# Beginning signs of dog aggression? Or..? Help please! (long read)



## Eric (Oct 21, 2010)

Ok, this has been on my mind all weekend, so I've finally decided to post it since I'm on my lunch break. 

Just a quick back story: my gf and I live about 75miles from each other and alternate weekends when we visit and stay at each other's house. Since I got Whitman at 8 weeks, he's been going with me to her house 2 weekends a month to visit and socialize with her dog and cats. He likes her dog and isn't too fond of the cats. No problem there since I'm sure the number of cat liking dogs is far less than those who don't like them lol.

Well when I went to Thailand from november to december, she looked after him. I guess he started to become a little too much for her, so she took him back to my folks. Now the house behind my gf and her folks' house has a couple of huskys who seem to be what I can only describe as aggressive. They constantly growl and fight with each other and run along the fence, stare through it and make noises whenever we are in the backyard as well. When Whitman was younger, it never really bothered him at all and Cami (my gf's dog) doesn't even pay attention at all to them.

So now this weekend was Whit's first time back, so almost 2 months. And of course he was very excited and had more energy than usual to see my gf's parents and her dog, Cami. Cami seemed too nervous, we assumed because Whit was so much bigger than last time, so we kept them separated for the time being. So when Whit starts checking out the backyard and bouncing around, tail going crazy, the huskys start up. First with themselves and then start towards the fence. This gets Whit going, and he's running along the fence trying to see them or whatever he was thinking and the whole time, the huskys are causing a ruckus.

I go to the bathroom and come out to my gf freaking a bit and her mom holding Whit by the collar who is trying so hard to get to the fence and making VERY loud whines/cries. Apparently the huskys started scratching on the fence doing growls and short sharp barks and Whit grabbed a hold of a board and started pulling it, trying to get through. They told me he got it to come a few inches and I saw teeth marks all over it. It scares me to think that if he (or the 2 dogs) ever got through that they could seriously injure him and maybe kill him 

So what do you think this is? Could it be beginning signs of dog aggression? Or maybe just all the negative energy the huskys were giving off passed over to him and he was just getting frustrated? The rest of the weekend, I had to accompany him in the backyard just incase the other dogs started up again. Its just frustrating for me, to have to walk him around the backyard of a place that he and my gf's family consider his second home and a place wher he is safe. 

He's 10 months and has never snapped or shown any type of aggression towards another dog. My gf's dog and him get along with her only growling or doing small snaps when he bugs her and isn't in a playing mood. Its understandable since she's 7yrs old, but they never have a problem and we supervise them always. But we have done our best to properly socialize him and are even in a leash manners class taught by a dog trainer who specializes in APBT so he ignores other dogs while on leash. This is all just very frustrating for me and I am taking precautions like being outside with him at her house, but if anyone could maybe give me their interpretation of the events that happened, I would really appreciate it.

Any and all comments/advice would be appreciated.


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## r0ckah0l1c (Jan 18, 2011)

Well you can't expect a pitbull _not_ to display dog aggression, even if it is the best pit in the world. I would just take the necessary precautions to make sure neither your dog or the other dogs make it through the fence. Perhaps put caging over the wood on the fence so there is a better barrier. As long as your pet isn't aggressive toward humans I would not get too worked up about the situation. Your dog was provoked by other aggressive dogs - he's going to react. Instinct kicks in as they get older and what is in his blood is going to show more now than when he was a pup.


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## Eric (Oct 21, 2010)

Yeah, I know that dog aggression is normal and I guess you can say I've been anticipating it, but I'm just not sure if this qualifies as that. That's just why I ask. I know someday that my boy will just stop liking dogs all together and I'd be lucky if he never turns. I personally think that he was just provoked by aggressive dogs like you said, but I wanted to open it for discussion with other pitbull owners.

I did talk to my gf folks about fixing up the fence though since its 15-20yrs old like the house and strengthening the weak pointsm

Thanks though Rock


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## pitbullmamanatl (Jun 1, 2010)

Well, he is at the ripe age where DA can rear its ugly head; however, he could have been very excited about the other dogs because he wasn't able to check them out or something. My advice is to watch him closely and never put it past him to not act like a pit bull. DA can appear in a split second (it happened with Kangol and Koby in the blink of an eye) so always be aware of your surroundings. Good luck, Eric. Give Whitman kisses for me!


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## fishinrob (Apr 14, 2010)

They like to fight. Period. The fact that he did no threat display and whined and tried to get to the Husky's means he has it in him. Half my dog's only wanted to attack other dogs if they started up, which seems to be the case here. You have to worry because it could excite him enough to go off on your girlfriends dog while he's riled up with them Husky's.
I'm sure it's the first time he's been in the zone for you. Just recognize that look and action and you can learn to move him away from it. 
My two biggest fights amongst my dogs happened when stray dogs were lose out front and they were looking out my front bay window getting excited. Well, not being able to get to the lose German Shepard, they went off on each other. breaking up 2 dogs alone, even with a breaking stick is tough!. NEVER let your guard down. The minute you feel comfortable with him, something WILL happen. This is why it takes special people to own these dogs.


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## k8nkane (Jul 9, 2010)

I'm inclined to believe it was a mix of being riled up by the huskies and not being able to get to them which caused him to start prying at the boards.

But I still wouldn't let him be out in the backyard unsupervised EVER. Huskies like to talk crap, a lot. They'll bark and bark and rile another dog up and then be surprised when that dog attacks.

I don't think it's necessarily dog aggression. I mean, if you were walking down the street and this dude came up behind you and followed you down the street talking crap about you and your fighting skills and etcetc but you weren't allowed to touch him, what would YOU do?? I think if you were suddenly able to punch that jerk-off, it wouldn't necessarily mean that you like to go around punching people.

That being said, be more careful when he meets other dogs in the future. This experience has set him up to be more frustrated around other excited/hyper dogs and of course excitement/frustration always raises the chance of dog aggression.


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## Eric (Oct 21, 2010)

Thank you very much Lauren, Rob and Kate. Your guys' views and advice make a lot of sense to me and are very similar to what has gone through my mind since it happened. I know that dog aggression is natural in our breed of choice. But I still find myself a bit nervous as to when it will show up and if I'm ill prepared even though I'm taking the necessary precautions. Does that make sense? Lol

But yes, I will make sure that he is not in the backyard unattended while at their house and will upgrade the fence as well.

Thanks for the advice. That's why I love this board 

Edit: Whit taking his frustrations out on my gf's dog because of the huskies never crossed my mind. Thanks Rob. I was quick to isolate my boy when he was reacting to the neighbor dogs and will continue to do so.


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## william williamson (Feb 26, 2006)

A bulldog is A bulldog,I wouldn't worry to much about them killin your dog,if they got him,he'd probalby focus on one of them,punish it rather quickly,that ones gonna live,he'll beat feet back home. the second ones gonna die.he'll killi it out.
regular dogs don't like dogfights once the hook gets set into them.
keep him apart from him,yet if'n they get together,don't freak out.
just another day at the pit bull office.


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## ashes (Jul 7, 2010)

this is so funny I had the same encounter yesterday with a husky on our walk wiht ashes and she's also 10 months she's super friendly she likes meeting other dogs but this husky was loud and a lot of show! She ran straight at us and Ashes stiffened up like I've never seen her before! She didn't do anything but she was very stiff and uncomfotrable wiht the husky so I quickly walked her away.


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## Eric (Oct 21, 2010)

ashes said:


> this is so funny I had the same encounter yesterday with a husky on our walk wiht ashes and she's also 10 months she's super friendly she likes meeting other dogs but this husky was loud and a lot of show! She ran straight at us and Ashes stiffened up like I've never seen her before! She didn't do anything but she was very stiff and uncomfotrable wiht the husky so I quickly walked her away.


Yeah, I would instantly be on my toes if that happened to me too haha.



william williamson said:


> A bulldog is A bulldog,I wouldn't worry to much about them killin your dog,if they got him,he'd probalby focus on one of them,punish it rather quickly,that ones gonna live,he'll beat feet back home. the second ones gonna die.he'll killi it out.
> regular dogs don't like dogfights once the hook gets set into them.
> keep him apart from him,yet if'n they get together,don't freak out.
> just another day at the pit bull office.


Thanks Will. I've read on here on how to break up a fight and properly use breaksticks, so I hope I can keep my cool haha. My old dog was an Amstaff/APBT mix and he got in a scuffle with a friends lab. The lab was about 20lbs heavier and a working lab too that did a lot of hunting, so he was a strong boy. But man, for the 30 seconds that they went at it, my dog did a number on him and he stopped as soon as my pops and I called him off an gave him a yank. Only time I ever saw dogs go at it in person.

Thanks for everyones' advice, I appreciate it greatly


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## Donna (Feb 10, 2013)

*Pit bull Jealousy??*



We had a problem tonight. We own 3 pitbulls. The female is very docile. The older one,3 years seems to be the alph male. The puppy, just turned one year, has not been neutered yet. This week we're getting it done. My boyfriend was about to take out the puppy and the alpha dog attacked him. My friend got them apart and pulled the puppy( he's huge ) into the bedroom while thinking the alps dog was going to bust the door down. He called me and said I'm trapped in here now. I said tie the puppy to the bed do he can't rush out. The my friend opened the door and the alpha bit his arm while he was trying to get him in the bathroom so he could seperate the dogs. The puppy needed to go out. He's has dogs and many pit bulls for 20 years and never gotten bitten except breaking up a fight. Do you think that the testosterone from the puppy could be aggravating the alpha dog? What causes this aggression?If my boyfriend hadn't had his coat on it would have been much worse. He should have gotten stitches but you know men. Any suggestions or comments I would appreciate. Donna


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## Princesspaola21 (Oct 30, 2012)

Donna said:


> We had a problem tonight. We own 3 pitbulls. The female is very docile. The older one,3 years seems to be the alph male. The puppy, just turned one year, has not been neutered yet. This week we're getting it done. My boyfriend was about to take out the puppy and the alpha dog attacked him. My friend got them apart and pulled the puppy( he's huge ) into the bedroom while thinking the alps dog was going to bust the door down. He called me and said I'm trapped in here now. I said tie the puppy to the bed do he can't rush out. The my friend opened the door and the alpha bit his arm while he was trying to get him in the bathroom so he could seperate the dogs. The puppy needed to go out. He's has dogs and many pit bulls for 20 years and never gotten bitten except breaking up a fight. Do you think that the testosterone from the puppy could be aggravating the alpha dog? What causes this aggression?If my boyfriend hadn't had his coat on it would have been much worse. He should have gotten stitches but you know men. Any suggestions or comments I would appreciate. Donna


It's probably best if you start your own thread. More people will be able to see it.

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## Black Rabbit (Nov 14, 2009)

I think he reacted like most would. You got these stupid dogs flipping out over there so yea I'd expect some sort of reaction. Like said above I'd just try and reinforce the fence and don't leave him out alone.


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## redog (Oct 14, 2005)

Be prepared to never let the dogs be together ever again. Crate them and rotate them. It sounds like you have been lucky to not have this happen until now. These dogs will fight, it's in their genes like a Labrador hunts and a herding dog herds. An apbt will eat through doors and even walls, crates are the safest way to keep multi dogs in the home. Rule number 1, never trust a bulldog not to fight.
Rule 2, never set your dog up to fail!
This fight was an accident, learn from it. Fights are a life changing experience and it looks like its time do things a little different. Your job as a responsible owner is to own these dogs responsibly.
I hope this helps, I don't mean to be harsh. But you need to step it up now


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## Goemon (Jun 27, 2012)

fishinrob said:


> They like to fight. Period. The fact that he did no threat display and whined and tried to get to the Husky's means he has it in him. Half my dog's only wanted to attack other dogs if they started up, which seems to be the case here. You have to worry because it could excite him enough to go off on your girlfriends dog while he's riled up with them Husky's.
> I'm sure it's the first time he's been in the zone for you. Just recognize that look and action and you can learn to move him away from it.
> My two biggest fights amongst my dogs happened when stray dogs were lose out front and they were looking out my front bay window getting excited. Well, not being able to get to the lose German Shepard, they went off on each other. breaking up 2 dogs alone, even with a breaking stick is tough!. NEVER let your guard down. The minute you feel comfortable with him, something WILL happen. This is why it takes special people to own these dogs.


Good post. Thanks for saving me the trouble.

I must add that I cringe when individuals get *American (pit) Bull Terriers* and expect them to be all nice with other dogs.
True ApBT's are all down from [] dogs, and it is their life and joy.
Other breeds fight out of jealousy or the obsurd idea of dominance, and if they scare the other dog to submit, it is over.
Pit Dogs are different...they will fight until the other dog is dead or incapacitated.
It is not about dominance...but winner takes all.
So much for the haters that think these dogs are trained to be aggressive.
Fighting for these dogs is as natural as natural can get.
Just because somebody has a cold dog (they were always culled in the old days, and to this day by true breeders),
it is the exception rather than the rule.

My advice to anyone who doesn't like dog aggressioin:
*Find a different breed of dog to own, if you cannot live with the facts of the breed!*


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## Goemon (Jun 27, 2012)

Donna said:


> We had a problem tonight. We own 3 pitbulls. The female is very docile. The older one,3 years seems to be the alph male. The puppy, just turned one year, has not been neutered yet. This week we're getting it done. My boyfriend was about to take out the puppy and the alpha dog attacked him. My friend got them apart and pulled the puppy( he's huge ) into the bedroom while thinking the alps dog was going to bust the door down. He called me and said I'm trapped in here now. I said tie the puppy to the bed do he can't rush out. The my friend opened the door and the alpha bit his arm while he was trying to get him in the bathroom so he could seperate the dogs. The puppy needed to go out. He's has dogs and many pit bulls for 20 years and never gotten bitten except breaking up a fight. Do you think that the testosterone from the puppy could be aggravating the alpha dog? What causes this aggression?If my boyfriend hadn't had his coat on it would have been much worse. He should have gotten stitches but you know men. Any suggestions or comments I would appreciate. Donna


Read my previous post.
That is Human Aggression...as a fighting breed these dogs know the difference between human and dog.
I would put down that dog...it has committed the ultimate Pit Dog sin, biting a human!


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## rabbit (Jan 14, 2012)

Goemon said:


> I would put down that dog...it has committed the ultimate Pit Dog sin, biting a human!


I agree. It's one thing for the animal to bite you accidentally because you got in the way, but once the dog purposely bites a human than that is enough for a dog to be put down. You can't have these type of dogs redirecting their aggression on humans. Dog aggression is more than fine, but human aggression is a no no.


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## Carriana (May 13, 2008)

Two separate issues going on in this thread, one from two years ago - this is why the more recent poster was advised to start her own thread.


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