Why is my dog aggressive to my sick dog after coming home from vet?

Question

Our 2 year old cavalier has been barking and acting aggressive to our 12 year old sick cavalier since she came home from the vet this afternoon. Can he tell that she is not doing well? What can we do to control his behavior? Prior to this, he was very protective of her; now we can't let him near her. Thank you.

Dr. Davis · Accepted Answer

Sometimes dogs don't like the change in smell when another dog comes back from the vet. You may want to wipe down the older dog with a damp cloth and brush her to get the vet smell off her. It also can be that he now sees she is weak and he wants to take over being the top dog. This can be dangerous as he could fight with her and hurt her so you are right to keep them separate when you are not there to monitor their behavior. If your younger dog is well trained I would make it clear to him that this is inappropriate behavior by your voice and placing him in a crate or outside when he exhibits this behavior. Hopefully in a few days things will settle back into the normal routine. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you get answers to your veterinary questions.

Why is my dog aggressive to my sick dog after coming home from vet?

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