Stop Fighting!

First in a series

Quizzes are fun when I know the answers.  Fights between family dogs are caused by:

a)       Dominance

b)       Resource guarding

c)       Jealousy

d)       Bad juju

e)       Sometimes a) and/or b)

Choices are important; nobody wants to feel trapped. Most adult humans can stay in a living arrangement or, if necessary, find a way of getting out. That may be easier said than done for us but for our pets it’s pretty much impossible.

Atticus and Tandy, a couple of cairn terriers, were fighting. They were feisty little devils, a trait developed for their work of eliminating foxes and other varmints, but these two dogs were at each other’s throats. Their people, Sylvia and Jason, were horrified. How could this happen? They loved their dogs and treated them equally. They thought they had two alpha political candidates.

Adopting Tandy felt like a good decision at the time. Having watched 2 year old Atticus play nicely with other dogs, it seemed to Sylvia and Jason that he’d enjoy a permanent companion. And so, Tandy, aged 9 months, was selected and injected into their happy home.

All seemed well for the first 11 days, until all hell (heck?) broke loose. Multiple frantic time-outs and scoldings later, Tandy only needed one glance at Atticus for her aggression to explode, triggering her to lurch violently at her victim, who fought back with intensity. Oh sure, these were terriers, but mutually assured destruction? Not normal.

Tandy and Atticus had yet to inflict significant wounds but they had reached the edge of a cliff. Their people were all over the place: Board and train? New homes? Return Tandy to the breeder?  A friend had suggested extraction of their canine teeth. OMG!

Well-meaning dog trainers urged punishment. Could electric shock collars jolt Tandy and Atticus into love, kindness, and mutual respect? Research has shown that meting out painful consequences actually worsens fear while it poisons relationships. The brain is considered the most complex organ in the body. Uncovering the causes of this train wreck wouldn’t be simple.

Oh, the quiz: e) is the least worst answer.

Next week: More confusion.

For help with behavior problems, you can sign-up for a Zoom Group Conference on my website, drjeffnichol.com.

Dr. Jeff Nichol is a residency-trained veterinary behaviorist. He provides consultations in-person and in groups by Zoom (drjeffnichol.com). Each week he shares a blog and a video to help bring out the best in pets and their people. Sign up at no charge at drjeffnichol.com. Post pet questions through my website, drjeffnichol.com/contact/ or by US Post to 4000 Montgomery Blvd. NE, Albuq, NM 87109.