Aggression towards other dogs when owner present

[RebekahHereward]

Hello! 
My dog (Lola - 14 months) has more recently started to get snappy and aggressive with my mums dog (her Betsy - 10 months). They are the same breed. 
When they are playing Lola will randomly snap and make nasty noises (not growling, more barks). The whole time their tails are wagging and Lola has never actually bitten Betsy aggressively. We notice it happens more when my partner or I are present & less so when my mum is left with the 2 dogs alone so we have wandered if it’s jealousy? Betsy is very playful & always wants to play so sometimes I feel Lola gets overwhelmed and wants to rest so I don’t want to tell her off. But on the other hand I don’t like the Behaviour she is showing & don’t want it to become a habit! 
Any advice would be much appreciated 🙂 

x

[Adrienne]

Hello and welcome back!

At 14 months, Lola is now an adolescent, and as dogs reach this social maturity stage, they can get a little pickier on who to befriend and more standoffish, less accepting of certain types of interactions. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/survive-dogs-adolescent-stage/

 

Statistically, females dogs, especially those close in age are more predisposed to squabbles compared to two male dogs or one female and one male dog. Squabbles may be just minor disputes or serious dog fights. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/dogs-suddenly-fighting-each-other/

 

From what you describe, it sounds like there may be some disagreements, but so far it sounds mostly ritualistic. If dogs want to bite, they usually do. An air snap is done on purpose as a warning. It's a purposely missed bite, a ritualistic way for dogs to "use their words" rather than harming each other. In a natural setting, true fighting is often a waste of energy and can result in real harm and even death. The use of ritualized aggression therefore offers a symbolic way to resolve conflicts without causing serious harm.

 

If she did bite before, but not aggressively, that tells us that she had good bite inhibition and is still engaging in ritualistic behavior. However, it is also important knowing what the other dog does in response to the ritualistic display. So when Lola barks and snaps, does Betsy offer some pacifying gesture? Like backing away, turning around, looking away, lip licking, yawning, sniffing the ground, exhibiting a lowered body posture? If so, she is offering an "apology" and the squabble should soon be over and both are friends again.

 

However,  with time, as Betsy matures, she may decide to no longer back down and may take a more active role and decide to "talk back." At this point, then, more serious issues may take place, although it can just solve with lots of noise and no one gets hurt. So it's important to always closely monitor the interactions among dogs for any changes. 

 

Interactions among dogs can be complex, there can be things going on at a very subtle level. It may seem like Lola is the one acting "aggressively", when in reality, it's Betsy who is now also maturing and is trying to "push buttons." She may play inappropriately or too rough, or not back down when Lola is asking for a break. 

 

If Lola needs a break it's important to grant that. Make sure the dogs get breaks every now and then. Repeated, long-lasting play can get tiring.  I like to use a smacking sound to interrupt play and give some breaks before getting to the point of a dog being pestered too much and the dog having to "take matters in her own hands." It is best to interrupt play before it gets to this point.

Here is how to train the smacking sound:

 https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/the-airplane-game/the-smacking-sound/

Train this in quiet areas with little distractions, away from other dogs, and then practice with more distractions around, and then in presence of the other dog, and then in more distracting contexts such as during play. 

 

Here are more ways to interrupt play when a dog starts "pestering" or at the first signs that things are getting a bit out of hand:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/rough-playing/

 

Also consider, other constructive ways to have both dogs enjoy each others' company, but without it being always play, such as as taking them on walks, hikes, sniffing adventures and car rides. If too long play sessions are done, dogs can get tired of playing and cranky which ups the chance for a squabbles and fights. 

 

It is certainly possible that, when a dog is with the owners nearby, he or she may feel more confident and may therefore take a bolder approach. Perhaps, Lola would have ignored Betsy's rowdy play style if you and your partner were away, but since you are there, she may feel a little more bold. With these dogs, sometimes just leaving the scene contingent upon noticing the initial signs of the interaction deteriorating,  will often make them withdraw and follow their owners. 

 

Jealousy is also a possibility, studies have proven dogs can get jealous. However, I expect that to happen in specific contexts.  Like, when you are with Lola and Betsy approaches you or your partner, and Lola attacks Betsy, or if Betsy is trying to approach you or your partner and Lola gets in between and sort of herds her away. If that's the case, let me know as this requires a different approach. 

 

Hope this helps, gives pats to Lola and Betsy for me!

Happy training!

Best,

Adrienne 

[RebekahHereward]

Hi Adrienne, 

That’s all incredible helpful! Thank you so so much! We will give all those sections a read and implement any changes. We are working hard on the smacking sound at the moment. 
 

She definitely tries to get involved when we are fussing Betsy & will often try and nudge Betsy away if we are showing Betsy attention. It would be interesting to know what we could do to assist with this jealous behaviour too!

 

Thank you for being so helpful & attentive! We really appreciate it 🙂

Becky x

[Adrienne]

You are very welcome!

Getting in between, nudging  or herding the dog given attention away, are ways to interfere with the dog getting attention. It can just stay that way, and therefore remain mostly ritualized, but I like to tackle these cases early, because in some cases, these situations may exacerbate and lead to squabbles. 

Management-wise, to prevent rehearsal of the problem behavior, it helps not giving attention to any particular dog when they are together. Simply enjoy watching them play with no petting/fussing involved. If you need to give for some reason attention to one particular dog, do so in another area where the other dog cannot see you or (hear you!) giving  attention. 

If Betsy approaches you, even if you have decided to not give her any attention, ignore her, and if she insists, and Lola starts trying to nudge her away, you can try to get up and leave the area and see if that diffuses the situation. With no owner's attention to stir things up, the dogs are left with nothing to compete over. If done with perfect timing, the dog asking attention may learn to no longer solicit attention, while the jealous dog may eventually learn that his behavior leads to the owner leaving, so this should help reduce the jealousy episodes. 

The other approach involves some more in depth behavior modification, aiming on teaching the jealous dog that good things happen every time the other dog approaches and is given attention. The jealous dog is therefore fed treats contingently to when the other dog approaches. Then the same thing is done when the other dog is talked to and then petted. When the other dog is away,  the "jealous dog" is ignored. 

I personally prefer this approach as it  aims to change the mindset and goes to the "root of the problem." I aim to get what's known as a conditioned emotional response,https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/conditioned-emotional-response-cer/ where the "jealous dog" looks forward to the other dog being given attention because it means that she'll get tasty goodies. Of course, if the dogs are prone to resource guarding, this latter approach will carry some risks, so the dogs may need to be kept on leashes and/or muzzled initially. 

Both approaches and some more are covered here and there is a video demo at the end:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/dogs-fighting-over-owner/

Hope this helps,

Best,

Adrienne 

Disclaimer: If your dog shows signs of potential aggression (lunging, barking, growling, snapping, biting) for safety, please consult with a dog behavior professional who uses force-free behavior modification techniques for direct in-person guidance. Articles, videos and general info found in the forums or course (or any online source) are not meant to replace in-person training/instruction. By using this course and forum, you are waiving any liability claims or other type of claims related to any dogs' behavior against you or others