My jealous Rottweiler killed a dog. Can her aggression be fixed?

My answer may not be one you like, but it may be putting her to sleep is best for you and her. She sounds very aggressive, and it's quite serious she has killed two dogs. If she can do this to dogs, she could potentially serious hurt a child or adult as well. You cannot take this risk. I know what a hard decision this can be, I had to make it myself. I had a wonderful dog named Toby, but as he got older, he started to act possessive of his bed and things. He started to act aggressive, and the one day, he bit my son in the face, just missing his eye. I couldn't take that risk any more, so I put him to sleep the same day. It was devastating, but the right thing to do. This may be the best option for her. I hope this helps, and I'm sorry.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Mylah and her apparent aggression. Aggression problems can be very complicated and complex. One thing you should do initially is take her to your veterinarian and let them make sure that she is healthy and that nothing appears wrong medically. Pain, etc can bring about aggression and irritability problems. Once the medical check is cleared, then you can discuss with your vet exactly what is going on behaviorally. Your veterinarian may want to refer you to a certified trainer or animal behaviorist to try to sort out what is triggering the aggression. I see she is spayed so we can rule out irritability/aggression associated with her heat cycles. I wish you the best of luck with little cutie Mylah.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! These types of behavior can improve though this does require in person training with the help of a qualified dog trainer. I would encourage you to contact a dog trainer that can work with you and her in person to really take care of this behavior. The sooner these behaviors are dealt with, the more likely it is that you can improve and resolve them. Good luck and have a great day!

I'm sorry to hear that you're having this problem! It sounds like you're on the right track by separating them as much as possible when you're not home - with redirected aggression, managing the dogs to prevent situations like this from occurring is one of the most important parts of treatment. In some cases, it can be possible to teach both dogs to do something else (such as go to a mat) when exciting things happen to prevent Ophelia from becoming overly aroused and aggressive towards Chitsa, but this would really only be feasible when you are at home to manage things - so it wouldn't help much for things that happen when you're gone. I do understand your concerns about crating one of the dogs for long periods of time during the day. I would suggest trying to find a way to separate them that doesn't require using crates - perhaps by putting one of the dogs in a bedroom or other room with the door closed, or using a baby gate or other barrier to keep them apart. If there are certain things that trigger the dogs to become upset (such as seeing people pass by through the window, for example), you could also try using some type of barrier to keep them away from windows or other areas that tend to make them overly aroused. Finally, this behavior can sometimes be improved by prescription medication such as an SSRI like Prozac - you could certainly talk to your veterinarian to see if he/she feels that this might be helpful for Ophelia.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. At 2 years of age, Jalen is still at a good age to train. I would recommend behavioral training with a certified trainer / behaviorist. If that is not an option, I would recommend using a pinch collar or gentle leader collar to help train. If she is anxious and high strung, I would also recommend using NaturVet Quiet Moments Calm Chews with Melatonin, which can be found online or at your local pet store. You can also use a spray bottle filled with water and whenever she barks or begins to become aggressive, you can spritz her in the face and say "off" or "down" and when she follows the command, reward her with a treat. A trainer is most likely your best option though for faster results. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I agree with you, the discipline has not been handled correctly. There are other, better ways to discipline a dog but at this time it is going to be difficult to correct without a professional trainer. Does she have fear aggression? I don't know because I have not witnessed the behavior myself so I can't say for sure. You need a professional dog trainer to come to your house and see the dog's behavior and how the dog interacts with everyone in the house. Only then can they make recommendations on how to correct the problem. Sometimes you need to work concurrently with a veterinarian as behavior modification medications may be needed in the beginning of the re-training. I'm sorry I do not know where you are located so I can't really recommend a trainer. I suggest you call your vet for a recommendation. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If this is a sudden behavioral change I would have her examined. She could be painful or not feel well and she is acting out because of that. It is better for her health to be spayed, she is at risk for an infected uterus which is an expensive surgical emergency. Hormones can affect temperament, so it MAY help but it might not be the solution. If her exam and blood work are normal, you can have her spayed then consider training and medications to control her aggression. I hope this helps and I wish you and Bella the very best!