Why did my American Bulldog tried to attack another dog today?

Question

My dog was just fixed 11 days ago. He never showed aggression towards dogs before. I was told it takes 4-6 weeks for the testosterone level to balance. Could this be the reason? His humping has stopped but this freaked me out.

He is 14 months old and has been well sociallized with many different dogs. This only happened since the surgery.

If anyone else wants to make a comment about Pit-bulls please don't answer. AB's are working dogs not Pits. We were passing each other and it happened so fast I didn't have a chance to see what the other dog had done. Stares, growls etc.

They were on leashes and I'm not sure of the other dogs breed. He was larger then my dog was some kind of mix. As we passed the owner was holding him back and the dog was standing on his hind legs. I felt so bad as I'm so against dog aggresion. I was able to pull my dog back before he did any damage. I was with friends that know him well and we were all stunned.

Answer 1

Your additional details were helpful. Sometimes though, dogs' body language communication happens (and escalates) so quickly that we humans don't even notice it's happening (hence the people who say their dog bit "with no warning"). It could very well be that your boy noticed the other dog "eyeballing" him on the approach and took offense. Postures are very important in dog communication and they notice it way more than we do... the other dog may have been making direct eye contact (challenge), walking with ears and tail errect and raised a bit in the front end. These can all be interpreted as "I'm bigger and badder than you." Unless they actually make contact and FIGHT this is usually just posturing only (think teenage boys). The fact that he was humping already suggests that he has alot of confidence and may see himself with "alpha male" potential-- humping is not always a breeding behavior, it can also be a dominance display-- that's why you sometimes see a dog try to hump another of the same sex, not because they are confused or stupid. Removal of sex hormones (neutering) can help dominance because it lessens sex drive and one of the rewards of being dominant is that you get to breed-- pretty big reward.

Historically, the American Bulldog was bred for protection and guarding work, and their breed standard calls for a brave dog with heart and grit, so this is a breed that is going to be a bit quicker to take offense to the challenge of another dog. Trainer Ceasar Millan on TV calls these decendants of the Roman Mastiff types (which include the mastiffs, bull terriers, boxers and even little Boston Terriers!) "gladiators", and this is a good way to think of them-- they are the "tough guys" of the dog world. Please understand that I am a professional dog trainer of 25 years and have been working to stop a local ban on "pit-type" breeds-- and our uninformed locals include your breed among them-- so I am trying to let you know what I know based on breed type behavior, not offend you for owning this kind of dog. I have always observed that well-socialized guard breeds usually have among the friendliest of personalities. My best friend breeds Boxers, and I have often observed that they are quicker to take offense from challenging body postures, even from the dogs in thier own pack, than my retrievers and border collies are. Just a different mindset! If you are employed as a police officer or bodyguard, you're going to be a bit more paranoid about who's around you than if you're a shepherd in a remote location!

I would continue to walk him as normal and make sure that you stay VERY calm and confident with him, as though it was a one-time fluke (it probably was). If you tense up and are worried that he will be grouchy again, he will definitely sense that energy from you. He doesn't know why you feel tense and paranoid, but he knows instinctively that those feelings mean trouble for his pack (you) and he will be keyed up to defend you and will be more likely to react aggressively again. If he's a food hound or likes toys, take a pocketful of awesome treats (like cooked chicken) or his favoritest toy ever along. If you see another dog approaching (far away- don't give him the chance to notice it or take offense) start to distract him with the toy or give him treats as you approach and pass the other dog so that it is a positive and stress-free meeting. You can set this up to practice if you have a friend with a low-key friendly dog that your dog already likes.

He shouldn't be hurting almost 2 weeks after his surgery, but check to make sure his incision isn't inflamed or weeping, just to be sure he's not reacting grumpily due to discomfort.

Answer 2

He did not try to attack just because he is an american bulldog. What dog did he try to attack? What was the dog doing? What was the situation? Did you see it happen? A lot of times big dogs are insitgated by little dogs, the little dog is barking and growling, and egging the big dog on, but it is not seen as a threat. But when the big dog gets sick of the little dog and strikes back the big dog is 'attacking'. Is this what happened?

If Your dog was the insitagtor I would take him back to obedience training so he learns that this is Unacceptable, and it will also help resocialize him with other dogs. I work at a vet clinic, and I have never seen a dog become aggressive toward other dogs soon after being neutered. And I would also keep him on a leash at all times when he is around other dogs that he does not know well. This is only because he is so big and powerful, and if he ever did bite another dog, Or human, for ANY reason he could do serious damage. I hope you find out what triggered your dog, and I hope it gets resolved. Good Luck.


He may have just Not liked this particular dog. Or it is possible that it could be due to hormonal changes. Just keep an eye on it. If your dog has never had problems before I can't imagine that he actually has dog aggression issues.

Answer 3

Too many people get freaked out by barking/chasing to realize most actual attacks are silent and that most of the time dogs are working it our for themselves. That being said however, MOST dogs are more "aggressive" on leash, even extremely well socialized dogs, for a couple of reasons. Their 'flight' option is taken away, leaving only fight, as well most dogs tend to pull on the leash to see the other dog which inadvertently puts them into an aggressive stance, which could lead the other dog to believe they are more aggressive with their intentions than they are - provoking a response. Think of how you would feel if someone came up to you yelling all the way - you wouldn't be in a very good mood would you?
Another factor that goes into leash aggression is protection - they can be trying to protect you as well.
The really really big problem with leash disagreements is that you can't let them work out themselves as more often than not the leashes tangle panicking the dogs and making it worse.

Disagreements between dogs is loud and can be scary but most of the time (in off leash settings) it is settled with 10-15sec - actual fights will be silent as if barking/growling hasn't worked up to this point in avoiding a fight there is no need for it during a fight.

I'm not condoning that you allow your dog to bully other dogs (nor am I saying thats what he's doing) but learning to watch other dogs and your own can lead you to learning to recognize and remove your dog from potentially aggressive situations. In fact in this situation it sounds as though he is feeling vulnerable from the surgery (the sweetest dogs in the world can be agressive when injured or frightened)


On a side note: A stat for all the people bad mouthing Pitbulls (which aren't American Bulldogs - merely related) - the dog breed that was reported in the most bites last year : GOLDEN RETRIEVER

Answer 4

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Answer 5

I think that since he was 'injured' just 11 days ago, that he may have felt vulnerable when he saw another dog, and just wanted to show that he was not one to mess with..
dogs will sense when another is ill, and often take advantage of it, just as kids will do to a weaker child. Your dog wanted to show that he was not weaker, just because he had a healing 'injury''.
I'm betting that the aggression will soon pass, as soon as he is feeling totally fit again..Just avoid other dogs for a week or two.
He should be back to himself about 3 weeks after surgery.

when I had my little dog spayed this summer, she was terribly crabby with the other dogs in the house until about 3 weeks after surgery, then all was back to normal..

Answer 6

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Answer 7

A muzzle might work, but it isn't a good idea in the long run, as you haven't addressed the core of the problem, which is dog on dog aggression. Your first step is to figure out what exactly is triggering it. If she is not aggressive towards him except after a bath, it could be that he smells or looks different. It could also be triggered by the kind of shampoo you are using, or she may be mistakenly thinking that he is causing her to get "punished" with the water. Here are a couple of things I would change: First, don't wash them together. Wash them separately and keep them apart until both are dry. Second: if you are washing them with the hose by simply spraying them down, stop that. Would you want the hose turned on you? She is building a negative association with the place where you washed her because you have made it a frightening experience for her. If you haven't already, try this: Get a cheapy baby pool from walmart. Fill it with water. Let it set in the sun to warm a bit, if its cold out of the tap. Coax her into the pool with a lot of praise. You can train her to do this (My dog understands "get in there" and it makes bath time a lot easier, since I don't have to lift her into the tube. She is much more confident if she entered it herself. Try balancing on of her favorite treats on something in the middle of the pool, where she can't get it without going in. This is what I did for my dog.) Don't wash her just yet. Keep the tub full and out, and go back to it several times a day for several days, and just practice having her get in and out of it. This way she will get used to getting into the water. After she is getting into and out of the tub properly, use your hands, of a cup to gently scoop water over her back. Go ahead and get her wet. Avoid getting water on her head. IF she takes this well, you can massage the shampoo into her coat, and rinse it off. Remember to praise her and keep telling her how good she is being, so this is a positive experience. You don't want her to think she is being punished. Aside from making bath time a more positive experience, you need to get her somewhere for some professional training. Dog on Dog aggression is an issue that needs to be dealt with. As young as she is, it shouldn't be too hard to break her bad habits, but she needs the training. She needs to know that you are her Alpha, and she needs to know to look to you for guidance when she is feeling insecure. A dog that is confident in her Alpha human, is less likely to display aggression, because she will trust you to protect her.

Answer 8

How old is he? Some dogs, neutered or not, will still be dog aggressive. Most of it is training and management, not only the hormones.

Answer 9

I think it is due to the change of hormones and his emotions are like that of a menopausal woman, switching from one extreme to the other.

Hormones do some strange things to the emotions. Just wait til they are leveled out.

Answer 10

More detail please. He make have attacked the other dog for the reason you stated or the other dog may have triggered the fight with a dominant stare. That will provoke any animal