Second dog issues

[Kinny70]

Hi I’ve had my first lurcher since he was 11 weeks old and he’s a lovable rogue, full of beans and twice as mad as a box of frogs. He was pining for company (or so I thought) so I adopted a second lurcher pup (6 month old bitch and quite nervous) after 3-4 meets he seemed fine with her and for the first month or so he displayed a small amount of jealousy which I expected. I’ve since met a lady six months ago with a 5 year old greyhound bitch, very calm and aloof. For the first few months it was the same thing with my two but lately (2-3 months my dog has been getting more and more aggressive towards my bitch and now constantly stops her from playing/greeting/showing any affection with myself or partner or any other dog we meet out walking. He’s also becoming harder to control and regularly I’m waiting for him to decide to come back from walks until he’s ready. He shows nothing towards my partners greyhound.
He snuggles up to her nightly and will clean her head/ears etc but it’s becoming an issue and the bitch is getting a little snappy and has bitten, or tried to bite 2-3 humans. Which she never had done before.
my partner has taken this as the dog’s bad behaviour and is becoming frustrated towards him for it. ( I can’t blame her for feeling like that as he is becoming difficult)
Any advice would be very welcome. TYIA

 

[JudyN]

There's a few things to unpick there...

Is he a saluki cross? Regardless, recall and generally pushing boundaries are likely to be issues at his age - he's into adolescence with all that entails...

Is it only your bitch he shows any aggression to? And is it only when you're out on a walk, or does it happen when you're at home as well?

Can you describe the times your bitch has shown aggression to other dogs or humans? What has triggered it?

If you can manage your dog's behaviour now, he should settle down as he matures. I would have only one of them off lead at a time - if the bitch is interacting with other dogs or people, have your dog on lead so he can't control her. It might also help them both if you can take them on walks separately, so each gets the fun they need without the stress of the other one. Make sure you reward him well whenever he's behaving in a way you do like. You might need to walk him on a long lead (attached to a harness, not a collar, as a lurcher can hit the end of a long line with a fair amount of momentum) while you work on his recall - also look for enclosed areas you can let him off lead safely (check here: The Only Listings Site for Enclosed Dog Walking Fields in the UK ).

Dogs are never 'bad' as such - what he's doing makes perfect sense to him, and there's always a reason for it - it's just a case of managing him so he can't practise the behaviour, and making the behaviour you do want more rewarding for him (or sticking it out till he matures). Which is easier said than done...

 

[Kinny70]

Hi thank you so much for replying. Yes I believe he is a saluki cross. He shows aggression towards her at all times and sometimes bitey-face playtime becomes very aggressive. She does bear her teeth and hold her own which only makes him more ‘vocally aggressive’ I say that as he doesn’t seem to want to hurt her, just dominate her (both had the necessary ops) but he does pull her ears downwards until she squeals then stops, before continuing. He’s such a gentle boy to humans and dogs alike and not aggressive in any way apart from her. ‍
He will ALWAYS back off if another dog shows aggression and is very respectful of other dogs, it’s just my bitch he has issues with. Mum has three dogs and he is vocal but very placid towards them all.
As for what triggers her biting towards humans....nothing! She said hello to my uncle and then when he gave my dad a hug she walked behind and nipped his thigh. Joggers she sometimes ignores them other times she snaps at them. Then the other day I was holding her on the lead at a friend and she snapped at his 4 year old son for no reason. I’m assuming it’s because she is getting stressed with the situation as she is not aggressive to my gf two children in any way.

 

[JudyN]

Yes I believe he is a saluki cross.

It's the 'box of frogs' bit that gave it away

I suspect he's being bullying just because he can, and because of his age - like the playground bully, he's a bit of a coward backing off from other dogs so builds his ego by picking on her (I've seen my lad try to duff up a spaniel after being intimidated by a larger dog).

Your bitch's biting/snapping might be more of a worry, particularly as you can't spot a trigger. There will be something triggering it, but it's not always easy to spot, and general stress makes it more likely. You might want to consider muzzle training her, for the safety of other people, and also for her own safety - if she bit a child it wouldn't go well for her. My dog always wears a muzzle on walks and is 100% happy with it, so do ask if you want some pointers on choosing a muzzle and getting a dog to accept it (apologies if I'm teaching my grandmother to suck eggs here).

But I'm not an expert and only have the one dog, so it might be worth you considering getting a behaviourist in who can see just what's happening. If you do, make sure you go for a lurcher-savvy one who is 100% reward-based - if they mention pack leaders, status, and being more alpha, back off quickly.

 

[Kinny70]

Thank you I and waiting on a call today from somebody who the rescue centre they both came from has recommended so will bring up the points you kindly suggested. Thanks again.