GSD bit 2lb Chihuahua - advice please - Page 2

my dogs use to juse patrol the fence. and then the neighbors dog bit my brothers 2 year old through the fence when she was playing in the yard and she went bonkers im suprised she didnt go over the fence after the dog. but we all got out there right away. since then my female has bin TERRABLE about fence fighting a E collar was the only thing that worked to fix the problem.

I have to wonder why most seem to blame the GSD? Maybe it was a warning bite. Maybe the little ankle bitter showed aggression toward the GSD?
Why would you take the little dog to the vet for a bleeding gum? Then let the vet run up a big maybe this or maybe that bill feeding on your gult?
This just stinks all around.
Solution? Fence is really the only way to prevent this from occuring again. Calling in a trainer may work, but maybe not.

 I guess I need to clarify, the Chihuahua was bleeding from her side near the haunches where one of my dog's canine's pierced the skin.  It didn't look like much blood was coming out when I looked at her but when I moved her leg to see if it was a scrape or a puncture it started pooling blood, this is why we went and paid the vet bill.  I'm not saying my dog is aggressive in general but obviously her prey drive gets the best of her with the chihuahua's. 

In our neighborhood we are only allowed to put up a 4 foot fence and while that would keep them out of our yard, we've done some agility training and a 4 foot fence is not going to keep her in if she wants out.  I can't say I've ever had her in a fenced in area so I'm not sure if she would even try because if my husband or I don't go out with her she won't even use the bathroom because she thinks we're going to leave without her or something.

I have had several people say to try an electronic collar and that may work with her, I've just seen them be ineffective on several dogs.  I will try anything to help keep the harmony between us neighbors, I was just wondering if you all felt if more training would help.  She knows when we go to my grandma's farm to leave the barn cats and kittens alone but that's because we've sat with her, showed the kittens to her, put them up to her face and told her to leave it and we've never had a problem when we leave her outside unattended and free to roam.  Just appears to be when we're at home.  But I will definately work more with the fence running and off leash work in the back yard as she's good in our front yard mainly because she goes to the car door and sits ready to go for a car ride.

Thanks for all your suggestions!

My two year old male GSD lives with seven very small breed terrier types (6/8 kilos).  When they run loose together if he so much as flips one over by mistake he runs back to me as if to say he didn't mean to hurt it.  Occasionally he will mouth one of them around the neck whilst playing and I yell at him like he just did the worst thing ever.  He slinks towards me and I then give him a release command so he can go play again.  He sleeps with two in his indoor pen and one travels with him in  a big cage in the van.  His sheer size/strength means he could easily kill one with a singe bite but I trust him implicitly with them.    However in this case I would not let your dog run loose where there is any possibility of getting hold of one of these Chis.  Exercise your dog out of your property rather than using the fence running.   If it happens again, then you know what the outcome will be, you cannot say he has never done that before! 

Would add that I would go for the 4 foot fence anyway, to keep them out of her area and although she could easily clear it I know many dogs that respect the low fence/barrier around their property.  I don't believe she meant to hurt the dog but in the excitement of running the fence the size difference is what causes the slightest contact to be far too serious to allow it to happen.

I have 2 Chihuahuas and multiple GSDs. It's really easy; keep them separated if your dog is not trustworthy around small dogs, which obviously she isn't. Accidents can happen anywhere, even with wonderully behaved dogs, but I think dog parks are the worst idea ever and can cause far more problems than they could ever be worth. Chihuahuas are EXTREMELY fragile and the other owner needs to be more careful as well. My Chi broke his jaw while interacting with my GSD- he grabbed for a toy at the same time the GSD did and he ended up biting the GSD's canine tooth, and it was so large compared to his tiny mouth that he punctured the roof of his mouth and broke the side of his jaw- complete freak accident, no aggression involved whatsoever. These dogs take extra care to coexist with, and both you and your neighbor are extremely fortunate the little dog wasn't killed or injured far worse. As the vet mentioned when I brought mine in, their jawbones are only about the thickness of a matchbook, and a bad break can be fatal. 

She knows when we go to my grandma's farm to leave the barn cats and kittens alone but that's because we've sat with her, showed the kittens to her, put them up to her face and told her to leave it and we've never had a problem when we leave her outside unattended and free to roam.  Just appears to be when we're at home



I just want to say from personal experience that cats and kittens diff species they are seem to handle gsd's better than gsds and small dogs not ALWAYS but in most cases cats can handle gsds better and deal with them better than a small dog does im not sure why exactly and its not always the case but most of the time from my own experience fearless cats can usually mix better with a gsd than a toy dog or a really small dog. Cats are more soild build and just know now to handle a crazy over drive dog from what ive seen and they can easily escape a dog if they have to while small dogs are stuck with no escape, small dogs also tend to trigger aggression in gsds. This is also just personal experience again.  My dog is okay around cats but i would never let her around a small dog. I dont think its prey drive i think small dogs can also push buttons. The gsd might just try to put it in its place not kill it. Or just rough play.

Try the 4 foot fence WITH an inward facing overhang and watch your shepherd. Any fence running attempts must be penalised. Rather than a shock collar, a remote citrus collar will work. I have trained many dogs which are 'addicted' to chasing poultry with a remote citrus collar. They are kinder than shocks.

trac123, a remote citrus collar may work on some.  If they had real "fence fighters" though......there are many I guarantee you it would not work on.

she was in chase/prey mode, and when dogs chase prey they only have one way of catching it - with their mouth.  if she meant to kill the chihuahua in aggression the chi would be dead and probably mangled.  She didn't "mean to" hurt the dog - but that doesn't mean it won't happen again when she is amped up in chase/prey mode and the chi is out there running and barking - the next time the bite might be harder and the chi might not be so lucky.  Time for a fence between the properties, one that is small-dog proof.