dog being attacked

[eevee1]

my 3 year old male dog was attacked by my other 2 dogs, while i was out. i came back to them still attacking him, i do believe they would have killed him had i not returned when i did. the injuries are mainly superficial but he is mentally scared. he just curls up in the smallest corner he can find, wont eat much and only if hand fed, is sometimes aggressive towards me. its like he has just given up. the vets only treat the external injuries.its upsetting to see him like this. i have already rehomed one of the other dogs and is kept away from the other one. i need any help i can, i just dont seem to be getting anywhere with him.

[eevee1]

thanks for all your help. i cant get the other one neutered as he's 10yrs now and dont know if he would come through the op. [vets advise]. he has started eating now so hopefully he will start coming round now.

[ginger899]

Entire males can be aggressive sometimes towards other dogs, especially one 'entering their territory'
You poor dog.I do feel sorry for him. It's the law of the pack, as far as the other 2 dogs are concerned. They are trying to 'send him out of the pack'. But the poor thing!

I think either you may be better to get the other dogs neutered as well, or to take quite powerful charge of this situation, showing them with strict discipline, and reward, that you are the undisputed Pack Leader. They are ALL subordinates to you.

[eevee1]

hi the dog is a neutered rottie and the dogs who attacked him are a rottie and a rottie x mastiff. [both full male]. they have had spats in the past, mainly vocal and if you shout they stop. I have been treating his wounds but otherwise ignoring his frightened behaviour,only rewarding him when he comes to me off his own back. he has never been attacked to this extent, he has never had puncture wounds. im not sure if it was the young male coming into 'puberty' but he has been re-homed since this incident. i cant get a lead on him as hes snapping as his wounds around his neck are hurting him.

[Jaybay]

One thing for certain, this problem has been brewing for quite some time.  Dogs don't simply "decide" to attack out of nowhere.  There is always a reason, but it can sometimes be difficult to identify if you don't understand how a pack of dogs operates.

It's quite clear your pack is lacking leadership on your part.  If you are treating the victim of the attack like a victim, he'll never get any better.  He needs to know that he is secure in your leadership.  A strong pack leader is also a protector, which removes a great deal of stress from the rest of the pack.

Most vets really aren't good at treating the mental part of dogs' health and rely on trainers.  Well, there are trainers and there are trainers.  What you need is a behaviorist.  It's not about sit, stay, come, etc., it's about your dogs (and any other dog for that matter) recognizing that you are the head honcho and your word is law.

In the meantime, try to not reward the behavior you don't want.  If the dog is acting frightened and hiding himself away, that is the worst time to give affection.  All that does is reinforce the fixation that he really does have something to fear.  Giving and receiving affection with our dogs is a wonderful thing, but timing is everything.

If you find yourself relying on verbal communication like constant chatter, it's time to zip your lips.  Dogs could care less what comes out of your mouth.  Talking makes us feel better, but it does nothing for the dog.  If he's hiding in a corner and won't come out, quietly get the leash and put it on.  Use the leash to calmly let him know that it's time to move.  Above all, give him time to think about it.  It may take only a moment for him to do what you want, or it may take an hour.  What you cannot do is give up and make his fear even more powerful.  Once he's out of the corner, give him a reward like going for a walk, a quick massage, a treat.  Any positive reinforcement of the behavior is fine.  Just do it with minimal words.

Can you give us more information as to what a typical day looks like for your pack?  That will help us give you more specific advice.  This problem is certainly fixable, but it's going to take dedicated work on your part.  :-)

[Ghilly]

What kind of dogs do you have?   The one that was attacked is a male, what about the ones that attacked him?  

There are some dogs who just do not get alone with other  dogs no matter how hard you try.  From what you wrote it doesn't sound like this was the first time this has happened.   How many times has this dog been attacked?  Do you know if there are any triggers or if it's simply a personality clash?  Write back with as much information as you can give us so that we have as much to go on as you can provide us.  Otherwise it's very difficult to hazard a guess as to what the problem might be.  Thanks!

Ghilly