bella
New Member
Posts: 1 
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Post by bella on Jun 10, 2013 21:18:31 GMT -7
I have 2 boxers and my Dotson recovered from spinal surgery 3 months ago when her back legs gave out. She was taken care by a rescue and now she's back home but my boxers went crazy and seem to want to attack her. Is it possible for them to eventually live together or do I give her back to the rescue? Please help!
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PaulaM
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Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,570
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Post by PaulaM on Jun 11, 2013 9:45:58 GMT -7
Bella, there is always a new pack dynamic after a dog has been injured.
For dogs the inborn instinct about weakness is for survival protection of the pack as a whole. There are two things that can happen in pack dynamics when a dog has been or is sick.
1. The healthy one may try to eliminate the weaker in the pack.
2. For the sick one, now the weaker in the pack to become more protective and aggressive because they know they are weaker now and may be subject to being attacked.
Make sure that Dotson feels protected from his best buds when home alone... the crate will be that source of protection. Whenever you leave the house and they are not supervised, it is a good idea to crate them for their own safety. We have had many instances where a deadly attack among best buds could have been avoided by crating. One I recall is of two sisters who had grown up together and never showed any signs of aggression to one another. The two dogs were put in the kitchen while their owners went out to dinner. They came home to find the IVDD dog almost dead from the vicious attacks of the other.
I do not know if with some time and training, your other boxer can learn to accept Dotson.
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