My Dutch Shepherd just killed my other dog. Need Help.

[charles_sj]

Hi, I am from Bolivia.

I feel devastated. I have a 2 years old female Dutch Shepherd who yesterday killed another of my dogs, a 3 years old female Golden Retriever. What has puzzled me is that there was NEVER any indication of aggressiveness of my dogs, not to people or between them, ever. I train agility with all of them. Again, I feel devastated.

I have 4 dogs in total. The other two dogs are a 7 years old male Golden Retriever and a 3 years old male Mixed Breed. As stated above, there was NEVER the slightest sign of aggression among them, either in the house or on the street, not to people, not with other dogs.

Yesterday I went to lunch at a restaurant for an hour, and when I returned home I found the female Golden Retriever on the floor bleeding. She died half an hour later. She had multiple very DEEP WOUNDS on top of both front legs and on her head and eyes. She was destroyed. The Ducth Shepherd had her mouth and teeth full of blood.

I got the Dutch Shepherd when she was 7 months old, from a guy who train his dogs for search and rescue, and he told me that this dog has no previous training at all.

I see only two problems that may have caused the Dutch Shepherd to kill my other dog, because I can find no other explanation.

1. On the park, she played very strong with other female dogs, caught them from their loin, like prey and made them mourn. So I guess she has no bite inhibition.

2. Her breeder spayed her a couple of months before I got her, but despite that, she kept coming zeal every 6 months, so one month ago I took her to the vet and operated again. The vet found half of uterus and both ovaries were intact, and proceeded to remove them. So I assume that she can have a very strong hormonal load.

Please help me know what to do with my Dutch Shepherd. I've always loved my dogs. They are my friends and buddies, but this situation has devastated me and depressed, and I don't know what to do with my Dutch Shepherd. Every time I look her I see the face bleeding from my Golden Retriever.

Charles

[centrop67]

I am sorry for your loss.

It's frustrating sometimes that our dogs can't just say what's going on with them. However, some observed behavior can tell us a lot. The dog park behavior was a kind of a warning sign.

You also have a dog who just had surgery that sharply adjusted her hormones.

I know there are exceptions, but in general Dutch Shepherds get along with one person and just barely tolerate other family members. In this case, the tolerance was pushed over the limit.

For the safety of your other dogs, please find a new home for the Dutch Shepherd. Also, make sure you warn the new owners of this behavior.

Welcome to the forum, I am sorry you had to join for this mournful reason.

[k9lexi]

That is very sad charles. I'm sorry for your loss and the difficult decision you must make.

[charles_sj]

Thank you so much for your support, centrop67 and k9lexi. It has helped me cope with this difficult time and to make a more informed decision.

[Dutchringgirl]

I am so very sorry. I dont think anyone can make this decision for you. You must sit down, alone or with your wife or partner, and think very long and hard.

I can understand that when you look at her you will see what she did.

Now that she has done this. will your other dogs be safe?

SHe MUST be crated for ever now when you go out or kept separate from the others.

It may have been a fight that got out of hand, not a malicious straight out wanting to kill but something that just happened.

You must make the decision, not anyone else

[jwsafranek]

Dutch Shepherds are, at the end of the day, dogs. All dogs bite. Every one of them. All dogs can get into fights, bite and kill other dogs, or people even. Every single one of them. Anyone that tells you that any of the aforementioned is inaccurate, false, misleading, etc. is either a liar, delusional or both. That being said, you indicated that there was 'never any indication' ... Please do not take this the wrong way, but there were indications. Loads of them. You simply did not notice them. This also had NOTHING to do with the DS's 'ovaries' or 'hormones'. Absolutely, positively NOTHING. In fact, the partial spay may have just pissed her off and contributed to this. LEAVE THE DOG'S SEX ORGANS ALONE. I have experience with many large breeds, including the DS. It is my personal opinion that your 'Golden Retriever' started something it could not finish. I have seen so many Golden Retrievers who are, for lack of a better description, insane in dog terms. They are 'dysfunctionally aggressive.' The owners, yes you owners, simply overlook this and sometimes think it is normal. It is NOT. The owners have bred Goldens this way, mostly unknowingly, for cash and for looks. Dutch Shepherds are very, very smart. They have yet to experience the ignominy of US breeders. Smart dogs realize that insane dogs are well, sorry, insane, and do not belong in the gene pool. And so they 'find work' and eliminate the problem. That is 100% what happened. And it is NOT the Dutch Sheperherd's fault. But I have no doubt American 'breeders' will soon turn the DS into what they have managed to do with the Golden Retriever and every other dog they 'breed.' But until then, the DS is an awesome dog. Sorry for your loss.

[Jean512]

I'm so sorry for your loss, what a frightening experience. I've heard warnings before that female dogs are more likely to fight each other to the death than males with females. But it's rare anyway and you never expect it to happen with your own dogs I hope you can find peace and a good solution.