Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > General Forums > Pets > Dogs
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 03-13-2019, 01:36 PM
 
10 posts, read 4,494 times
Reputation: 10

Advertisements

Hi
I need some help. My 3 year old Dogo is suddenly acting very fearful of my bedroom and just not acting like his normal self. I think it's related to my other dog, and now I'm more confused than ever.
I have 2 male dogs, a 3 year old Dogo Argentino and a 2 year old GSD. Raised them both from 8 weeks. They have gotten along swimmingly until this last 2 weeks and it's freaking me out and, I think, has now led to my Dogo being afraid to enter my bedroom.

My GSD has always guarded his resources, which bothers me, but I've learned to avoid situations that will escalate any issue between them- they're fed in different rooms, new toys and raw food is fed one dog inside, one dog outside, etc.

So this last week 2 things have happened. First, the GSD started growling at my BF at night when he gets home from work and tells him to get off of our bed (I know, dogs in bed is bad... we're working on it now). My boyfriend mostly ignored it, would grab him by the scruff, if needed, and shew him out of the room. But a couple times, when my Dogo was on the floor in the room as well, the GSD would go after the Dogo when my boyfriend pulled him off the bed.... and it would cause a moment of chaos, I'd wake up, let the GSD outside, the Dogo would go into the living room and then everyone would come back inside calmed down and go to their separate corners and go to sleep....

So within about 3 days of this behavior starting, I stupidly gave them a treat that was too large to chew in one bite and the Dogo, after finishing his, went after the GSDs, ignoring the warning growls and the GSD acted accordingly and went after him and left him with a bloody face. I'll admit, since this has never happened before, I was really afraid. Thank god, the Dogo did not fight back, and I called the GSD out into the back yard and he listened. But it scared the crap out of me.

SO. After researching online, I realized, I had never taught them a command of UP to allow them on the bed, or OFF to get them off, so I understood that there was some confusion of the expectations when my BF came home and just demanded something my GSD was not understanding. So all day yesterday, we worked on UP AND OFF. They both picked it up almost immediately and seemed more confident already. I was so excited, thinking it was the clarity we all needed. And we had a night of no growling, no nothing.

Now today, the Dogo will not go anywhere near my bed room
Which is fine, I guess, but even when I call him into my room, he drops his head, tucks his tail and RUNS to the back door?! I leashed him and put the GSD outside to work with the Dogo, and was offering treats and even cooked chicken!! And still, any chance he got, he shot for the door.

I'm more confused than ever. I want to nurture their natural hierarchy (the GSD is clearly more dominant) But I also want to establish, I guess more strongly, that this is MY TURF, not anyone elses.

Am I just dealing with 2 maturing male dogs who are trying to figure out their realtionship? Or is this going to turn into something more dangerous? There just seems to be an unbalance in our home now... maybe its just me projecting my fight fear on to them.. idk.

ANY feedback would be appreciated.

Thank you!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 03-13-2019, 02:15 PM
 
Location: Canada
7,240 posts, read 9,215,398 times
Reputation: 9808
First, are they neutered?

Second, lots of exercise including walks together. I'm more concerned about the aggression between the two then the dog being afraid to enter your bedroom. I would never leave them alone together.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-13-2019, 03:05 PM
 
Location: on the wind
22,865 posts, read 18,149,192 times
Reputation: 74066
Didn't quite understand all the situation...the way you described who was pulling who off the bed, etc was a little confusing. The fact that one dog decided it had to go as far as drawing blood from the other is a big problem, not the bedroom or your bed. One is possessive; not just of food, but of space or of you and bf. As you say you've "avoided" those situations. Now they are getting harder to avoid because the underlying problem hasn't been addressed. Yes, they are both at the age when they are asserting themselves but I suspect you are misreading the cues they are giving.

They may NOT stay compatible. Make sure the Dogo has a safe place to retreat to...and let him. You seem to be forcing the issue when you insist that they both occupy the bedroom. If the GSD is the dominant dog of the two, every time you "support" or spend more attention on the Dogo you are undermining it. As you said, when the GSD got aggressive what did you do? "Banished" him outdoors. Removed him from your presence and gave attention to the Dogo.

A dog who feels secure doesn't need to intimidate or injure the other. Yes, to add to this both dogs are going to feed off your anxiety.

I think you need an experienced dog behaviorist to evaluate both dogs...especially the GSD. And for the dogs' sakes neuter them, no excuses!!!

Last edited by Parnassia; 03-13-2019 at 03:17 PM..
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-13-2019, 04:44 PM
 
Location: On the sunny side of a mountain
3,603 posts, read 9,015,315 times
Reputation: 8249
Your boyfriend needs to check himself and not grab and pull a dog off the bed, he needs to learn to use his words and not his hands. There is a reason your GSD is growling at him, your dog knows that if your BF thinks it's ok to be aggressive with him that he needs to protect you. Your BF needs training along with your dogs but I can absolutely guarantee that he is the root of the problem. Get a good behaviorist for everyones sake.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-13-2019, 04:57 PM
 
10 posts, read 4,494 times
Reputation: 10
Thank you!! I appreciate your insight and wisdom. I think you're absolutely correct about me misunderstanding cues and probably supporting the wrong side of things. I wasn't banishing my GSD at all, he prefers to be outside, and thats where he is fed and has bones and toys, etc... but I can see how it might be read that way, even to him... They have much different energy and until now, I haven't needed to intervene because my dogo backs down to my GSD. But I don't want there to be a fear or an underlying dominance issue in my house.

I don't worry that they are incompatible as much as, like you said, I'm messing it up and supporting the wrong side because of my human emotions. So I definitely appreciate that insight. Again, they get along to well 99% of the time, and they do not fight at all when I'm not in the picture. I supervise them outside at all times, but I am not always outside with them... And even with toys outside, they are FINE. They play together and will even bring toys to one another to envoke play. Both of them do it. So I know my energy and what I'm doing is where this is coming from, I'd say. I want to remove the emotions and figure this out.

What are ways that I can support my GSD's dominant dog status without undermining my "pack leader" position? I think that is what I'm struggling with right now. I want my GSD to feel secure and supported and have the ability to growl and communicate what he is "feeling" and be respectful of that so he doesn't get frustrated, but at the same time, I have to put my foot down if he is trying to dominate all of us in certain rooms. I hope that makes sense.

To clarify the bed sitch- my boyfriend ignored the growling and pulled my GSD off the bed, but the dogo was on the ground and he went after him... not full blown after him, but he did make it clear he was on his way to scare him off or was feeling uncomfortable or whatever.

I think my next move is a behaviorist as well. I want to have thriving dogs... for sure.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-13-2019, 04:59 PM
 
10 posts, read 4,494 times
Reputation: 10
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dogmama50 View Post
Your boyfriend needs to check himself and not grab and pull a dog off the bed, he needs to learn to use his words and not his hands. There is a reason your GSD is growling at him, your dog knows that if your BF thinks it's ok to be aggressive with him that he needs to protect you. Your BF needs training along with your dogs but I can absolutely guarantee that he is the root of the problem. Get a good behaviorist for everyones sake.
Oooooh. That is an interesting perspective as well. I think he thought he was being assertive, forcing him to submit to him, but that makes a lot of sense, actually. Thank you!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-13-2019, 05:01 PM
 
10 posts, read 4,494 times
Reputation: 10
Quote:
Originally Posted by netwit View Post
First, are they neutered?

Second, lots of exercise including walks together. I'm more concerned about the aggression between the two then the dog being afraid to enter your bedroom. I would never leave them alone together.
Thanks! That's a great point as well. But I would need a friend to help me. They are walked separately because they each weigh 100lbs, and I need to be in full control... but maybe I get a friend to help.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-13-2019, 07:56 PM
 
2,320 posts, read 1,959,581 times
Reputation: 4172
Oh, lordy. You have a potential explosion on your hands, without a doubt. I especially like Parnassia's and Dogmama's comments, but I do have some things to add.

First - picking up a dog by the scruff of the neck is good ONCE and ONCE only - and even then it needs to be done right, and with the right dog. Your bf is NOT the person to be doing this. He needs training as much as the dogs do - and I do not say this to slight or belittle bf - it's just a matter of fact observation. It is entirely possible to make the situation WORSE by doing this. *

Second - if the Dogo says "I don't want to go in the bedroom" - WHY force the issue?

Third - a behaviorist, or a damn good trainer with behavior problem experience is an EXCEPTIONALLY good idea. I get the very strong feeling that you aren't communicating important bits of the interactions here. Not because you don't mean to, but because YOU DON'T SEE THEM. Somebody with more experience needs to be eyes-on with these two AND with you and bf.

Meanwhile, I would keep them separated, at least when unsupervised. There is a lot of potential for damage from either dog. They sure aren't a little chihuahua ankle-biter!

*If your bf picked this up from Cesar Millan, he needs to drop it like a hot potato. Cesar is self-taught with a LOT of very bad practices that he encourages other people to use. The SCIENCE of dog's intelligence and training tells us Millan is going about it wrong.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-13-2019, 08:14 PM
 
14,376 posts, read 18,268,760 times
Reputation: 43042
Quote:
Originally Posted by hiero2 View Post
Oh, lordy. You have a potential explosion on your hands, without a doubt. I especially like Parnassia's and Dogmama's comments, but I do have some things to add.

First - picking up a dog by the scruff of the neck is good ONCE and ONCE only - and even then it needs to be done right, and with the right dog. Your bf is NOT the person to be doing this. He needs training as much as the dogs do - and I do not say this to slight or belittle bf - it's just a matter of fact observation. It is entirely possible to make the situation WORSE by doing this. *

Second - if the Dogo says "I don't want to go in the bedroom" - WHY force the issue?

Third - a behaviorist, or a damn good trainer with behavior problem experience is an EXCEPTIONALLY good idea. I get the very strong feeling that you aren't communicating important bits of the interactions here. Not because you don't mean to, but because YOU DON'T SEE THEM. Somebody with more experience needs to be eyes-on with these two AND with you and bf.

Meanwhile, I would keep them separated, at least when unsupervised. There is a lot of potential for damage from either dog. They sure aren't a little chihuahua ankle-biter!

*If your bf picked this up from Cesar Millan, he needs to drop it like a hot potato. Cesar is self-taught with a LOT of very bad practices that he encourages other people to use. The SCIENCE of dog's intelligence and training tells us Millan is going about it wrong.
All of this. I would also crate them at night until this gets sorted out.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-13-2019, 08:31 PM
 
10 posts, read 4,494 times
Reputation: 10
Thanks everyone! I appreciate all the wisdom. I don’t feel like there is an immediate threat, but I want to nip it now. They are still getting along, I’m wondering if my fear of that fight it effecting the energy in the house now. I completely agree that I’m missing something.

I have a behaviorist coming Tuesday! Me and my boyfriend will both be here to meet with her. Wish me luck!! Thanks again.

These dogs are my life and I want to allow them to thrive!

I truly appreciate your feedback.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > General Forums > Pets > Dogs
Similar Threads

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top