Felknelover. i was instructed to feed both dogs at the same time. There had been no aggresion whatsoever for the first week. I had also thought how well trained they were as the younger dog never went anywhere near the older dogs food and just wandered off on his own and left her to it. She ate at less than half the speed of the younger dog. As there was never any problems I continued to feed them both together. I did place bowls a little distance away.
For me it suddenly seemed out of character for him to be watching her eat. She had not finished half of it when she lifted her head for a pause in eating. And that was when he went to dive in. I immediately said a firm no, and went to shoo away, so she could finish. I could not have anticipated in any way the sudden reaction I recieved. He just turned into a savage snarling monster baring his teeth and attacking me extremely aggresively It was absolutley frightening and I was shaking and scared.. I had never even recieved a growl from him in that first week. Up utill that moment I had thought he was a nice friendly dog. Hindsight is a wonderful thing but without my crystal ball there is no way I could have predicted this reaction. I had certainly not been given ant warnings that there was a chance he could just snap and attack in this way. And the owner did say she would never have left him with any sitter, had she have thought there could be this sort of reaction from him. But they do think he could have developed a tumour, as he was acting strangely with her son and with the owner when she arrived. Maybe a flashback to his puppyhood, when ill treated and tauight to be aggresive?
I am sorry this happened to you. It sounds very frightening and I wasn’t meaning to blame you, sorry if it came across that way. If the HO gave you the ok to feed them together, then they are clueless. Younger dogs are always fine through puppyhood and often adolescence, but around 3-4 years can take on more anxious or aggressive stances. That is the difference between puppyhood and adulthood.
If a HO ever told me to feed both together, I would ask 1) Does one eat faster than the other (almost always the case) and 2) as dogs can act differently when the HO are not around would it be ok to feed separately? If they say no, fine, I’d feed them together. The one that finished fastest is always leashed, so once they are done they are physically moved away from the slower eater to finish.
When you stepped in with a no, what the dog did is called redirected aggression. He was going for the other dog (probably to take the food) and you stepped in. So he turned on you because you were there and in the way.
Dogs don’t understand words. No means less to them then the tone of voice you say it with, which is which caused the redirected aggression towards you.
It isn’t your fault, but the dog wasn’t ‘dangerous’, he was being a dog - and they can get territorial around food. It’s sad for the dogs that people (and I mean the HO here, as you were temporary in the situation) don’t take time to understand better, especially before getting a second or third dog.
I do hope your injuries have healed.
Hi Felinelover,
Thanks. I did not actually come between him and the food. I was stood to his side, with the bowl to my right. The older dog was behind the bowl facing me. He had a clear way to the bowl but, as I said ‘no’, in a split second he was baring his teeth and turned his head and went for one hand and then the other, in extreme quick succession and then my leg. Later discovered my foot also. It had all happened so quick that I didn’t realise he had bitten my foot until later. He was actually ten years old and the older dog thirteen.
I have looked after two dogs on multiple previous occasions and frequently one much quicker at eating than the other but have just moved away when told etc. with frequently just a look being enough. I had only takem the older dog on shorter walks with him as she did have breathing problems etc. I always took him on much longer walks on .his own. That morning though he had seemed to be a bit more relunctant to walk that eagerly, with the older dog more in front on a couple of occasions. He had always been loving and affectionate, snuggling up to me on the sofa in the evenings, when the older dog stayed away. I think she must have resigned herself to knowing he always received all the attention, as the moment he was off the scene it was her snuggling up to me. But if you have been looking after a dog that has shown no signs of aggression and not so much as a warning growl at any time, you do get a false sense of security. It is too easy for people to say after an event what should have been done. Hindsight is a womnderful thing. A bit like somebody getting run, over when crossing the road. They had not seen the speeding car coming around the bend, when they stepped out. I really do not think that this reaction, could have been predicted in any way. He had certainly neve once attempted to go anywhere near her food previously.