Why is my senior dog growling at other dogs after a coyote attack?

Before we consider that she is traumatized by the incident, you might want to make sure she didn't suffer any injury during the unwanted advances. She could be suffering from some pain, inflammation, muscle spasms, or even urogenital trauma that is causing her to act aggressively when approached by other animals. If a vet has determined this not to be case, then yes, she could be some what traumatized from the experience. Just like in human beings, time heals all wounds. The amount of time required is up to her however and I would not try to rush things as this will likely only delay matters more. In ordinary circumstances, I would recommend light desensitization therapy but I think it is too soon to be taking that under consideration. Give her some time and space away from dogs likely to act in such a manner and hopefully she will not act this way for long. Allow her to spend time with dogs that you know act in a pleasant and calm manner for now. Hope this helps.

She is likely a very chilled dog who is more used to interacting in a calm manner with humans. If she doesnt want to play i would just let her do her own thing. She will probably appreciate a bit of fuss from you though.

I do not think it is anything you are specifically doing wrong. As dogs age they can have a change in personality but it is important to start training to turn this behavior around. IT sounds like she is scared and having some anxiety. I would recommend starting with basic commands like sit, stay and come. I also would recommend getting her in training classes so you can start to redirect her behavior. Once she starts feeling more confident it most likely will help with her behavior around other dogs. i hope that helps

I suggest you have your dog examined by your vet because many times older dogs will start to growl and be "grouchy" when they are hurting (ie: arthritis) or because their vision or hearing is going. If she felt better overall then she may not be as apt to be upset. You are correct, the best thing you can do to be safe it is to keep them separated. The easiest way to do this is to baby gate off a section of the house for your dog to be in so that there is no way for them to come into direct contact with each other. Without gating your only option is to use a basket muzzle (not a cloth muzzle) on her so that if she does try to bite - she can't make direct contact with her teeth. ( https://www.amazon.co.uk/Company-Animals-BASKERVILLE-MUZZLE-size/dp/B004OB3M2Y/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=B004OB3M2Y&qid=1558944063&s=pet-supplies&sr=1-1 ) Finally, you can try pheromone therapy - it may help but I honestly haven't had great results with these products but they won't hurt to try. ( http://www.dapdiffuser.com/ ) Hope this helps. Best wishes.

I'm sorry to hear that you're dealing with this scary, and sad, situation. Firstly, I would never allow her to be around the kids, even while supervised. She's being clear that she's uncomfortable with it and the next step will likely be biting if her growling doesn't get her out of the situation. Secondly, at her age, I would be most concerned about pain (arthritis pain, etc) or maybe a change in mental status such as dementia, so I'd recommend starting with a vet visit to look for a medical cause. If it's just the grandchildren she struggles with, and the vet can't find any pain, you may not need to do anything beyond keeping them apart. If she's also growling at you and the vet can't find a medical cause, it will be time to work with a behaviorist.

He may be developing a degree of canine cognitive dysfunction (senility). Yiu can discuss this with your veterinarian if medical causes ( illness or injury) have already been ruled out. A veterinary behavioral specialist may help you identify Mr. Wilson's triggers and then recommend exercises to reduce or eliminate them. Your veterinarian may be able to dispense medication that can also help. You can read more below. https://www.petcoach.co/article/cognitive-dysfunction-senility-in-dogs/

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. The development of aggression as a dog gets older is not something I would consider to be normal. This behavioral change could be due to canine cognitive dysfunction (think of this as doggy dementia) or potentially something more neurological (brain tumor or degenerative change to the brain). I would recommend having Buddy examined by a veterinarian so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. There may be something systemic going on so having his blood tested would be a good idea. There are drugs that you can use for doggy dementia such as Selegiline. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.