My dog is getting beat up by my other dogs...?

Question

My dog, Skye, is getting beat up on a constant basis by the other dogs. It seems like we almost have to let her out seperate sometimes. It's usually when they are let outside...after they are done relieving themselves, and they start to "play" all of them will gang up on her, have her on the ground, and just beat her up. She constantly has cuts bumps and scratches on her. Nothing serious yet...but "yet" being the key word. Generally they don't draw blood, but you can see where one of the dogs has bit down pretty hard. Today Zoie and Casey jumped on her (I wasn't here...I'm usually not here when things like this happen) and it sounded like a huge dog fight, my neighbor came running. When I came home I checked her out and she did have some "bites" you can see where it's lumpy on the body..just nothing open or bleeding. I don't really know what to do. Any suggestions would be extremely helpful. All dogs currently do NILIF training.

Answer 1

If this is happening when they are let out, then it sounds to me the dogs are waiting until you're not around to beat up Skye. You have to let them know you're watching them and that you will not tolerate it.

I read some of the other answers, and I think there's some confusion between dominance and aggression. The dog at the bottom of the pack does NOT get beat up, he just doesn't get to eat until everyone else has eaten, and sometimes plays the clown. But he actually gets extra protection from the alpha dog when there's danger. Also, in most cases, when a dog submits, he will not get hurt.

Answer 2

I understand pack heirarchy and that somebody has to be at the bottom ... however, if one dog is getting abused to the point where it has regular cuts and bites, this sounds more like aggression or predatory behavior.

I would say you have to keep the dogs separated when they are not supervised until the rest of the pack is trained about what is acceptable and what is not acceptable.

When they ARE supervised, you have to be quick on the draw if you see another dog going for Skye in an aggressive manner. Don't "wait and see" if the interaction is merely play or if it is aggressive -- instead, assume that any motion toward Skye is aggressive and immediately control your other dog. Put ALL the dogs in a "down" position, ie submissive, when any motion toward Skye is detected. Your attitude has a lot to do with how your dogs are acting toward one another. Remember that although there IS a pack hierarchy, NONE of your dogs is the Alpha -- YOU are. So you make the rules. And the rule you'll have to teach is that any abuse of Skye is not tolerated. I would seek the help of a professional trainer on this to find out exercises that will help your pack co-exist more peacefully.

Good luck!

Answer 3

Skye needs to be in a home where she is the only dog. Otherwise, you ndto step in and protect her by keeping her separate from the others until they are trained to be submissive around her. I do hate to see another dog beat up by the pack. I hear that this sometimes happens when the other dogs sense something about another dog (the fear? skittishness?). If you don;t do something about ths situation, you can end up with a seriously injured or dead dog.

Answer 4

i have owned many dogs, several at one time over the yrs, unfortunately, in the dog world, there is a hierky, there is the alfa, which should be you, then the beta , then on down, it sounds like skye is the bottom on the pole in the dog world. i have a redbone hounddog that is the low one of six, she is always getting treated the way you describe. as long as it is not a blood shed then it is a natural showing of the peeking order. this has been goings on among all species since the beginning of time.

Answer 5

This happens. Maybe you should try hiring a dog sitter for when you can't be there to watch them. I'm sure that you could find a friend or family member who would watch them or even try hiring someone. Have them come to your home and see how they act around your animals before leaving them alone with your animals.

Answer 6

Why do you let one dog get hurt like that? Does one dog get treated differently than the others? It is the owner's job not to let his/her dogs get mistreated. Two against one isn't good. How is one dog against the one who always gets beat up? EITHER BOTH DOGS( THE ONES WHO"S DOING THE BITTING) GET TRAINED PROPERLY SO THEIR BEHAVIOR GETS BETTER OR GET RID OF ONE OF THE DOGS>

Answer 7

Dogs are usually eager to learn, and the key to success is good communication. Your dog needs to understand how you’d like her to behave and why it’s in her best interest to comply with your wishes.
https://tr.im/cLLPw

Answer 8

Obviously, the cats are not used to dogs and it will take a little time for them to accept the fact that this dog is not going to hurt them.
The dog running away may give them a false sense of power, but she is handling it the way she thinks is best.
Scold the cats for swatting anf slapping, but don't disipline them for it.
Tell them, "shame on you, ? is not going to hurt you, be a nice kitty." Things like that.
Hold the cat in your lap, securely, so it feels protected, and pet the dog. Talk about what a nice dog she is.
Be sure the cat feels safe, but can't get those little paws in position to slap. Only do this for short periods at a time.
You want to make the cats not swat and be afraid, for just a few minutes, so they can see the dog has no harm to them in mind, and so the cats can see the dog means them no harm.
Then, if it seems like the cats are just on a dictator kick, and are not afraid, but bullying ( it can happen). Cut them off from lovins when hey attack the dog.
We got my youngest daughter a siamese kitten for her 5th birthday.
My German shepherd loved all things living, and only wanted to love the kitten, but that nasty tempered little brat would fly in Lady's face, attacking. Lady would lie down, cover her eyes with her paws, and let the little fool go at her.
After a couple of days, I could see it was not fear, but POWER, so I told the kids, no loving for Yu Phin, unless she was nice to Lady.
She would have at Lady, and then jump up in a child's lap. They would tell her "No, if you want lovins, play with Lady" and put her down.It took about a week, but she came around. she started playing with Lady. she was 8 weeks old, and couldn't do without playing. Then there were rowdy romps between a 100 pound German shepherd, and a 1& 1/2 pound kitten, all through the house. The kids could play with her then, and she was no longer mean to Lady.
Christmas of 2003, my sister died, and she had a little 8 month old kitten she adored. None of her children could take her, as they all had dogs that would not tollerate a cat. So I brought her home to my 4 dogs. For the first few days, she would hiss and slap. Hooked a couple of noses, but they did not even bark at her, they just kept their distance. When she got close enough to a dog for a tongue to smack her, she got licked, GOOD !, and she liked that. Within a week, she was cuddling dogs. she would climb in a bed beside a sleeping dog, and they would cuddle her up to them. She would lie down in the floor, and 4 dogs would lie down like wagon wheel spokes, and she would get smooched and groomed. She had 4 slaves, and she made the most of it, the the extent that you could call her to you, say. let mommy give you some loving, and she would turn up her nose at me, prance over to one of HER dogs, and rub against their face, and they would, of course start loving on her. It was like she was saying to me "I don't need you, I have my OWN dogs". LOL
They spoiled her ROTTEN!
My dogs had never had a cat in the house before ( I am terribly allergic to cats)and the only contact they had ever had with a cat was seeing them pass our yard, on the other side of the fence.
The cat had only seen dogs out the window of my sister's house.
The first few days we had this kitten, I had he in a cage. My husband made a house for her, by putting one of those wire shelves you can get at Hardware stores, (for closets etc. They are covered with white plastic.) across the opening under my vanith in mt bathroom. there was room at the top, for her to come out id she wanted, but behind her screen, they dogs could not et at her to bite, only sniff. I didn't know how my dogs would react to a cat, and i wasn't goinf to have an anima hurt or traumatized. they would inch up to her cage, and sniff, and she would hiss. It only took a few days before they had communicated enough for her to know they were not going to hurt her, and them to know they were safe from those little needle claws.
If you could make a "Sfe house " something like that for your cats, where they could let the dog come close, and still feel safe, it might speed up the transition.
As long as she just hisses, and swats, and doesn't rake open a nose tip, ot get at the dog's eyes, they will eventually make friends on their own.
The cats have to feel safe and not at risk.
Yu Phin was an exception. That little brat KNEW Lady was not going to hurt her, she was just being nasty.
Fidderent animal species are just wary, until they ecome secure and know they are safe. It isn't that cats and dogs are natural born enemies, they would react that way to a rabbit or anything else, except a hamster, maybe. they would go after a hamster, until they were taught not to. a rodent is on their food chain.
I have had a cat and bird that were best friends, birds and dogs, several cat and dog, birds and cats, etc mixed households. I don't allow any danger to any animal in my house, and they seem to know it is their job to get along.
It may yake a bit longer in your house, the cats outnumber the dogs, so this may e a bit of "us against that dog. let's be boss". But if there is no serious fighting, this should work out ok.
If you can make a "safe house" for the cats to go to, this will add to their security, and they should come around a little sooner.

BY THE WAY THIS IS AN EXAMPLE BUT IT IS THE SAME AS YOUR DOG AND OTHER DOGS BELIVE ME!!!

Answer 9

Why is she together with all these other dogs???