I have a 10yr old mutt with the energy, health, and strength of a 3yr old dog. We got him 8 wks and have never hurt him in any way yet he is showing almost every possible sign of dominance aggression on our other dogs. For no reason he'll flip them on their backs and bit them. He even snaps at us. We have little kids that come by sometimes and we're afraid that they might accidentally corner him and he'll snap. I can think of anything we've don to cause this. We want to explore every option possible before we put him down. Any advice?:-(:-(

Is this a new behavioral trait that just showed up, or what? Was he mellow before? I think a trip to the vet is in order-- sometimes an illness (it could be something as simple as a hormone imbalance, or broken molar, to something as serious as a brain tumor-- it could even be a thyroid probelm) can cause severe and alarming behaviors that are completely out of the dog's previous character. Let us know what you find out!

You got a 10 year old dog, you've had him only 8 weeks, you've introduced him to a new pack but have no apparent knowledge about his previous history. Now you wonder why he's showing dominant behaviour, and you're already considering having him put down!! Jeez, he's only doing what he thinks he should. This sounds like a straightforward case of a new pack member not appreciating who's the alpha and assuming it must be him - or trying to take that role - when of course, it should be YOU....
I'd suggest he needs to get no preferential treatment from you at all, the subordinate dogs should be fed first by you and given priority all the time. If the others start to recognise him as the leader amongst them, fine, but you must establish yourself in his mind as pack leader overall. That done the aggression should end. This could take some time but applied consistently I would hope for improvement preety quickly.

[CorkyMax]

I'm not sure I understand----Have you had this dog for only 8 weeks or do you mean you've had him since he was 8 weeks old? If you just got him (8 wks.)---Did he just recently get any shots(esp. rabies)? Rabies shots have many side effects including aggresion---reactions to shots can happen right away or even quite some time later. Check out about reactions to vaccinations on internet. I wish getting a rabies shot wasn't law--mine is due for his 5th one and I'm very much worried about it ---the more they have the more it's like 'playing Russian roulette---immune system is being destroyed (just 1 of the problems) And these many are not necessary--It's been proven that they only need 1 (or 2 at the most). Stupid law that needs to be changed.

I think we are all confused as to how long you have had the dog -- for 8 weeks or since it was 8 weeks old.

If you have had it since a puppy and this is new behavior, go to the vet, do not pass GO, do not collect $200... as mentioned, this could be a sign of a serious health issue -- tumors, thyroid, Canine Cognitive Disfunction. Obviously, until the vet appointment, protect the other dogs and humans from possible harm. If this isn't new behavior, then why in samhill have you waited this long to address the problem?

If you just got the dog 8 weeks ago, I would still take it to the vet for a physical evaluation--which you really should have done at the time of adoption. Then, I'd enlist the help of a dog trainer/rehabilitator. 10 year old dogs can come with a ton of baggage. I am rather shocked that your first thought is to have it PTS. It hasn't yet attacked anyone, has it? Yes, it could and you need to take steps to minimize the risk, but geeze give the dog a chance at least.

[wishbone]

I think they had the dog just for 2 month now and showing aggressive/dominance over their other dog.

Sad to hear you are about letting him go to be put down. That behavior could be fixed by dedication and love. What else does he do, or suffer, or what are the bad quality of life he has? Hope you surrender him to the shelter if you can't keep with his behavior.

Hi there. Is your dog like this even before? Well, I guess your dog's behavior might be due to the fact that he is still a young pup but most dogs want to play at that age. Maybe you should try to walk him around the yard or jog with him once in a while. In that way he might get used to seeing other people and other dogs. And he might change his attitude gradually over time. Have patience and good luck!