Why is my older female dog attacking my younger dog all of a sudden?

Question

why does my older female dog attack my younger dog at times? Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Female | spayed | 6 years and 4 months old | 15 lbs

Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA · Accepted Answer

I'm sorry that you're having this problem! Without more information, I'm afraid it's hard to say why this might be happening - aggression between dogs in the same household is a complex behavior issue that can have many causes. Some common possible causes for this behavior would include stress or anxiety, resource guarding, frustration or over-arousal, redirected aggression, or poor social skills. In most cases, a detailed behavior history as well as in-person observation of the dogs together would be needed to help determine the problem. I would recommend making an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist who can evaluate both dogs in person - he/she can help you understand why this is happening, and also help you put together a detailed training and management plan to work on the problem. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here: www.dacvb.org

Why is my older female dog attacking my younger dog all of a sudden?

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