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I have a beagle for 12 years now, and also a Weimaraner for about 7 months.
We got the Weim when he was 10 months old, and he is a cool dog. Smart, nice, great with the kids..and until today good with our other dog.
I'm out on the front porch waiting for the bus to drop off my daughter, and I hear the dogs growling over a bone..that much isn't odd so I didn't mind, then it got heated you could hear some angry snarling so i ran around the bush to look.
My weim has the beagle by the neck, and I can't get him off. hes actualy picking him up, jerking him back and forth by the throat. I couldn't get him off so i got a broom, couldn't pry him off by the collar..(dog is 80+ lbs of pure athleticism and muscle). We wouldn't let go until i started thrusting him with the broom. (please no 'you abused the dog', the beagle was an ince or 2 from death and i didn't know what else to do).
So the beagle has puncture wounds on the neck and head..and I can't stop thinking what if one of the kids took his bone just to play or throw it or something and he flipped like this.
What do I do with him? I love the dog until today, and I heard the beagle gasping for life now I can't stand him.
That's a terrifying feeling. I hope your beagle is OK. And no, you weren't abusing the dog, that's a situation where you have to do whatever's necessary.
My first thought is, is your Weimaraner neutered? If not, that could make a major difference with his aggressiveness.
Since my first dogs, I haven't given bones or rawhide as they always seemed to cause problems between a normally amiable pair. If the attack wasn't as serious, I'd say not to worry. As it is, you need to be very cautious. Don't leave them alone unsupervised for now. You may find that they are able to make amends and be friends again.
If your dog hasn't shown food or toy aggression with humans before, this incident doesn't really mean the kids aren't safe. A dog can be very food aggressive with another dog and not at all so with people.
For now, just be very watchful and if there seem to be lingering problems with the dogs you'll want to consult an animal behaviorist.
he's been to training classes for months after i got him. he listens well, comes, sits, leaves things alone that i tell him to.
he just snapped
I'm a volunteer at a pet orphanage nearby and I've taken several dogs to training. Part of the class is how to handle fights between dogs quickly and efficiently, not just "cute tricks".
(please no 'you abused the dog', the beagle was an ince or 2 from death and i didn't know what else to do).
Abuse?
Good lord you had the equivelant of a knife fight going on..... Thrusting was calm compared to all your options.... Not for a second could that ever be considered abuse.
The first thing you need to do is sit dwon and take a good look inside and decide if you love the dog enough to do what is necessary to correct the problem, or do you love the dog enough to know that you may not be able to handle this and other options have to be considered. Both are personal and only you can answer that. It's not just about the one dog, it's about the other dog, you, and the family. No matter what you decide, so long as you did it from a honest assesment (as opposed to most people which is knee jerk reactions) you have done all you can. That is really the first thing you have to decide.
if i have to pry him off one of my daughters or the dog of a neighbor with a good lawyer, its too late..i don't care if a trainer taught me how to quickly and efficiently remove him or not.. "oh hush sweety i realize your neck is gushing blood but did you see how quick and efficient i removed him?"
it would be my fault for seeing him snap like this and thinking it couldn't happen again.
the trainer i went to didn't teach "cute tricks" and loathed the idea, it was behavioral and obedience...we don't have a plethora of trainers around here, the one i went to is about the best around. all else is like petsmart type stuff where i could apply and be teaching a class in a couple weeks.
Yikes. I'm so sorry you had to deal with this! Dog fights are really scary.
This is the sort of thing that can happen with two same-sex dogs....your Weim is at the age where he's decided he's going to be boss-dog and this can be a difficult situation to handle. I don't see that you did anything wrong. Enhanced training may help, but it's not a guarantee.
I would definitely find someone very knowledgeable and good with dealing with different types of aggression who can work with you and both dogs hands-on. Unfortunately it may be that the Weim is going to have to be an only dog, or can only live with female dogs. This doesn't mean there's anything "wrong" with him; he's just dog-aggressive or dog-dominant. I've had several dogs like this, they were wonderful animals and wonderful around people including kids but were just hard-wired to be DA.
I agree with PacificFlights....dealing with or managing this will take work. You need to be honest with yourself. It's one thing to posture and fight without really doing damage - male dogs often do this - but puncture wounds and picking up and shaking is serious stuff. Going forward the two dogs must never be left alone together, and I'd pick up bones, food, anything else that could start a squabble. Also educate yourself about how to deal with dog fights....you did well in getting them apart without being bitten, but honestly you were lucky. I once lived with two male Rottweilers who hated each other, and would (and once tried) to go through a window to get to the other - one outside, one in. It's really not fun to have to live with two dogs who don't get along, and I absolutely would not recommend it if there's children in the home.
If you decide to rehome, you're lucky in that the Weim is a purebred. Google around for Weimeraner rescues. If he is not yet neutered, that may help a bit.
I would definitely find someone very knowledgeable and good with dealing with different types of aggression who can work with you and both dogs hands-on.
Chiroptera make a very important point that this is not only about the aggressive dog, but both dogs. The other victim was the one that got its butt kicked and its possible this may cause some change it its behavior and responses. It could shy away from activity its been doing out of fear, or it may act in a offensive manner so it doen;t have to go through again what it did.
One thing i was thinking, I have always been told that the majority of aggressive behavior does not come out of the blue, it's exibited beforehand but normally mistaken for playfulness or goffyness or spooked. I was told that its important to really think back when something like this happens so you can have a clear picture if the dog did just snap, or is this something that was already in the dog. Has the dog ever displayed anything that could have been seen as a sign, even though the sign was so subtle to be confused with something else? This can help you decide if your dealing with a rae occurance or if dealing with a trait.
One thing i was thinking, I have always been told that the majority of aggressive behavior does not come out of the blue, it's exibited beforehand but normally mistaken for playfulness or goffyness or spooked. I was told that its important to really think back when something like this happens so you can have a clear picture if the dog did just snap, or is this something that was already in the dog. Has the dog ever displayed anything that could have been seen as a sign, even though the sign was so subtle to be confused with something else? This can help you decide if your dealing with a rae occurance or if dealing with a trait.
Absolutely. Dogs communicate with each other via body language, sometimes extremely subtle body language....and people often miss signs. Dogs rarely "just snap" and do something unpredictable - it happens, but not that often. For the most part dogs are extremely honest about their intentions.
Which may include:
Trying to "hump" the other dog.
Blocking doorways or insisting on going in or out first.
Growling or being pushy about getting food, toys, possessions, attention first.
Taking possession of a favored place - couch, dog bed, etc.
Being insistent about peeing over where the other dog peed.
Staring.
Posturing, even briefly - head and tail up, standing tall, ears forward, and staring.
The more submissive dog often picks up on these signs and does things like turn away or sideways, sniffs the ground, ears back or tail tucked, hackles go up briefly, rolls over, licks lips or nose. In an attempt to diffuse aggression or threatening behaviour.
Mostly dogs (and wolves in packs) try to live cooperatively without fighting. Fighting or attacks are - in a dog's mind - only done for what they consider a very good reason. We humans often disagree, of course! But in the dog's mind it's doing whatever is logical and correct for its own well-being.
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