How to deal with this problem and how to prevent dog on dog aggression from a young age.
Dogs being aggressive to other dogs is quite common and it can be the main source of pain for a lot of pet owners. Whether you experience this when you are out on a walk or if you have more than one dog you will have experienced small disagreements and scuffles between them. This is perfectly normal but it will cause problems if they are really going at it and start to injure each other.
Reasons For Dog on Dog Aggression
Unsocialised with other animals and find it difficult to get on
Can be protective over you or its surroundings
Lack of exercise, A lot of pent up energy
Traumatic experience with other dogs
Whatever the reason is you need to try and get to the root cause of the problem and work from there. The majority of the time it is down to lack of exercise and the dog being over protective over you, Its owner or its home. To tackle this you need to exercise your dog regularly and also discipline them so they understand that you are the one who identifies threats and are the protector. Check out different ways you can exercise your dog here.
Treating Dog on Dog Aggression
Do not punish a dog that is showing aggression or try to intimidate them in any way.
It would be best to try this technique with your dog on a leash in the park with other dogs or using a friends dog. Have them walk by and when your dog notices the other dog call there name and give them a treat or fuss them. If they lunge at the other dog then try not to yank the leash, Instead stay calm and stop walking. In a calm and assertive voice say "No" or "Stop". Once they stop and turn to you then again treat them or give them a fuss, This will help them associate turning away from the dog to you with a reward.
You will also need to assess yourself and see if you are adding to the situation. As owners we will start to tense up or start to panic when we see another dog in the distance, This will be instantly picked up by your dog and will trigger the aggression. You need to remain calm and show your dog that you are in charge.
Once your dog has gotten used to other dogs then you can start to walk them with other dogs on the leash at a safe distance, Remember this will take time to achieve so don't rush into this step as you could be putting other dogs at risk.
Further Tips
If you have a puppy we recommend socialising them with other dogs from a young age, This will be really important in their development and if missed will cause problems later on. Remember to keep your dog exercised and take them for a walk before attempting any training techniques.
Check out this page for further reading on understanding dog on dog aggression.
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