Depression

[THOMAS E HUBBARD]

Hi Trish. I have four year old Pitbull(Stray). Two years ago his companion Duke died. For two weeks he would hardly eat or drink anything. Since then Stray has started showing signs of aggression towards dogs. I want to get another dog as a playmate for Stray but I am affraid that he won't accept her. Do you have any advice on how to get used to another dog in the house? Stray has been neutered since he was about 6 months old. He was never aggressive towards Duke. I really want to get him a playmate because he doesn't seem as happy as he used to. He does seem a little happier when our neighbors Rottweiler is in the yard next door. But he seems to be wanting to attack him more than play.

[Trish McMillan]

Is that Stray in the picture? He's really cute.

It's not uncommon for Pit Bulls to become less friendly toward other dogs as they get older, though very often they're always OK with dogs they grew up with. Many of them prefer to have all the people-attention to themselves, so if your dog has spent two years with all the attention to himself, I'm not sure he really needs or wants a companion.

I'd need to know more about the type of aggression he's showing to know whether or not he might accept another dog friend. If he is grabbing and latching on to every dog he meets, and has sent dogs to the vet for repair, I'd say he doesn't need a dog friend. If he barks a bit while on leash, but plays nicely off-leash, he's a better candidate.

When looking for a companion for a dog, I advise people to get a dog of a similar size, but the opposite sex to the one they currently have. Matching two "pushy" dogs or two terrified dogs may exacerbate problems, but a more assertive companion will sometimes help a shy one out of their shell. Some dogs accept puppies better than adult dogs and some can't stand puppies.

Allowing him to practice fence-fighting with the Rott next door may be increasing his dog aggression, I'd put a stop to this (bring him in if he charges the fence, or make the fence more opaque or harder to get to.)

Trish