Aggression with a puppy

Alfie is nearly 9 months old, and such a lovely pup, never shown any signs of any aggression.

He knows "leave it" and "give".

If I want a toy/chew off him I will go and say give, and he lets go, he does this with anyone who tells him too.

We went to my uncles for a few days just after xmas and we took alfie with us. Now he has just got (a month or so ago) a beagle pup, who is just over 4 months old.

The 2 of them were playing so well nearly the whole time. We seperated them at times for eating and when they needed to sleep etc and it was going so well, they were playing with toys, like playing "tug" with each other or chasing each other with a toy etc, but out of these 3 days, on the 2nd night, the beagle was just doing his own thing and wandered over to alfie and alfie really went for him....

Alfie wasnt holding a toy or anything, but had been previously and it was sitting fairly close.

We reckoned that he was just tired and had got a bit grumpy as alfie is starting to "mature" and the beagle is still hyper all the time.

But on the 3rd night the same thing had happened. Alfie had picked up a chew whilst the beagle was out the room, i went and told him to give it and he did and i placed it out of reach, and then the beagle came in and they were playing, but I didn't realise there was another identical chew lying around, which alfie got, and then after a while he went for the pup again... apart from a tiny scratch (could have happened by playing) there wasn't a mark on the beagle either time..

Was just curious why this happened?

When he was younger and was getting tired when playing with next doors adult labrador, he would get a bit growly, but not aggressive, it was literally a tired growly noise, so maybe it was just too much as they had been playing for 2/3 days pretty much solidly up to that point?

I am a parent, I was also a nanny for several years.

Siblings fight over stuff.
Children fight with other children over stuff.

Do you call this "aggressiv"?

Children eventually learn to share.

Dogs do not do sharing.

To expect all dogs to do so is unrealistic and unfair to the dogs.

Manage your expectations, resource guarding is hard wired into dogs to a greater or lesser degree.

Beagles, like many hounds, are bred to live in packs, you could not do this with most breeds (imagine a pack of terriers)!

So my response to you is chill, there is nothing wrong with your dog or the other one, it is normal behaviour which you can avoid for most of the time with good enviromental management.

The dog got told off by a another which used "all mouth and trousers" and no teeth. Kudos to the dog.

Maybe he was fed up? Since there were no injuries it doesn`t sound serious to me.

Thanks guys.

Yeah, he does sometimes play growl (must be the JRT in him ), but this was full on growl/charging the pup.

There was no injuries, but I did grab him quick both times.

I am not worried he will be dog aggressive, or aggressive at all really, was just in case there was something I had missed/should be working on.

I put it down to him being tired and just wanting peace, but up till that point he just wandered off and ignored the pup, which was odd he snapped.

I had this same problem with Milo and his litter sister Milli, a few months ago when I was looking after her for my friend she was led on the bed and Milo walked past minding his own business when she lunged at him and grabbed hold of his neck. Milo started yelping and I jumped and got her off him and put her in the crate and when I turned back round there was blood on the wall and she had drew blood on Milos neck She did this again two more times and also went for me (this is at 4/5 months old) so I told my friend I couldn't have her anymore.

I put it down to sibling rivalry as milli was with the litter for two weeks after I got Milo so she was used to having a challenge for her food and toys. Milo has never growled at any dog or person you can take anything off him and so can another dog, he's got an amazing temperament!

Maybe he is just grouchy and as you said starting to mature more now, I just corrected Milli when she did it and apparently she's not done it with another dog since!

My male and female terriers get on brilliantly and have been together for nearly 9 years now BUT the 3 occasions where there has been a dispute has been over high-value things where Cherry has pinned Parker to the floor because she wanted both bones or she wanted the Nina Ottenson dog game.

Simple solution-I don't leave them with high-value things like this anymore. They are fine with toys etc but as Smokeybear pointed out you can't expect dogs to be able to understand and adhere to the concept of sharing!

@Smokeybear, I am still enjoying the vision of a pack of terriers

If they were all like Parker you'd be ok but if they were all like Cherry......doesn't bear thinking about!

@Kerry, for some reason I had in my mind a pack of JRTs

I would seem to think that Alfie is just trying to tell the other dog that he is boss.

If he hasn't been with another dog for this time period before he may think that the Beagle is here to stay so he is getting the high authority. At the start Alfie most probably thought that he was just there to play.