Large older dog hates new little one!

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HazellB

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I've got a rather grumpy 11 year old Saluki who's a rescue dog. He's been with me since six months of age and has never changed a jot. He attacks all other dogs but our other one (a Greyhound x Collie type RSPCA rescue).

So, this morning when an 8 month old Jack Russell was dropped off with little warning for me, I developed a real problem!

All are neutered dogs. All are healthy and normally happy.

The Saluki is never walked near other dogs (he's fine with cats, chickens, etc) except at rural things like auctions and ploughing matches as he's strong, quick and frankly wants to be deadly. I can stop him eating other dogs only with brute force on the lead. He's thick beyond words and simply acts on instinct - he has no idea that grabbing some passing terrier and trying to kill it is naughty because he has no idea he's even doing it at the time.
That's why I would never suggest Saluki's as pets for the faint hearted.

Anyway, the Jack Russell's too much for the elderly people who had him and once they'd decided to let him go they gave me zero warning and just dumped him at the yard along with his cage and feed. He's nervous of pretty much everything as he's never been out much at all. He's strong but soft natured and a real underdog.

I can't return him to give myself time and I can't just loan him out without at least trying to get him and my Saluki together.

So, a little advice please?

I'm happy to keep them in different areas at home and at my stables, but does anyone have advice about cages and which dog (alpha or under) should be in one?

Thanks very much ... and please wish me luck!
 
I would crate the j.r.t, as he is young ans is used to one is they handed it to you, and you may have more issues re chewing or seperation issues from the j.r.t with him being nervy and young.
Aslo if u crate him near the toher dog he can get used to him in a calm state and they are still together but with a safety aid between them.

Aslo as KH asked....what are you doing when the older dogs shows this aggressive behaviour, are you reprimanding him at all?
My humungus dogs are not overly keen on the rescue pups I bring in at first, but an Ahh Ahh sharp shuts them up if they are grumping, they would not dare bite, obs puppies should not be allowed to torment older dogs, that is for the owner to keep the puppy distracted, but if the puppy is say, only trying to lie down on a rug beside the other lad and he goes to snap, if he where mine he would be reprimanded.
 
katielou_houston said:
What are you doing to the aggressive dog when he is naughty?

Put a muzzle on him when he is out the house at least.
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I don't wish to be rude, but I asked for help not telling off! I'll put him in a muzzle IF he ever needs one, thank you!

My Saluki is acting on instinct, so I can't teach him not to attack, only that each attack is wrong as it happens. In short, they aren't clever dogs on the whole. I stop each attempt at attack with my legendary "NO" and a sharp pull back. He's fine then. On the first occasion he grabbed a dog, he almost killed it before anyone could do anything (including blink - he's lightening fast of course) so I've learned to be fast too.

However, the new dog will be a different challenge. The Saluki won't be on his lead in the house or at my stable yard. He'll be pray. I just wondered if anyone had experience of a similar case and could help.
 
Didn't mean to offend but if he has nearly killed a dog i think you are being irresponsible by not muzzling him.

As for another dog i wouldn't keep him anywhere near the aggressor.
 
katielou_houston said:
Didn't mean to offend but if he has nearly killed a dog i think you are being irresponsible by not muzzling him.

As for another dog i wouldn't keep him anywhere near the aggressor.
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As it happens, I AM NOT being irresponsible at all. The dog he did manage to grab was off lead after it's owner had been repeatedly warned not to allow it near mine. Mine was on a lead and tight to me. The terrier he grabbed basically got in his mouth itself! The other dog's owner took responsibility (rightly) and apologised.

I've sorted it out and all are playing happily together both in the house and at my stable yard. You're welcome to apologise any time you like .......
 
I dont think there is any need for an apology here, nor would I say that Salukis are the "specialist" breed that you suggest - they are simply sighthounds, and your Saluki is displaying typical sighthound behaviour. My greyhounds display exactly the same behaviour towards cats, but if they displayed this behaviour towards other dogs I would most certainly muzzle them if they were likely to encounter other dogs, just to be on the safe side.

I am not really sure why you found it such an offensive suggestion that your Saluki should be muzzled? He is erratic with other dogs, it is simply a "better to be safe than sorry" precaution which any dog owner could utilised, however experienced or not they were.

However it seems that you have resolved your problems already, so I am glad to hear that the terrier and Saluki are now happy together :)
 
'He's thick beyond words and simply acts on instinct - he has no idea that grabbing some passing terrier and trying to kill it is naughty because he has no idea he's even doing it at the time.'

I think you are doing your dog an an injustice. Instinct has nothing to do with intelligence or lack of. Sighthounds 'sight' prey and give chase, then decimate if successful. A dog attacking another dog, whilst on the lead is aggressive. I know that some Saluki's can be sharp, but don't fall into the 'he's a sighthound, thats what they do' trap. I realise he's 11 and the old adage 'you can't teach an old dog new tricks' springs to mind but at least be aware. If you take him anywhere there might be other dogs, as KLH says, muzzle him. Theres no harm in that.
Try http://www.jansgifts.co.uk/list.php?type_id=113 They have a nice selection.
 
But as said Saluki is kept on the lead then why is it a problem?

Anyway, well done for getting your dogs to accept the small 8 month old JRT. Maybe he is following your other dogs lead or maybe its because you have taken time to introduce the dogs - so puppy is off the chew list!
 
Luci07, its a problem because by the ops original post its only through brute force she can prevent him taking off another dogs head!:( There will be occasions she is at a ploughing match or rural auction, as stated,that a split second lack of concentration on her dog may result in a passing dog getting a chunk taken out of it. That is why close encounters of the canine kind;) are dangerous and require a muzzle. I don't understand why the op objects so strongly to muzzles, I've used one on a hound of mine.
 
My saluki x (whippet, so another sighthound) is an angel, but perhaps I am lucky, shes certainly thick though but can learn, it just takes more time than the others.
As a parent though (me I mean) aren't you scared he might grab a dog being led by a child who isn't as clued up that they mustn't go near you? Or if you are standing at a ringside and don't see another dog approaching? If I took a vicious dog out in public it would be muzzled, no doubts at all.
 
If HazellB have had him since he was 6 months old and he is now 11 years old and have managed to keep him from killing or harming other dogs all those years, I would guess that she is doing something that is working for her and her dogs.

But I don't agree with her explanation to his behaviour.
He's thick beyond words and simply acts on instinct
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As far as I know, in general, sighthound breeds have not been bred to be intelligent, they've been bred to react fast and quickly run after and catch prey, but only because he reacts fast and seems to act on instinct, his behaviour doesn't have to have much to do with his breed.
Because this Saluki, by the sound of it, has no problems with other animals, that is much more likely to resemble the prey animals his ancestors could have been hunting and yet, they don't trigger his hunting instinct. To me, he simply seems to be aggressive towards other dogs, that does not belong to his family.


Why he has this dog aggression, I don't know, maybe something happened to him before she got him from the rescue, maybe he missed something during those first months of important socialization time and didn't learn to feel comfortable interacting with other strange dogs, maybe he's scared, maybe he's dominant or maybe there is several reasons behind his dog aggression, as said, I don't know, but I doubt the problem is caused by his hunting instinct.
A muzzle could perhaps be used as a training aid, to teach him that he can't bite other dogs and that he thereby would have to try and interact with other dogs in another way, than what he has been used to during his life?


Anyhow, by the sound of it, the introduction went well, he accepted the Jack Russell Terrier as part of the family and that is what HazellB worried about.


P.s. About this :
but does anyone have advice about cages and which dog (alpha or under) should be in one?
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If I by some reason brought home a dog that was dog aggressive, it would be kept in a crate in the beginning.
However, I would never need to put my alpha dog in a crate, because a dog acting the way this Saluki is described, would not be my alpha dog. But if I had an older dog with this behaviour problem and decided to add a new addition to my family, I would probably let them takes turn in spending time in the crate (if it really was necessary) and then hope that the newbie turned out to be suitable as alpha dog.
 
FinnishLapphund said:
If HazellB have had him since he was 6 months old and he is now 11 years old and have managed to keep him from killing or harming other dogs all those years, I would guess that she is doing something that is working for her and her dogs.
.
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With all respect FL OP said above that the dog has "almost killed" at least 1 dog.

I wouldn't be risking no muzzle.

It takes one second of distraction for that dog to kill another dog or harm a small child and if she says she can only control it with the shear force on the leash is it no responsible to have the dog muzzled.

I know i would not want that dog anywhere near me or my family or my dogs without a muzzle on so she should not be going to auctions and the like with a dangerous dog unmuzzled.

She would in fact be breaking the law here!
 
Added to say i agree with you that its not instinct that is making him dog aggressive. Dogs aren't so stupid that they can't tell a dog from a rabbit!

I think you have a generally dog aggressive dog on your hands and you could do with getting some kind of training help.
 
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