Let's be friends

Hello there, I'm after some advice please.

I have a six-month-old Golden Retriever and a four-year-old Chihuahua- Jack Russell cross. But I just can't seem to get them to get a long.

My retriever just wants to play but my other dog is just not interested and gets snappy with her. It even appears that it's bringing out a sign of aggression of my retriever, as they got in an argument over a plastic duck yesterday and ended to fighting. My retriever didn't mark my other dog but she bit my retriever’s ear and made it bleed.

Tessa (my retriever) has started to get funny about possessions of hers and even growls at me if I try and take something away from her that's not hers. Any advice would be much appreciated!

I have an 18 month old boy so want to have an aggressive dog around him. This only happens at home. If we are walking together there's no sign of aggression whatsoever.

Many thanks,

Kathleen, Cambridge

Karen Wild, behaviourist, advises…

It sounds like there are a few issues here so I will try to unpick them a little.

Older dogs often do not want to play with a puppy. I like to give them a bit of time apart so the older dog can settle down rather than have to try to discipline a younger dog who really needs to learn a few manners. If the older dog is smaller than the pup, this can create other issues since the smaller dog cannot easily prevent the puppy from doing things and this might explain why she bit the retriever’s ear. Definitely give your older dog some space and time to herself and encourage your puppy to play and learn from other older dogs elsewhere, which will help.

It also sounds like there are issues to do with possessiveness and this is something I would consult a professional about, without delay. You can find an APBC member near you on www.apbc.org.uk - this is particularly important as you have a young child, who is probably not likely to notice any warning signals, as kids simply don’t spot these things. A registered behaviourist will be able to advise you on the signals to look out for, the possible risks and other ways to manage and prevent this behaviour long before it escalates.

Change of ways after spay

Good morning,

Is it normal behaviour of a 14-month-old Siberian Husky bitch to become aggressive immediately after being spayed? My normally placid dog was spayed on Monday this week and since has become aggressive and guarding of bones and toys.Could this be as a result of my dog being in discomfort after the operation, and is likely to subside in a few weeks, or do I need to be more concerned? We are due at the vets on Friday for the post op check up but her sudden change of behaviour is concerning me.

Thank you,

Dianne Evans, Burnley



Alison Logan, vet, advises…

This kind of behaviour sounds to me like the nesting we associate with a false pregnancy. I wonder how long it was after she had been in season that your bitch was spayed? We aim to spay at the ‘quiet’ time of the bitch’s reproductive cycle, approximately four months after a season. Before that, the bitch is going through the changes of pregnancy whether or not she has been mated and is expecting a litter. 

A so-called false pregnancy can manifest with quite disturbing behaviour changes, nesting and even aggression, much as you describe. It is perfectly normal, but is a reason for spaying once all the signs have resolved, and there is a medication to help with this.

By now, you will have taken your bitch for her post-operative check and it will be a month after she was spayed so all should have settled down. At this point, I would advise you to have her weighed because a bitch can gain weight rapidly unless you have cut back on her ration. Spaying slows the rate of metabolism so she will need to eat less to maintain her weight. A spayed bitch does not have to gain weight, it just need vigilance to avoid it happening. Weighing every month is a good regime as it will allow you to pick up on weight gain at an early point and take action because the weight will be hard to shift because of the metabolism having slowed down.

Grumpy young dog

I have recently rehomed a beautiful Chinese Crested dog who is 11 months old; he is a lovely dog, well put-together with a good gait, but he really dislikes people! He is fine at home with us, but growls and snaps when people approach him, I am unsure whether this is due to poor socialisation or how he will always be? We would love to show him in the future, but as no one can touch him without him really growling or screaming, he is unlikely to show.

I have been taking things very slowly with him, introducing him to dog friendly people, with introductions on his terms etc. I have also booked a Tellington TTouch course next month to see if that helps.

Any ideas would be gratefully received. I will stress though that showing him would be a bonus, and certainly not the be all and end all; he is, and always will be, a very treasured pet, whatever the outcome!

Hope you and the readers can help.

Donna Davis, Strood, Kent