Join For Free And Start Earning Money Now!

How To Put An End To Dog On Dog Aggression

  • 21/04/2017

Dog on dog aggression can be a serious problem, especially if there are two dogs in a household that don’t get along. It is also an obstacle for many pet parents who must go for walks in neighbourhoods where there are a lot of other dogs.

The worst part is that dog aggression can look a lot like play at first, until the moment that a dog or person is seriously injured.

So, what exactly is dog on dog aggression and what can you do about it?

What is Dog on Dog Aggression?

Dog on dog aggression happens when a dog is aggressive towards other dogs in a way that exceeds playfulness and can potentially cause harm. Some of the main symptoms seen in cases of dog on dog aggression are:

  • Growling
  • Biting
  • Lip lifting
  • Snapping
  • Lunging

Surprisingly, this behaviour can also be accompanied by submissive or fearful behaviours like crouching or backing away. This depends a lot on the root cause of the aggressive behaviour.

Facts About Dog on Dog Aggression

Dog on dog aggression happens more frequently with non-neutered male dogs. Usually, dog on dog aggression takes place between two dogs of the same gender. This condition is believed to be caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors.

Why Does Dog on Dog Aggression Happen?

There are several reasons that might explain the source of a dog’s problem with other canines. Depending on what that root cause is, the treatment for the issue will vary. This is where it is good to know about your dog’s history if you haven’t had them since they were a puppy.

A dog might be aggressive towards other dogs because:

  • It was abused or mistreated in the past
  • It was previously involved in dog fighting
  • It was improperly socialised
  • There is a health or neurological reason for the aggressive behaviour

If a neurological cause is suspected, a vet can order an MRI to see if that is the case. In worst case scenarios, some vets may prescribe mood altering drugs to help ease a dog’s aggression. Aside from this, there is no way to cure dog on dog aggression and no solution is guaranteed.

Training a Dog to be Less Aggressive

Dog on dog aggression can be made worse by several environmental factors. As a concerned pet owner, it is your job to identify the conditions that add to your dog’s aggression and try to minimise those if possible. Owners of aggressive dogs also should also learn how to diffuse these situations and break up incidences safely and effectively.

An aggressive dog alone in a home is good because their owners don’t have to worry about breaking up fights between several dogs at home. However, if that is the case you may want to avoid other dogs while on walks until the dog’s impulse control starts to improve.

After working on obedience, you can start to slowly reintroduce dogs into the aggressive dog’s space. Complete avoidance won’t solve the problem and will make eventual run-ins it worse. Just be sure that the dog is on a short leash, is used to being muzzled if need be, and that you are in control of the situation if you allow an aggressive dog near other pets or people.

Tips for Modifying Dog on Dog Aggression Behaviours

  • Keep the dog on a short leash and practice avoidance of situations that trigger the dog’s aggression until they are more obedient.
  • Train the dog to sit, relax, and stay on command. Use treats and verbal praise as positive reinforcement. This way, when another dog comes around you can tell your dog to sit until the other dog passes by and avoid a reaction.
  • Condition your dog to like other dogs by bringing them around in a controlled environment. Give an aggressive dog treats while other dogs are in their space as a reward for exhibiting non-aggressive behaviour. This is just like Pavlov’s classical conditioning, where you reward the behaviour you want until the behaviour is learned.
  • Keep up with general obedience training. Make sure the dog can heel, sit, down, and stay to teach impulse control and make them easier to manage when they show early signs of an aggressive reaction. Make training sessions fun, use engaging dog toys and use positive reinforcement to reward good behaviour.
  • You can also try introducing several new dogs in a controlled environment, referred to as ‘flooding’. This should be done with everyone’s safety in mind and owners should use positive reinforcement for non-aggressive behaviour.

Teaching an aggressive dog to be nice towards other dogs can be hard but rewarding. This job gets harder when the reasons for the aggression stem from abuse or because the dog is being territorial over its owner or space. These dogs may need more time and professional assistance to un-learn aggressive behaviours.

Final Thoughts…

Owners should note that dog on dog aggression can be a serious and dangerous problem, especially with larger breeds.  It might be hard to believe that an aggressive Chihuahua could do much harm but larger breeds like German Shepherds or Pitbulls could really do damage. Of course, these breeds make wonderful pets when they are brought up well.

If you can’t handle your dog’s aggression, it is important that you seek professional help via a qualified trainer or animal behaviourist to curb this behaviour. If you have a problem with dog aggression and have more than one dog at home, it might be best to re-home one of the dogs if your attempts at training don’t solve the problem.

It is also important to keep in mind that treatments for dog on dog aggression need to be life-long. Even if you see a dog’s aggression start to dissipate, stressful situations and environmental triggers can cause a relapse.

Please Help Us

We've got a small favour to ask. More people are reading IrishDogs.ie than ever, but far fewer are paying for it.

IrishDogs.ie takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. But we do it because we believe our perspective matters because it might well be your perspective, too.

Our future could be much more secure with your help. Please SUPPORT us by clicking on the Donate Button at the Top Right of your screen.

Comments (0)

Post a Comment
* Your Name:
* Your Email:
(not publicly displayed)
Reply Notification:
Approval Notification:
Website:
* Security Image:
Security Image Generate new
Copy the numbers and letters from the security image:
* Message:

Email to Friend

Fill in the form below to send this article to a friend:

Email to Friend
* Your Name:
* Your Email:
* Friend's Name:
* Friend's Email:
* Security Image:
Security Image Generate new
Copy the numbers and letters from the security image
* Message: