Over-Arousal, Chasing and Redirected Biting
When dogs run and chase together, their excitement and arousal can rise very quickly. In some situations, normal chasing can escalate into grabbing or biting, resulting in a serious injury even when the dogs normally live together peacefully.
High-speed running makes these incidents particularly dangerous. A dog may grab another dog’s skin, coat or tail and fail to release immediately. The speed and opposing movement can then turn what might otherwise have been a small puncture into a large tearing wound.
Is It Redirected Aggression?
Redirected aggression has a particular behavioural meaning. It usually occurs when a dog is highly aroused or frustrated by one target that it cannot reach and turns upon a nearby person or animal instead.
A dog grabbing another dog during group chasing may involve over-arousal, frustration, rough play, chase behaviour or predatory motor patterns. It cannot automatically be diagnosed as redirected aggression from the incident alone.
This does not necessarily mean that the dog is generally aggressive. However, the behaviour is dangerous and should be taken seriously because it can be repeated.
Why Chasing Can Escalate
Greyhounds and other racing dogs can become highly stimulated while running closely together, which is one reason racing muzzles are used. Similar escalation can occur in any breed during fast group chasing.
Possible warning signs include:
- One dog repeatedly insisting on being at the front
- Other dogs targeting or closing in on the leading dog
- Grabbing at the neck, flanks, hindquarters or tail
- One dog hanging onto another rather than releasing immediately
- Play becoming increasingly fast, intense or silent
- A dog ignoring recall or attempts to interrupt the chase
- Previous bruising, punctures or unexplained wounds
Our Experience
I initially thought that what happened to my dog was a freak accident. I had not realised how serious an injury could be caused during what appeared to be an ordinary run.
My dogs were exercised on a large field and would run up the field in a group, rather like racing greyhounds. One dog always had to be at the front, while some of the others would try to catch and grab her if they got close enough.
There had already been warning signs. On one occasion, one of the girls developed a haematoma on her side after being grabbed. A few weeks later, we saw another dog hanging onto a tail.
Unfortunately, the next incident was far more serious and Lou required emergency surgery.
The Injury
We did not see the incident happen and Lou did not cry out. She continued running around the field as if nothing had happened.
It was not until several hours later, when we saw blood dripping from her, that we realised something was wrong.
The only conclusion we could reach was that another dog had grabbed her while they were running. Because of their speed, the other dog had apparently held on and the opposing movement had torn a large hole in Lou’s side.
The wound was much worse than it appears in the photograph. The surrounding skin became damaged and began to die, requiring further surgery and leaving Lou with a large wound and a drain.
Hidden Damage from Dog Bites
A bite or grabbing injury may cause considerably more damage beneath the skin than is immediately visible. Small punctures can conceal crushing, tearing, contamination and damage to the blood supply.
Adrenaline and excitement may also mean that an injured dog continues running and does not initially show obvious pain.
Seek prompt veterinary attention for any bite, puncture, tearing wound, unexplained bleeding or swelling. Do not wait until the following day simply because the dog appears bright.
Further Surgery
The skin around Lou’s wound became black and bruised and subsequently turned necrotic. Four days after her first operation, she required a second operation to remove the dead tissue and close the wound again.
Unfortunately, there was not enough healthy skin to close the whole area without tension, and the wound opened again three days later.
The Tie-Over Dressing
The next plan involved another short general anaesthetic so that a tie-over dressing could be applied.
Several loops of suture material were positioned around the wound. A sterile dressing was placed directly over it and secured by lacing tape through the loops.
This created a firmly attached dressing that could remain in place over an area where an ordinary bandage would have been difficult to secure.
The wound was treated with medical-grade manuka honey under veterinary supervision, and the dressing was changed approximately every three days. A bacterial culture was also carried out and Lou’s antibiotics were changed according to the results.
Medical-grade honey should only be used as part of a veterinary wound-care plan. Ordinary household honey is not a sterile substitute and should not be placed into a wound.
Lou’s Recovery
Lou made a full recovery from her ordeal. After three operations and repeated dressing changes, the wound eventually healed, her fur grew back and she was none the worse for the experience.
Almost 12 months to the day after the original injury, we found ourselves dealing with another similar situation. Fortunately, the wound healed well on that occasion.
We decided that we would take no further chances and completely change how the dogs were managed when running together.
Preventing Another Injury
Once chasing has resulted in grabbing, bruising or a bite injury, it should not be dismissed as an isolated accident. Prevention may require permanent changes to exercise and group management.
Possible precautions include:
- Do not allow dogs with this history to engage in uncontrolled group chasing.
- Exercise dogs separately or in carefully selected smaller groups.
- Interrupt running before excitement becomes excessive.
- Practise a reliable recall and calm disengagement away from high-arousal situations.
- Avoid punishment, shouting or physical intervention, which may increase arousal and place people at risk.
- Have the dogs assessed by a veterinary behaviourist or suitably qualified clinical animal behaviourist.
- Discuss pain or other medical factors with your veterinary surgeon.
Using a Muzzle
A properly fitted basket or racing-style muzzle may provide an additional layer of protection in some circumstances, but it is not a substitute for safe management.
A muzzle used during exercise must allow the dog to pant fully, drink and breathe without restriction. A fabric or closed grooming muzzle must never be used for running or prolonged exercise.
All muzzle training should be introduced gradually and positively. A muzzled dog can still strike, chase or injure another dog and is less able to defend itself if attacked.
Because fast group chasing had already caused serious injury in our dogs, preventing or controlling the chase remained more important than relying on a muzzle.
Protective Clothing
Following the second incident, Lou wore a bite-resistant protective dog coat as an additional precaution.
Protective clothing may reduce some superficial injuries, but it cannot prevent every puncture, crushing injury or attack. It should be used alongside appropriate supervision and changes to exercise management.
Further Information
VCA Animal Hospitals: Aggression and Redirected Aggression
VCA Animal Hospitals: Dog Aggression, Chase and Predatory Behaviour
This page describes our personal experience and is not intended to replace veterinary or behavioural advice. Any bite or tearing wound should receive prompt veterinary attention. Repeated grabbing, biting or dangerously intense chasing should be assessed by an appropriately qualified canine behaviour professional.