Mark and Sarah brought two dogs home, hoping they would keep each other company and act like siblings. But what they may have forgotten is that siblings don’t always get along, and sometimes they even fight.
Can you prevent or stop aggressive behavior between dogs in the same household? What do you do during or after a fight? What triggers a fight? We have some answers that will help you manage your dogs and preserve the peace in your home.
Why are My Two Dogs Fighting?
There are always triggers to dogs’ aggressive behavior. The overarching reason is some form of stress. Something has upset their routine, they feel threatened, or they are otherwise uncomfortable. This stress has pushed them past what they can handle, and they lash out at other dogs.
Here are some typical things that can set off a fight between your dogs:
- A change in the pack (e.g., someone joining or leaving the household or a new pet)
- The weather (e.g., a scary thunderstorm or a snowstorm that limits the walking routine)
- Unfamiliar loud noises (e.g., sirens, alarms, fireworks, construction or repair work)
- Insecurities about resources (e.g., the other dog taking valuables like toys or your attention.
- Trips to the vet or groomer (annoying unpleasantness!)
- Health issues (e.g., less tolerance of the other dog’s shenanigans)
- Your own stress (i.e., sensing your stress as a cue for your dogs to be stressed themselves or to protect you)
That’s just the beginning! How about these:
- Establishing a hierarchy: One dog is pulling rank over the other (more likely in non-neutered dogs and between those of the same gender).
- Aging: Less patience for an energetic younger dog or a younger dog maturing and challenging the older dog.
- Lack of socialization: Trouble interacting with another dog.
- Playtime getting out of hand: Not enough boundaries.
- Small areas: Not enough space for comfort.
- Frustration: Inability to reach what the dogs want.
- Personality clash: Sometimes, the dogs simply don’t like each other.
How to Prevent Dog Fights in the Same Household
Physical Condition
First, get a clean bill of health for both dogs from the veterinarian. Illness and injury will certainly increase dogs’ stress. Make sure they get plenty of exercise every day for health and to tire both dogs out.
Feeding your dogs high-quality food helps their bodies process serotonin, contributing to their well-being. In addition, natural high-protein diets, such as the ones available at Volhard Dog Nutrition, provide all the nutrients your dogs need for optimal health and temperament!
Signs of Stress
If you’re observant, you’ll recognize your dogs’ warning signs of stress, such as intense staring, growling, baring teeth, and stiff posture. However, other signs may be less noticeable. For example, if one dog avoids a specific part of the house, they may be trying to protect themselves from conflict with the other dog.
Basic Obedience Training
When your dogs are well-trained in basic commands, you stand a much better chance of intervening if things between them get out of hand. A few commands can calm the situation and redirect their focus from each other to you.
Introducing a Second Dog to the First
If you’ve had one dog for a while and you’re bringing a new one home, make the introduction a gradual process. Set the first meeting in a neutral area outside the home, walk the dogs together, spend some time outside the house, and bring the new dog inside. Reassure the first dog that they are still precious to you.
Dogs of the same gender are more likely to get into fights, so perhaps consider having dogs of opposite genders.
Know the Difference Between Rough Play and Fighting
Some high-energy dogs like to play rough. To an uninformed human eye, it may look like a fight that needs to be stopped. But that’s only sometimes the case. With close observation, you can learn to tell the difference and when to intervene. Generally, a looser, bouncier body language in both dogs says they’re playing.
Give the Dogs Their Own Things and Space
Each dog should have their own valuables — bed, toys, food bowl, crate, and rest area. They don’t have to share everything.
Controlling Their Time Together
It may be necessary to keep the dogs separated unless you can be there to monitor their behavior. They shouldn’t be alone together until the problem has been resolved through training.
Desensitization and Counterconditioning
Desensitization and counterconditioning teach the dogs to change how they think of each other. The negative associations change to positive, and the dogs react to each other more favorably. This is a gradual approach that takes a lot of patience and time.
With both dogs leashed, you and another person hold them at a distance. Give treats when they see each other and remain calm. Over time, you increase the time they see each other and reduce the distance between them, all while giving treats. Eventually, if all goes well, you can progress to adding activities together.
Rehoming
As a last resort, when nothing seems to help, you may need to find a new home for one of the dogs.
What Can I Do When a Fight Breaks Out?
Breaking up a dog fight is never a safe idea. Your dogs may bite you in this heightened emotional state if you get too close. You may need to get help.
Getting Between Them
There are a few things you can try and remain relatively safe:
- Distraction to draw their focus away from each other — loud noise, a blanket thrown over them, a spray of water.
- A physical barrier or disruptive object placed between them and large enough to keep your hands out of harm’s way.
- Separate them if you can do so safely.
- The “wheelbarrow” technique, in which people grab each dog by the back legs to throw them off balance. This technique, however, is not safe for everyone.
What Should I Do After a Fight?
First, check each dog for bite injuries. If there’s nothing severe, get the dogs together on a leash, like you would for a new dog introduction. Get them back around each other and implement some control rather than rush off to the emergency vet. For the dog, that would be going from one traumatic event to another.
A traumatic event can create a very fixed association for the dog — they return to the house from the vet, and they see the other dog again. That can immediately trigger a negative response. It takes 24 to 48 hours for cortisone levels to drop back down and for the dogs to return to normal. So anytime they’re in that heightened state, it helps to get everything settled down and get the dogs back around each other in a controlled manner.
One method to mend the dogs’ relationship is to crate them separately at a distance in the living area. They should see each other, and, more importantly, each should see the other defer to your commands. Walk them together, allowing a little more freedom when they behave as you want and follow commands.
What Should I Do if I Need Professional Help? Call on K9 Basics!
Getting between two fighting dogs is dangerous. If you find that trying to discover triggers or preventing or breaking up fights is too big of a challenge, don’t hesitate to seek help. Our talented trainers at K9 Basics are equipped with a variety of techniques to teach your dogs how to get along and show you how to manage them effectively.
We are here to help, so contact us for an appointment. Give us a call at (866) 592-2742 or, if you’re from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, or New York, visit us at 131 Kenilworth Road, Marlton, New Jersey 08053, to learn more about our dog training services. Also, browse our blog and social media for various topics about dogs and their lives with us!
References
- Pat Miller, CBCC-KA. “How to Stop Dogs from Fighting in Your Household.” Whole Dog Journal, 21 Apr. 2021, www.whole-dog-journal.com/behavior/dog-on-dog-household-aggression/. Accessed 27 Mar. 2023.
- DeSantis, Debbie. “How to Prevent and Stop Household Dogs from Fighting.” Puppy In Training, puppyintraining.com/how-to-stop-dogs-from-fighting/. Accessed 27 Mar. 2023.
- “Dog Behavior Problems – Aggression – Sibling Rivalry – Diagnosis: VCA Animal Hospitals.” Vca, vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/dog-behavior-problems-aggression-sibling-rivalry-diagnosis. Accessed 27 Mar. 2023.
- Dan J. “How to Stop Dogs from Fighting in the Same Household.” Dog Temperament, 7 Apr. 2022, dogtemperament.com/how-to-stop-dogs-from-fighting-in-the-same-household/. Accessed 27 Mar. 2023.