My dog killed my other dog

L
Laure359 Icon representing the flag French
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Hi everyone,

I really need some advice. My 2-year-old Husky has killed my partner’s dog, a 3-year-old Jack Russell.

We have four dogs: three Jack Russells (one male and two females) and my Husky.

They usually live separately—the two female Jacks live outside in a pen, while the Husky and the male Jack (who is 7 months old) live in the house or outside depending on the weather and what they fancy.

They do have contact, though, as they can see and sniff each other through the wire of the pen.

My Husky is a bit of a tricky character; she’s fine with submissive dogs but she is definitely a dominant type, so as long as another dog doesn’t growl at her, she doesn’t bother them—at least when we're away from the house anyway.

With people, she’s very wary and will only let me and a few people she knows get near her, but even then, that's only at home. When we're out, it’s only me. I’ve had her since she was about 10 or 11 months old.

She’s never attacked other dogs before, except to defend one of mine that was being went for, and one other time when she pinned an off-lead dog that came charging at her growling.

On walks, we let them all out together off-lead and there’s never been a problem; they play together and so on...

My Husky has never had any issues with my male Jack or the other female Jack, except around mealtimes when she absolutely has to be left alone. However, she’s never really liked the female dog she killed; there were never any real fights though, except once when the Jack Russell actually snapped at her over a toy. I told her "no" and grabbed her, and she didn't retaliate.

But today, we let them all out into the yard to play together like we usually do, and my Husky stood over the other dog like she usually does to show she’s the boss. Normally she just does that, has a sniff, and then wanders off, but this time she grabbed her by the neck and shook her violently. I had a lot of trouble getting her to let go—she’s a big girl, over 4 and a half stone (66lbs)—but it was too late, she’d killed her... I could see she’d gone in for the kill; it was so violent and she even tried to go back at her.

What do you think? I’m terrified of letting her near the others now... and when we’re out, I usually have her off-lead (I go hunting and she comes tracking with me, so she’s never on a lead). Could this change her behaviour with other dogs?

I don’t understand why she did it; there was no food around, and the other dogs weren't even close by...

Sorry for the long post, I just wanted to give as much detail as possible.

Thanks in advance.

Translated from French
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35 answers
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    • Loustick
    Loustick Icon representing the flag French
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    Keeping them separate during the day when you're not there is definitely a must, given how things are at the moment. You should also look into getting a muzzle for the female dog. You've got two dogs with dominant tendencies, which makes things complicated. To help them bond again... maybe you could try some new types of games while you're out on walks. Are there specific times when this happens? How long has it been going on for? Could it be that the female is coming into her first season?
    Translated from French
    PapillonBeige4423
    Papillonbeige4423 Icon representing the flag French
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    Hi everyone, I’m actually having the same issue at home, except I have a wolfdog. I have a 10-year-old male Jack Russell—he was the first dog in the house and has always shown dominant behaviour. Our little wolfdog girl joined the family when she was 2 months old and she's now 13 months. The two of them have always been together, both indoors and out, and my Jack Russell even helped with her training when she was a puppy. Since then, however, she has become dominant over him and for the last few days, she’s been attacking him, lunging for his throat and shaking him. Luckily, I’ve had the right reflexes to break up the attacks, but I’m now terrified that one day I’ll find my dog dead! Please help, I don’t know what to do—should I be keeping them separate during the day or not?
    Translated from French
    Loustick
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    Emla is right, an animal is an animal. (Humans are animals too).

    It’s heartbreaking. Stay strong and try to move on.

    A Jack can easily become aggressive. An iron fist in a velvet glove.

    Translated from French
    Emla
    Emla Icon representing the flag French
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    Sadly, animals will be animals...

    Thinking of you

    Translated from French
    Deborahdebo
    Deborahdebo Icon representing the flag French
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    Hi everyone, I wanted to share my story. I have two Jack Russells – a five-year-old female and her three-year-old son – and a two-year-old chihuahua. Or rather, I had a two-year-old chihuahua. On Sunday, my Jack Russell killed my chihuahua. I wasn't there when it happened, but a week earlier, there had already been an incident. Even though they usually got on quite well and played together, I found the little one soaking wet and absolutely terrified. I kept them apart for a few days, and it seemed like things had settled down. So, I let them be together again. Then on Sunday, when I got home, my little chihuahua was dead. There wasn't a single bite mark or any blood; he must have shaken him. I'm heartbroken and I just can't forgive myself.
    Translated from French
    ?
    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    When it comes to muzzles, the Baskerville-style ones are perfect because they allow your dog to drink, eat, pant, bark, growl and—if it’s a really good fit—even yawn. Other types of muzzles are for restraint only and should only be used for safety while they are receiving veterinary care or treatment. It's strongly discouraged, and even dangerous, to leave a dog in that kind of muzzle for more than 10 minutes; any longer and you're quite literally putting your dog's life at risk. I don't think the muzzle is your real issue here. It sounds more like there’s been a breakdown in the relationship between you and your dog; you’ve lost trust in him and your bond has really suffered a blow. All I can say is that your dog was just acting like a dog—it's normal canine behaviour. Even the most socialised and affectionate dog in the world can behave like this at some point (and with social dogs, it's down to human error 90% of the time). With any dog behaviour, there’s always an element of 'nature' and 'nurture'—in other words, genetics versus their upbringing and environment.
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    M
    Mel1 Icon representing the flag French
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    You need to sort out the muzzle issue quickly. The type of muzzle you’re using might not be the best one for training. A simple nylon muzzle, almost like a head collar, might be easier for him to get used to.

    You can even make one yourself using a simple strip of fabric, without tightening it at all at first. Just to get him used to having something on his nose.

    By keeping them apart and being anxious, you’re sending the wrong signal to your dog, and she’ll definitely pick up on the change in atmosphere.

    She might start to think that the little dog is the source of the problem.

    Mind you, I completely understand your fear, it’s only natural. But you really do need to get her to accept the muzzle as soon as possible.

    Then there’s the heavy-handed approach: just put the muzzle on and wait for her to give in. It’s certainly not the best solution, but it’s probably the quickest. It’s hard to say which is the lesser of two evils in your situation: keeping the dogs separate and risking long-term issues, or forcing the issue by making her "accept" the muzzle by force...

    Try a simpler type of muzzle and tighten it gradually. That might go a bit more smoothly.

    This post has reminded me that I really should get my little Mastiff used to a muzzle, even though he doesn't need one. Just in case—you never know.

    Translated from French
    L
    Laure359 Icon representing the flag French
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    I’m going to keep persevering to get her used to it. I’ve tried putting a bit of ham inside, and she quite happily puts her snout in to eat it, no problem at all. But as soon as I fasten it, she starts pawing at it and rolling around on the floor to try and get it off. I’ve tried playing once it’s on, but she doesn’t pay any attention to me at all and puts all her energy into trying to find a way to remove it. It’s a Baskerville Ultra muzzle, with several attachment points and a collar strap. It allows her to drink and open her mouth to pant and have a treat. Even on the lead I’m still scared; it all happened so fast and so suddenly that I keep thinking if she wants to do it again, it only takes a second if someone is within reach... Last time, the little one ran between my legs and got outside with her. It only lasted a minute while I caught up with him, and she didn't take any notice of him, but I couldn't help it—fear just took over and I brought her back in.
    Translated from French
    M
    Mel1 Icon representing the flag French
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    It’s perfectly normal that she’s refusing the muzzle, seeing as she’s never been introduced to one before.

    Maybe try getting her used to having something on her nose with a loose strap. You could try putting it on just before her meals—keeping it loose enough for her to eat, obviously. Or put it on during playtime. The aim is to distract her with something more rewarding.

    It takes time for a dog to accept wearing a muzzle, even more so with an adult dog that isn't used to it.

    What kind of muzzle did you go for?

    I understand your fear, but as you say, keeping them separated isn't the solution. There's a strong chance it’ll only make things worse.

    Could you keep her in the same room but on a lead? It’s a better alternative. Little by little, you’ll be able to get your confidence back depending on her behaviour. And of course, you should learn to read your dog’s body language around the others so you can act preventatively.

    Translated from French
    L
    Laure359 Icon representing the flag French
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    She can't stand wearing a muzzle, but that’s what I’d thought about doing.
    Translated from French

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