Aggressive Behaviour In A Whippet - Please Help

[Whippet]

Hi, we have a 1 and a half year old female desexed whippet that we have had since she was 10 weeks old. Last year we adopted a 2 year old male whippet who was not desexed when we got him, but who is desexed now.

Half a year on we have noticed a few times that the male has had a go at our female and a friends dog, growling and using aggressive body language, the first time our female yelped as though she was hurt for what seemed like ages after the incident, though we are fairly sure she wasn't maybe just scared, but they were right back playing with each other afterward. On this occasion the male stole a chew treat off the female.

The second time the male wanted some attention off my fiance while the female was sitting on my fiances lap, we did not see what happened but the male growled and did the same aggressive posturing. Straight after the incident, after the male had been yelled at and removed from the chair by my fiance, our female got up and ran straight to the male seemingly to see if he was okay.

Another time while walking with a friends puppy chocolate lab off lead he did the same thing, again we did not see what happened so have no idea what provoked it. The puppy yelped a lot, but we are fairly sure she wasn't bitten. He seemed to make a lot of noise, towered over her and pinned her to the ground which must have just scared her... understandably!

While these seem like small spats at the moment we are concerned that they will escalate into a full on fight and do not want him to hurt another dog or child.

We have often wondered if he had some incident at his previous home that is causing him to be provoked in certain situations. He was brought up by a breeder of Mini Pinchers before we adopted him and he was underweight when we got him. We don't know much about the previous owner other than they were neglecting him and gave him up. For a long time after we got him he always had his head down, never wagged his tail, but he now is very happy and generally gets along very well with the female whippet and other dogs. Other than these incidences, he is otherwise an extremely placid dog.

Does anyone have any idea what could cause this aggression, is it jealousy or is it something else? Any suggestions on how to curb this behavior would be greatly appreciated. Sorry for the essay length question!

[poodlefan]

Where are you?

Based on what you've said, its difficult to conclude anything about his behaviour. It appears he hasn't bitten another dog, nor displayed any aggresion toward people. He may have been unhappy with behaviour from other dogs though and this is what you need to get to the bottom of.

I'd suggest you consult with a qualified, experienced professional about him. However, you should be aware that not all dogs enjoy meeting other dogs and quite a few are intolerant of pups. If he pinned the Lab puppy for jumping on him or mouthing him, I'd consider that to be an appropriate response. Telling another dog off is appropriate when they display rudeness.

Growling is a warning. Discpline the growling and the dog may stop warning and move straight to fighting.

Again, seek professional help if you are concerned.

Edited July 6, 2010 by poodlefan

[Whippet]

Hi poodlefan, thanks for your reply. We are in Melbourne. I guess I see what you are saying, so you think that we should not worry about his behaviour unless he bites another dog or human as it is just a warning? Still, it's not so easy to accept whether it results in blood being drawn or not, we'd prefer it didn't get to that. Our other whippet has never shown any signs of being "annoyed" with other dogs, so I guess they just have different personalities. We will look for a trainer, he has been to obedience training, but think he needs something one on one.

[persephone]

I agree with poodlefan - contact a good behaviourist .

Your dog is also just in his prime- at 2 yrs he is finally fully mature- and this may be playing a part.

[Cosmolo]

I would suggest a behaviourist as well- important to identify exactly whats happening and then go from there.

[poodlefan]

Hi poodlefan, thanks for your reply. We are in Melbourne. I guess I see what you are saying, so you think that we should not worry about his behaviour unless he bites another dog or human as it is just a warning? Still, it's not so easy to accept whether it results in blood being drawn or not, we'd prefer it didn't get to that. Our other whippet has never shown any signs of being "annoyed" with other dogs, so I guess they just have different personalities. We will look for a trainer, he has been to obedience training, but think he needs something one on one.

It's not that you shouldnt "worry" about the behaviour. Its more that I think you'd benefit from someone knowledgeable and experienced analysing what's going on and assisting you to deal with it.

You need a behaviourist, not just a trainer IMO.

[Nekhbet]

your dog is comfortable, sexually mature and proving it. You need to reign his behavior in a little and put him in his place, show him what is acceptable behaviour and what is not.

I cover melbourne as well run me off an email if you like.

[corvus]

Just a suggestion....

It's probably best not to shout at a dog that is behaving aggressively and/or dominantly. By shouting at the male it looks to the female like you are taking her part. She may have run over as a response to the boost in confidence that came with your disciplining of the male. My last dog was a shocker with this. I think it's worthwhile being careful that you're not making an ongoing social contest more prolonged/worse by in a sense boosting the subordinate dog's resource holding potential through social support. It could be promoting instability rather than encouraging it.

[Whippet]

Thanks everyone I am looking into some behaviourists now and see what happens... will let you know how it goes