Is it true that once a dog kills it is more apt to kill a second time?

My mom's border collie killed my grandma's pocket poodle puppy this weekend. We are not sure what happened exactly, but we think it involved both dogs being territorial over a small amount of food. I believe the size difference between the dogs was a major factor in the death. We are unsure whether or not to put the dog down. I was told that once a dog killed for the first time it is easier to for it to kill twice, and could be apt to bite someone. Just wanted to hear all your opinions.Is it true that once a dog kills it is more apt to kill a second time?
First of all I am sorry to hear that your grandmas dog died. Second I think a little more info may be needed. Has the dog ever shown signs of aggression before and how old is the dog. If it is a few years old and never been aggressive prior to this then maybe you cna just keep close tabs on her and if she shows any more signs of aggression then yes do something about it but if she does not then maybe it was just an isolated incident. But either way i would suggest that you keep the dog away from other dogs and if you take her to the parks and such maybe muzzle her. I hope it all works out for you.Is it true that once a dog kills it is more apt to kill a second time?
OMG yea it is...My dog Jackie killed my little puppy then it went after my other puppy.Then it attacked my brother's dog and almost killed her too.We had to take her to the vet and they put her down.
Just to clear things up, aggression towards another dog does NOT equal aggression towards people.





Has she ever shown aggression to dogs before? How about small animals? I would talk to an animal behaviorist about it before you decide on what to do with her.
Whether he will actually kill a dog again, he is aggressive and prone to attack. So, if you do decide to keep him, please immediately consult a professional and quality dog trainer for more information on rehabilitating your BC so he won't attack again.


Also, if he isn't already neutered, you probably should. When a male dog is neutered, he no longer has testosterone surging through his body which makes dogs aggressive and very territorial.
I hate to see dogs die, but if the BC killed another dog, then you must humainly euthenize it immediately. It is a safety hazard to you and your family, and to other dogs. Hope this helped, best of luck =]
Oh dear... you poor things. I had a similar problem with my ex-partner's dogs, who saw the neighbour's dog kill a kitten. That was enough to give them the idea of killing my cats, and they picked them off one by one despite having lived with cats perfectly happily for the last 5 years or so. The only solution was to not have cats.





This sort of killing is an impulsive behaviour, often to do with territory or jealousy, but it unlocks a deep instinct for hunting to kill- and you can't undo it.





I would definitely not trust this dog with any small animals after this. However I don't think it necessarily means that the dog is going to bite a person, if that hasn't been its style before this.
If the border collie truly did attack the pocket poodle over food, then the problem would most likely be just with guarding the food. Has the dog ever shown any aggression to any dog in any other situation? Also keep in mind the size difference between a border collie and pocket poodle, a bite to the pocket poodle is much more likely to do serious damage than a bite to another dog of a similar size. I would suggest talking to a behaviorist before deciding that the animal needs to be put down.
Killing in dogs is not like a drug. It's not like they get a taste of it and just want more. The death was probably due to a dominance and territory issue. As long as you ensure you are dominant the dog is not anymore likely to bite you. A big factor in the death may have had to do with the size. My coworkers kitten was killed just from a medium sized dog playing with it. If your dog is not socialized properly with other animals then it may continue to attack. Seek training before euthanasia
i would take that dog to the vet and have the vet keep it for a few days at least then advice you
It has been my experience that they are more likely to go for blood again, but there are exceptions. I personally would not trust the dog around children, and since they are around me a lot, I would put the dog down. Sending it to a no-kill shelter could mean that could happen to someone else, or worse yet, a child.
Usually once a dog starts ';sport killing';, you cannot not stop them. Not knowing all of the circumstances, but just judging from what you stated, I think this is more of an isolated incedent (with the vast size and age difference being a factor) than an outright ';kill for the heck of it'; attack. Ask yourself this? Does your dog act like this all of the time? Or was this the first time? How is the dog around other animals and people? Small kids? My parents had a dog (Akita) that started killing any small animal that moved. And it got worse. He attacked me and I wound up in the hospital with 53 stitches in my arm. Then he tried attacking my Mom. He was put down after that. My best advice to you is to take this dog to a professional dog handler and let then give you their opinionon this. I was also consult with my vet on this matter also. Good Luck.