Hello all,

I've thoroughly enjoyed this forum and have been doing constant reading. I would like to get some input on a current situation I have though, and possibly get some direction.

I currently have a 2 yr old APBT, 4 yr old mix (pit bull mix), and a 1 yr old chihuahua. The newest edition is the 2 yr old. He's very smart, quick learner. I like to refer to him as the A.D.D case as his mind is always going.

Since he has arrived, approx. a month ago, he's had a fairly structured routine. He is crated any time he is unsupervised, he is exercised daily outside (2x 30min each)with his rope and a nightly walk about 30min long as well. His rope is the only thing i've been able to get him to really enjoy or have seen him have any amount of drive about.

Unless, you bring around my chihuahua! Which..I wouldn't find so odd if he was that way with all small dogs, but he used to go to multiple dog parks and was fine (until I got a clue about dog parks). I knew this dog before I took him in, and never noticed any ounce of aggression.

When around my chihuahua he whines like he is excited, does the dominant "eye contact" stare with the chi, and has more of a "grab it if it moves" mentality. They all 3 go for walks at night together, he's learning to ignore him.

He see's him during the day while he is crated, however they are never out together. I have tried sitting on the bed with the chi sitting next to me on one side and him on the other and worked on him relaxing and waiting until he ignores the chi and isn't worried about him anymore.

However the progress has stopped and his behavior seems to just still be the same.

I don't expect him to ever be able to be alone with the chi, or be a "happy family" together. Just curious as to why just this guy.
Now the kicker may be, that they are both intact. The pit for showing reasons, and the chi I will get around to soon.
He has been around many other intact males though with no problem?? Could it be jealousy? Anyhow, any input would be great! Sorry so long!

 Quote: Susan Newell

I have tried sitting on the bed with the chi sitting next to me on one side and him on the other and worked on him relaxing and waiting until he ignores the chi and isn't worried about him anymore.

Not such a great idea.
Start here:

Groundwork
Introducing Dogs

Thanks for the link, but as I said i've already done lots of reading on this site. Maybe I didn't make myself clear enough, i've followed pretty much all of the tips on the site. They walk together nightly, have met through the fence, the chi is loose in the house while he is crated, ect.ect. He is fine during all this.

I agree that it is not the smartest thing but this dog is in no other way dominant with anyone. He's submissive to humans, and to my other dog. Nor aggressive, he seems to just get excited in almost a "drivey" way like he wants to go after the chi. Like he's thinking "squirrel!!" or something. He is corrected for it, and that is why I've been slowly introducing them.

He relaxes after a while, but if the chi moves he's back to being obsessive. Thanks again.

 Quote: susan newell

... Unless, you bring around my chihuahua! Which..I wouldn't find so odd if he was that way with all small dogs, but he used to go to multiple dog parks and was fine (until I got a clue about dog parks). I knew this dog before I took him in, and never noticed any ounce of aggression. .... When around my chihuahua he whines like he is excited, does the dominant "eye contact" stare with the chi, and has more of a "grab it if it moves" mentality. They all 3 go for walks at night together, he's learning to ignore him ... I don't expect him to ever be able to be alone with the chi, or be a "happy family" together. ...

Then why do the sitting-on-the-bed thing with the Chi on one side and the APBT on the other? No sarcasm at all; I don't understand.

If it's for the benefit of the APBT, I would say that it might be at the expense of the Chi's peace of mind, and I'd add that it probably isn't doing the APBT much good either.

It's just this one dog, definitely? He doesn't get this way around any other small fast-moving dogs? Is your other dog (the one he isn't like this with) a Chihuahua?

(That would be a very different scenario, to my mind, if it was other little critters too.)

This isn't the dog who reacted to some kids in a park?

I am totally in agreement with you, I guess I should say I'm just not sure if I should keep going or if I need to do something else or am I doing something wrong?? He doesn't react to other little dogs, he's been fine with the other ones i've seen him meet.
As I said, when I "used" to take him to the dog park before I figured it wasn't such a great idea. He was fine with all those dogs, I even have pictures of him with another chi.

No this isn't the same dog, he was placed into another home. This guy I am planning to keep, so I guess i'm just trying to utilize every option and get different opinions!

Is there any chance the chi is doing something to trigger the reaction?

Hmm..i'm not sure what that would be. He's very submissive, could that be a trigger? He doesn't make eye contact, and will roll onto his back most of the time.

I mentioned jealousy since he is a little bit of an attention hound, and he does see the chi allowed to be out and run around. He also whines when the chi gets attention occasionally but not all the time.
We got the pitt from a house where he was only an outside dog and he is making the transition into being a house dog so he is only allowed to be in certain parts of the house, and usually on a leash.

 Quote: Susan Newell

I am totally in agreement with you, I guess I should say I'm just not sure if I should keep going or if I need to do something else or am I doing something wrong?? He doesn't react to other little dogs, he's been fine with the other ones i've seen him meet. ....

Then from my POV, he and the Chihuahua need to be separated in the situations where they are not both calm (with no uneasiness for the Chi).

You mentioned walks? Is that all calm, with no beady-eyes around your back, etc.?

Regardless of what benefit the corrections, etc., may be to the APBT, I wouldn't subject the Chihuahua to these periods of anxiety and tension.

Someone else may say, though, that the Chihuahua will benefit from seeing you correcting the APBT and protecting the Chihuahua. I will be interested to read other opinions, because my own is pretty much from-the-hip. Or gut.

In the beginning, he would turn around and watch the chi for a step or two. Now he walks fine and ignores him.
So over all the situation really isn't bad. I guess it is just figureing out if I need to just keep rotating them as I am, or continue to try and see if they get used to eachother.
I've never had dogs that didn't eventually learn to be okay together, so this is my first go around with crate/rotate for long periods of time.