Why does my Golden suddenly attack my friend's Shiba on the stairs?

Question

My golden retriever has been attacking my friend’s shiba inu every now and then for the past few months- seemingly for no reason. At first I thought they were sorting out who was the “alpha” in the house, then I thought it was redirected aggression, but now I don’t know. In the time between being at the top of the stairs and the bottom, the golden can go from super chill, perhaps a little excited, to a “hulked-up” posture and near bolting for the Shiba, only to result in a fight. Have any ideas? Pet's info: Dog | Golden Retriever | Female | spayed | 3 years and 1 month old | 85 lbs

Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA · Accepted Answer

Hi there. Aggression between dogs in the same household is always a complex issue, so it's difficult to provide much specific advice without being able to evaluate the dogs in person and get a detailed behavioral history. In general, small areas like doorways or staircases where the dogs get very excited and are jostling each other to get through can be common triggers for aggression - it's possible that this could be consistent with what you're describing. In that case, we usually recommend teaching the dogs to go down in a more ordered way - such as having them both stay at the top of the stairs, then calling each one down separately for a reward. In some cases, having the "problem dog" carry a toy can be helpful as it keeps them busy with something else and gives them a different outlet for their excitement. If possible, I would recommend getting in touch with a veterinary behaviorist or a good reward-based trainer who can evaluate the dogs in person and help you put together a more specific plan to work on the problem. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist here: www.dacvb.org or a qualified trainer here: www.ccpdt.org

Why does my Golden suddenly attack my friend's Shiba on the stairs?

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