I have a rescue dog (german shepherd, retriever mix?) and he killed my Westie two nights ago. They have lived together for 7 years and I am just devastated. Why would he do this? And what do I do now?
2006-11-24 07:09:18 · 14 answers · asked by jluhrich31069 1 in Pets ➔ Dogs
Added
My Westie was a girl. They never really played so i don't think it was an accident from rough play. The weird thing was her belly was torn wide open and her intestines were exposed. There weren't really any other marks on her. her back was very dirty like she had been rolled around on her back. Why would he do that?
2006-11-24 07:26:51 · update #1
Mabey, it sounds like your Westie did something to tick your German Shepherd off.
I've had two German Shepherds and I know from experince they tend to turn.
Espically if the Westie was a male.
Our german shepherd was a male and he attacked a male lab on our land because, well, idk he just turned. Wacth your dog. Don't put him down, but I would not let him interact with other dogs.
Hoped I helped!
2006-11-24 07:13:39 · answer #1 · answered by Jessica 3 · 0⤊ 4⤋
It may be due to a neurological disorder or brain tumor. You need to have a vet check him for this. It is also possible that he has developed a psychiatric disorder. There are very few meds to treat this in dogs....most of them are the same meds used in humans, like xanax and prozac. Again, the vet and a behaviorist can evaluate him for this. After the appropriate evaluations and an attempt toward treatment, you should be able to determine if you need to put your dog down or not. The fact that he has killed a dog he lived with for 7years sounds extremely abnormal, and he the aggression will only increase and spread to other dogs and then humans.
I'm sorry you had to go through this.
2006-11-24 07:52:48 · answer #2 · answered by iloveeeyore 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
First - you have my sympathies!
how horrible to have this happen .
As long as you are sure nothing else could have done this ...
( coyotes will kill small dogs to eat them this way )
I would be VERY concerned regarding the shepherd.
that injury was not created because he snapped at her.
he ripped her to kill her.
that was the intent.
you would be the one to know if there were extenuating circumstances (previous spats - quarrelsome temper on the shepherd - aches and pains ) etc
based on your knowledge - and your needs - you will have to evaluate this dog.
I personally have never known a male kennel mate to attack a female. kennel mate being 2 dogs living together being in a house or other wise. spat maybe - attack ? no way.
I would NOT trust this dog with another. I would have a VERY tight eye on his behavior toward you! and I would have a medical update.
I would NOT FORGIVE any other questionable behavior.
again
I am sorry for your loss
KC
2006-11-24 12:41:17 · answer #3 · answered by redsquirrel_55 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Something triggered the aggression and that dog crossed the line. Get rid of him before he does that to a rescuee. At the very least don't let him rescue or have another playmate. That little Westie was so terrified.
2006-11-24 07:36:02 · answer #4 · answered by LucySD 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Were both dogs neutered?
If not, there's your answer. Intact males can smell a female in heat miles away, and those male hormones are very powerful in bringing out instinctive behaviors.
If they were both neutered, was it over food? If not, I imagine the shep/ret mix is experiencing a bit of arthritis by now, even if you see no evidence of it yourself. (Related to age...remember that larger breeds age at a more rapid rate than smaller breeds, and if he was a rescue, he might be older than you think anyway....we see lots of arthritis in sheps and labs by the age of 7, and you know that he's *at least* 7.) If so, the smaller dog might have accidentally done something to cause the bigger dog to experience (or anticipate) pain. BD/LD (Big dog/little dog) is the abbreviation veterinarians use on our medical charts to indicate such fights. The cause almost always falls into one of the above 3 categories.
I'm so sorry for your loss.
ETA: Based on your additional info, how do you KNOW it was your other dog who did this? Where were they, and what were the circumstances? How did you find them? How long had it been since you last saw the Westie? Had she been spayed? Had the shep/lab been neutered? When were their last medical checkups? Need many more details.....
2006-11-24 07:20:51 · answer #5 · answered by A Veterinarian 4 · 4⤊ 3⤋
ahh sheesh I am sorry. This happened to me too. I had a little Daschund that I rescued - someone abandoned him in the missdle of nowwhere. I had a German Sheperd and one day that little Dacshund ran up to him growling and barking while the shepard was eating (the little one did this a million times before and the shep always ignored him) but my GS snapped at him real quick and broke his jaw really really bad. He had to be put down - it was horrible and extremely traumatic. It was hard to forgive the GS but you have to - they are animals, they act on instinct. I had to heal from the little one dying and I got over my feelings of being mad at the big one and just kept loving him. It will get better - just like anything else - I am so sorry I know how it feels.
Tears you up to have something that you love - kill something else that you love - it is awful but don't put too much thought into why... and just keep going - you will learn to bond with your dog again. I hope this helped - if you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail me.
2006-11-24 07:25:31 · answer #6 · answered by wednesday 1 · 5⤊ 1⤋
i am SO sorry for your loss. i can't imagine the devastation. you may want to have the german shepherd checked at the vet (blood tests and all) it could be due to med. problem considering that the dogs have been together that long. until you figure it out, keep an eye on him and don't let him around any animals. once again, my sympathy.
2006-11-24 07:26:46 · answer #7 · answered by punkbun03 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I'm just wondering if the death was intended, or result of the bigger dog accidentally getting too rough with wrestling. You really need to figure out that, before anything else. That will determine if your dog is dog-aggressive suddenly, or if it was an accident.
2006-11-24 07:15:10 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Sometimes my schnauzer/cockerspaniel mix dog attacks my little toy poodle for no reason! Dogs just get aggressive sometimes. I don't know why they do it. I am so sorry for your loss.
2006-11-24 08:14:10 · answer #9 · answered by Zoe 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Do you know for sure that your shephard did it? Do you know what happened? Or did you just come home and that westie wasn't alive?
I'm sorry for your loss.
2006-11-24 07:16:02 · answer #10 · answered by kandy 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋