Advice Needed Please

[pappabear 128]

hi all , out walking my dogs this evening and our saluki / grey has ripped my italian greyhound x whippets neck now these dogs live together in our house and are usually fine , they were both running and the saluki x went for the whippet x who had a go back then the saluki x got the other by the neck and would not let go .

i know the italian / whippet is thin skinned and rips easily but it does look a mess and the dog is proper sorry for himself i have rung the vets but he said he doesnt want to see him till morning .

my question is how likely is it that the saluki will attack him again i dont mind muzzeling him while out but dont want to have to do it full time any advice welcome

[hutch6 550]

Keep them separate and only together under supervision for a while. Dogs usually forget about this type of thing very quickly but if injury has occurred and the incident to the extent you described I'd just keep them safe rather than sorry.

[brucemyster 75]

did you get them both together or have you had one longer than the other? we have a staffy and a springer that used to live happily together but now have to be kept apart as they will fight if in the same vicinity (can manage to walk them together with two people if kept on leads) check your dogs eyes, if their stressing each other out one dog or even both dogs whites of the eyes will be bloodshot, try separating them and you'll find within a short while the eyes will go back to their normal whitish colour. If they are stressing because they no longer get on together then it's best to keep them apart as it noticeably effects the dogs health and wellbeing, mind you it's a pain in the backside if like us you don't have the largest of houses, springer lives upstairs staffy down alternating times in the living room, keeps me fit though taking each out separately!!

[pappabear 128]

thanks guys , had the italian / whippet 5 years and the saluki/grey 2 the saluki used to chase the other when on walks but grew out of it this is the first fight they have had and thgey usually get fed at the same time as my other dogs no problems . will keep them seperate for now , thanks again

[skycat 6,172]

Depending on the sex, temperament, status of both dogs, they may NEVER forget, and there may always be tension simmering away under the surface. Without knowing both dogs well, and having not seen the incident, I'd never leave them loose together again. What starts as retaliation for a nip in play, could well go on to be a serious problem. I have two dogs that can never run loose in play, but who can work together just fine bushing, so long as their energy is focussed on the prey, rather than each other.

[pappabear 128]

thanks skycat , they are both male and both neautered , the italian x whippet is really placid and has been babied by my son the saluki x is more boisterous but has never bitten the others , both of them bow down to my wifes shih-tzu bitch .

[beast 1,884]

i was going to ask the sex of the dogs, as two bitches, if they once fall out will often never be trusted together again. i would think that two gelded males should be quite amicable, perhaps the younger dog is just finding his feet a bit and challenging the older? i should be very careful for a while, dont leave hem unsupervised and make sure they both see you as a clear leader, and focus on you rather than sorting out their own heirarchy. hopefully they will sort it out

[pappabear 128]

thanks beast , jimmy the italian is very wary at the moment and doesnt want to be in the same room as tommy the saluki x which is acting as if nothing has happened and wants to be with jimmy . hopefully they will both get over this as both are family pets .

[skycat 6,172]

The problem is that the two dogs have very different mindsets, and also, size matters. The small dog retaliates because it doesn't like being used as a target too roughly by the very high prey drive Saluki. The Saluki, once in prey drive, retaliates against the small dog fighting back, and bingo, you have a problem. It's not that either dog on their own is a problem, but Salukis play very hard and rough, bite hard, and many get into the red mist zone if something hurts them. In my humble opinion, you'll never be able to let them play together again. Also the Saluki is probably suffering from frustration in not actually being able to hunt/chase/kill things.

The only way you'll safely be able to keep both dogs is to give the Saluki a real work out (maybe on a lure that it can catch) on a regular basis to satisfy its prey drive, and when you walk them keep one dog on a lead at all times. Never let them run loose together.

[pappabear 128]

thanks skycat , dont mind them not being able to play and when on walks the saluki will now be muzzeld and they will only be allowed off when the other one is back on the lead , what i need is help with ways of getting the whippet x to be comfortable in the house with the saluki x in the same room otherwise i may have to look at rehoming the saluki x or having him pts , which would devastate the wife and kids ( me also a little bit ) but just dont have the room to keep them seperate permamently

[chook1 184]

Just give him time and let him have his space, don't force the whippet x to be in the same room if he doesn't want to be, he will be warey for a while but will get over it, best thing to do is keep everything as normal, if you show anxiety or worry of them being together or because the whippet x doesn't want to come in the room then he's going to pick up on that and not want to go in the room.

 

When out try redirection with the other dog, use a ball, fluffy squeaky toy etc and get it to burn some of the energy and frustration off.

[pappabear 128]

thanks chook1 , just taking it steady at the moment and seeing how things go .

[foxdropper 17,092]

I would say its just a case of rough play .If you want grudges then keep terriers mate .I would do my utmost to work them together.They are working dogs i take it.

[jeemes 3,491]

theres a good chance you can bring them back if they were good mates before the fight. Its better imo if there was a clear winner,and the other will give way in future. In a dogs world someone has to be in charge.

[skycat 6,172]

theres a good chance you can bring them back if they were good mates before the fight. Its better imo if there was a clear winner,and the other will give way in future. In a dogs world someone has to be in charge.

 

And that someone must be the human. There can be no fighting 'in the ranks' ... ever. If a dog has overstepped the mark even in play, and hurt the other one, the victim never forgets and there will always be tension between them. Trouble is, big tough thugs such as some male Salukis often don't have the same mentality as more delicate little dogs.

The 'victim' may always be on edge around the bigger dog, but as Chook said, just act normal, at the same time as being very observant: watch for the bigger dog to see if he looms over the smaller one, pushes him around. Dogs live in a world where body language is everything, and it can often be very subtle, something that most humans don't generally understand.

If, once the pain and immediate fear has gone, the Whippet is still frightened, won't be anywhere near the bigger dog, then you'll have to get rid of one. But things may calm down. Not knowing the dogs it is hard to say exactly how things will pan out.