately you're not dealing with the best combination of dogs.  I would definitely get Susie spayed (I think all pets should be fixed) but I doubt that will fix your problem.  Pit bulls can be dog aggressive depending on their background, and since she was a stray you don't know what happened to her before she came to you.  Corgis can be possessive and defensive of both objects and owners.  To add to that, they're both female, and two females is usually the worst combination of 2 dogs possible.  I know my (spayed) 2 year old female corgi prefers to play with male dogs and is much more likely to act possessive around females than males, regardless of whether they are fixed.

That being said, there are a few things to try to reduce the aggression.  Put them on leashes and take them for a walk, at a park or even around the yard.  Don't let them interact, but just walk near each other (you'll need two people).  Praise them and give treats if they show no aggression and gradually bring them closer together.  At the first sign of aggression, move them farther apart and keep walking for awhile, then try again.  Another thing to try is to put them in a situation where they can see each other but not contact each other (use a gate, etc.).  Again, you need two people.  Play with both of them, and praise each dog whenever it looks at the other dog and shows no aggression.  The point is to have them around each other, getting attention and praise and treats so they associate each other with good things. 

I wouldn't expect miracles.  My corgi knows that she loses her toys if she acts possessive but she can't always help herself.  They may never get along well enough to be left alone together but hopefully this way you can reduce the aggression.  Good luck.

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Permalink Reply by Bev Levy on July 17, 2011 at 10:13am

Spaying is not going to take care of the problem. Susie needs a lot of training  (try classes and Nothing In Life Is Free) but because of her breed may just not be good with other dogs especially a mild mannered one. Protect Annie vigorously!

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Permalink Reply by Beth on July 17, 2011 at 12:20pm

Bully breeds were developed as game dogs, and while some breeds have been carefully bred away from that type of aggression, pitbull terriers have not.  Many are dog aggressive to varying degrees, in much the same way that pointers point and beagles chase rabbits. 

 

You can and should try the side-by-side walking to lower the threshold a bit.  NILF might help, obedience training might help.  But you will probably also have to carefully manage the situation so that Susie does not have the opportunity to get to Annie unless she is carefully under control with either a barrier or a leash.  

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Permalink Reply by Anna Morelli on July 18, 2011 at 2:37am

Your description does not bode well for Annie who is basically an outsider to the group outdoors and seen as such by Susie who is protecting her space (territorial aggression). Both Pitbulls and Terriers have strong fighting instincts and you risk injury to yourself as well as to your dog if a fight were to occur and you tried to break it up.  I would continue with the precautions you have taken and try to find Susie a home where she will not have this problem.  Spaying will not make a difference in your situation, but Susie should be spayed for all the other common sense reasons. 

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Permalink Reply by Melissa and Franklin! on July 18, 2011 at 1:26pm

Agreed that Suzie should be spayed. This won't help aggression issues but it will prevent an accidental litter and is better for her health. Also, many cities have free spay/neuter programs for pits and pit mixes. Second, I don't think this issue will be able to be resolved even with training unless Suzie and Annie can live together. What I mean by this is that Suzie lives outside only, Annie lives inside only. They each have their separate "territories". You can do a lot of training to try to decrease aggressiveness but it is likely that each will try to defend her territory unless they are frequently exposed to each others spaces. Also since its always Annie going into Suzie's territory and Suzie never going into Annie's its likely that Suzie feels like she needs to assert her dominance over Annie. I would also recommend finding Suzie a new home (AFTER YOU SPAY HER) where she is either the only dog or gets to live full time with the other dogs in the house. It creates too many barriers to have one dog separated from the pack and to have 2 females it just complicates things. Also Suzie is likely trying to defend her pack against what she sees as an intruder into her already established family. I don't think this issue will ever be resolved unless Annie can become a full time member of the pack.

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Permalink Reply by justine moeller on July 19, 2011 at 12:28am

Spaying will take some tension off of Suzie. A dog in heat can be unpredicatable, no matter the breed. 

 

I disagree with some of the comments about being bred aggressive, however. These dogs are typically gentle, loving dogs. They were once the symbol of America and known as the nanny dog because of their wonderful interaction skills with children. Anybody who says otherwise has bought into the media hype. A bad pitbull is the product of a bad owner, same as any other breed. I am by no means saying you are a bad owner, obviously, since Suzie came as a stray with an unknown background.. 

 

Spay her, I would also invest in a trainer that can help you handle these issues. Have the fights escalated to the point of injury? Is Annie doing anything to provoke these fights? Very few fights occur without cause. Is their a particular reason she is an outdoor dog? 

 

I agree with pack walks. It does wonders. Go and do it tomorrow! :) A good long hour walk with Suzie and Annie, and continue doing it, day after day... Every dog should be walked. You may find this alone can make interaction easier. Suzie is obviously not dog aggressive because she gets along with the other dogs mentioned. She appears to be Annie aggressive. Do not be scared to use a muzzle to prevent injury to any other members of your pack but you must locate the root of the issue. 

 

Good Luck...pitties are wonderful, loving dogs. I wish you lots of success with your pack!

 

 

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Permalink Reply by Beth on July 19, 2011 at 10:19am

Justine, I specifically said many are "dog aggressive" to a varying degree and any reliable pit bull rescue group will tell you the same.  And these are advocates for pit bulls. 

 

Pit bulls are still, today, all over the country, bred for dog fights.  Now, some may be better at it than others, but the fact is that dogs that are selectively bred to fight other dogs are going to exhibit some different behaviors than, say, dogs that were bred to run peacefully in packs with other dogs.   Just like Jack Russel terriers are more likely than, say, a Golden Retriever to actively hunt and kill field mice.  You might get a Golden with a strong prey drive and  a Jack who's a couch potato, but selective breeding increases the liklihood that a terrier has a strong prey drive and decreases the liklihood that a Golden does. 

"Dog agression in the pitbull is normal and should not be viewed as a fault or a "problem." Again, dog aggression in the pitbull should not be viewed as a fault or problem."

 

That quote is not from some "media hype".  It's from PitBullLovers.com

http://www.pitbulllovers.com/pitbull-articles/pitbull-and-dog-aggre...

 

Unless you are suggesting that selective breeding has no impact at all on dogs, then I find it tough to understand why dogs who are bred to fight other dogs would not have a greater tendency to dog aggression.   

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Permalink Reply by Anna Morelli on July 19, 2011 at 10:33am

I would like to add to Beth's excellent comments that these breeds are also bred to be touch and pain insensitive and to not let go, once they latch on, no matter what, that's why it can be particularly dangerous for a person to try to break up a fight.  All breeds have their own characteristics and understanding them is the only way to make sure these dogs are fairly treated and successfully kept.  Behaviour in mixed breeds is harder to predict, but Susie's does not appear as a complicated case.  If she were people aggressive, I would have recommended putting her down, dog aggression is normal and manageable, indeed she gets along fine with the other outside dogs.  She will do great in the appropriate environment, which is not the present one.

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Permalink Reply by Roger/Laurie on July 19, 2011 at 1:57am

Many years ago when we were a young family (1981) we bought a darling little puppy. Not knowing anything about dogs,he was cute and we wanted a dog for our daughters ages 4 and 6.  He was a pitbull, "Spanky" was a wonderful boy. Never once did he show any aggression towards our family or others.  When he was 6 we had to put him down due to severe hip problems.  Thanks Justine................I do believe it is how they are raised.

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