Jealous? Territorial? Help!

[FosterMommy]

I'm a foster mom and have fostered over 50 dogs so I'm usually pretty good with them. Now I have a Silky Terrier mix in my home that has a few issues I'd like advice with. My biggest problem is her attacking my Shih Tzu. The Silky will not let the Shih Tzu near me. It's getting worse. She'll also go after the cat if she thinks the cat is coming toward me.
Usually dogs are adopted out fairly quick, especially small ones, but the Jersey shore was hit with Hurricane Sandy and a lot of people have been opening their homes to dogs misplaced by the storm. Hundreds of people around here lost their homes and even our extra foster homes are now housing Sandy dogs while the families rebuild. So this pup has been with me since October. I think her attachment to me is the problem. (Background: She was found on the streets of NYC, thin as sticks and with a lot of hair loss)
Problem #2; she has a herniated disc in her back and tick disease. She's on meds for both. The med for the disc problems is almost done (cortisone meds) and it's been stepped down in the past week. I originally thought the meds would help the aggression problems but now as we step down the cortisone dose, she's getting more aggressive. I'm calling the vet tomorrow about this.
What can I do about her aggressive behavior toward my Shih Tzu??? My Shih's is miserable and spends her day hiding under the table.
I've tried petting them both but the Silky will relax then turn and see the Shih's and go after her.
At night they sleep on the floor next to my bed with no problem. I can have them side by side and give treats with no problem. She is not food aggressive but will push the Shih Tzu out of her dish to eat her food.
I know this Silky will need to be adopted as an only pet. She loves people and needs a human to call her own. But until then I need some peace in this house!
Any suggestions on what to do when I see she's ready to attack?
I've removed her from the room, when she comes back she'll be good for a few minutes and starts again.

[britney89b]

i had a the same problem with one of my dogs. he was a rot/lab mix. he was such a good dog. when he was about 2 he went through the same "protection" problem. in my opinion it's not about protection it's more about dominance. when my dog would nip at other dogs that came around me i was a bit embarrassed. apparently my dog didn't think i was strong enough to take care of myself so he decided to take control of the situation for me. in order to break him of this. i decided to look at the big picture. why did he think i was so weak? it turned out that although i wasn't a weak person, i was a weak dog owner. i didn't have a routine. so i started feeding him and walking him exactly the same time everyday. after the first week of this new routine i decided to confront the "protection problem" when the german sheppard from across the street came over like she normally does (i live in the country people out here don't know much about leashes and fences) i grabbed a bag of treats and when she would come to me i would immediately give my dog a treat to kind of distract him. after he ate his treat he would approach us and before he even looked at her i would give him another treat and praise him. i repeat this until i was done petting the neighbor's dog. then i would either go inside or change rooms. he responded really well. sometimes he would kind of growl but after doing this for 3 days i started taking treats away. when he would start giving the warning signs like growling or seemingly agressive body posture i would get up and walk away. and try again.

i don't know your situation or your dog so i don't know if it will work. but it worked for my dog.

[Wes]

Bumping this up for the OP as tbe problem is NOT dominance. OP can you give us a run down if your dogs' day? What food they are on, how often they are fed, are they both spayed or intact, etc. I would feed them in separate rooms to prevent your silky from bullying her way into your Shih Tzu's food to start.