Aggression

[DixiesMom]

My 12 1/2 yr old LH male, Bear, has become increasingly aggressive & bites seemingly without reason. Example: last nite he was sitting in my chair ... after talking to him a little I started to pet his head & rub his nose (which he usually likes) ... he suddenly bit my hand and drew blood. About a month ago he bit the side of my foot; I now have a scar. He just had his annual work-up & everything appears to be fine from a physical standpoint. We added a puppy to our household in July, but this started long before then ... now I have the added worry that he'll attack the puppy & hurt her. HELP!!

[Wienergal]

DixiesMom, I'm stumped by this one. Usually, if an old dog who has not been aggressive begins to show aggression, there's some physical reason for it--OR, in your case, jealousy and anxiety over the new pup.

You say the behavior started before you got the pup in July? How long has it been going on, exactly? Is he aggressive just toward you or toward everyone? How IS he behaving toward the puppy? Are there particular situations in which he is more likely to be aggressive than others, or does it just seem random?

Forgive all the questions--I'm trying to see if anything pops up that would explain this sudden change. My old dachshund, Doggerel, began biting me for no apparent reason when he was 15. He seemed to be in good health, but the vet believed he was having a series of small strokes. He would be sleeping, very deeply, and when I tried to wake him up, he would suddenly lunge out of his bed and attack me, then look confused.

[Mark]

I agree with Pamela that there may be something going on here we are not seeing. What were the circumstances of the bite on the foot? There could be a pain that comes and goes, which could result in Bear feeling the need to strike out when touched.

How does Bear get along with (Dixie?) the puppy? Is there a clear pecking order between you and each of the 2 dogs? ie; Alpha human=you, Alpha dog (?) and Beta dog (?). If ther is not a clear pecking order this can confuse a dog and create agression because they think they are the Alpha over all in the household.

This is a tough one, but there is a reason. It's sometimes a process of elimination.

Good luck and please keep us posted,

Mark

[Penny's Aunt]

Yes, I agree that there may be an underlying physical problem causing these attacks.

Did the vet do any blood work on him? That can often show kidney problems, liver problems, etc.

Does he have any visual problems (like cataracts) that could be causing him to be startled at certain times?

Being an older dachsie, I have to wonder about a back problem. Does he walk more slowly, or stiffly, or hold his tail stiffly, or hesitate or refuse to run or go up steps, etc?

There is also the possibility of a mental problem of some kind. Dogs do get a problem that resembles Alzheimer's in humans, & other things. And dogs do get senile, also.

[DixiesMom]

Thanks for all of your replies ... will try to address everything ...

Yes, bloodwork was done and was "exceedingly normal" as the doctor put it. He was showing signs of early kidney disease, but we changed his diet & it seems to be reversing (PTL!). She has never mentioned cataracts & I don't see any evidence of them the way I did in our old girl.

I also haven't seen any clear signs of arthritis ... he loves to run & will chase the squirrels up their trees in the morning. He will still jump onto the couch to snuggle with my husband, but does seem to prefer his pillow on the floor most of the time. Something to consider here, I guess.

Bear has been getting more aggressive over the last 3-4 yrs, I would say. He's bitten both myself and my husband, but I seem to get the brunt of it for some reason. He tolerates the puppy ... at first he was fine -- played with her & seemed very interested -- but now he's mostly annoyed.

A friend suggested I have his teeth checked. I haven't noticed any hesitation to eat ... he loves to chew on those rawhide flip-chips ... but I suppose this is something else to look into.

Again, thanks for all your input. This really has us stumped.