Avoiding the situation entirely is the best course of action.
First, a warning to owners of large dogs: If you’ve ever noticed that your dog has the potential to become aggressive, it’s critical that you always keep him on a leash wherever he might encounter other dogs or people. People frequently remark on how much of a model citizen their dogs are “almost always gets them into trouble and occasionally transforms lives. Until you can let go of a dog with complete trust that he will obey you when he doesn’t have to, you must continually restrict one that is generally docile and pleasant but occasionally suddenly goes off half-cocked. Even while it may seem unfortunate that he must wear a leash every day in order to make up for his incredibly seldom indiscretions, it is your only guarantee that he will behave sensibly and securely.
When you want your dog to walk the other direction or make sure he turns his head when necessary, a harness or head halter works better than a simple collar around the neck.
A dog that has displayed aggression (though not necessarily harmful behavior) toward a smaller dog can occasionally be trained to return to you or another person with intensive training, possibly by you alone but preferably with the assistance of an animal behaviorist or a professional trainer “Leave it instead of attacking when you’re angry. No choke chains, prong collars, or electrical training collars are allowed, and it requires a lot of patience. Start by teaching him to sit, stay, lie down, and adhere to the other rules of good behavior you have set for him at home. That means showing up when you call, even though he would prefer to keep working. It’s your responsibility to encourage him and pamper him when he follows through.
You can take your huge dog to, say, a dog-friendly park and try letting him go after you feel your control over him has been clearly established (much better if the trained expert who has been working with you thinks that way). This will happen after you’ve taken him to that park numerous times on a longer and longer lead, ensuring that he pays attention to you when you tell him to. But even then, you should keep a long leash linked to him and trail it behind so you may more readily grab him if he behaves badly. It will be far more difficult for a dog to follow your commands while untethered to you in a crowded public area than it will be in your gated backyard, where you have near complete control over the surroundings.
Train your dog to use a basket muzzle as an alternative. Your dog can eat, drink, pant, and even catch a rope toy while wearing a basket muzzle like the Baskerville Ultra or the Bumas Custom Muzzle. When properly introduced, a dog can learn to feel just as at ease wearing a muzzle as he does a collar or harness.
Contrary to popular belief, the hardest aspect of training your dog, which may take weeks or months, is not keeping him on a leash when he wants to run loose in public. The hardest aspect is maintaining composure if, by chance, your dog escapes and comes across a smaller dog that he has his sights set on. When the safety of another dog may be at risk, many owners understandably start yelling at their dogs and make a huge deal out of it—a completely natural expression of impulse that the owner of the dog being attacked could also anticipate. However, that’s the worst thing you can do since it will simply fuel the hysteria and make your pet more enthusiastic about what he is up to.
Yes, whatever it takes, you have to act as rapidly as you can to free your dog from the other dog’s body and re-leash him. Additionally, you must be ready to be contrite and sorry even if the other owner, who is terrified to death, starts yelling at you or maybe even tries to kick your dog to protect his own. However, your dog won’t be more likely to heed your commands and come back to your side if you start yelling and wailing. It might make that better “come it on, he already has that sensation.
Once the episode is done, you shouldn’t yell at your dog or reprimand him. He won’t understand why you’re doing it. Dogs are very present-oriented creatures. What occurs “He won’t comprehend why you’re treating him severely because what happens next is merely a different situation from what happened previously. Simply put, you must resume patient training and, in certain situations, be prepared to never again allow your dog run loose in areas where he may come into touch with other dogs. Remember that if things go out of hand enough, your accountability becomes a legal issue that may be brought up in court. Additionally, the courts may have unsatisfactory answers for canine biting.
If a bigger dog assaults your smaller dog, it is never your fault. However, there are ways to increase your chances of keeping your tiny dog secure in public places. You shouldn’t try to make up for her diminutive stature by overprotecting her and lifting her up outside out of a false sense of security that she is in danger. Big dogs and small dogs get along nicely in general. However, if you consistently convey to your tiny pet that life is risky, she may get uneasy or even aggressive with her own barks and gnashing of teeth. Additionally, anxious and nasty dogs often provoke other dogs into adopting hostile positions and behaviors.
Again, even if your dog is acting aggressively, it is never your fault if another dog attacks yours. But given that most of life is not a hostile set of events, why would you unintentionally educate your dog to be aggressive?
Remember that dogs frequently run up to each other in dog parks and other areas where they are allowed to roam loose in order to assist you maintain your balance. To them, what appears dangerous to us is frequently fun because they like chasing and being chased. They enjoy giving each other a whiff. They have game rules that don’t always correspond to people’s rules, but it usually works out.
Having said that, you should be aware of your alternatives in case a dog poses a true threat to your dog. The best solution is occasionally to take your pet in your arms. Work to pull your dog out of harm’s way if a dog approaches your canine family member like a bullet, possibly with its fangs barred. We can’t promise that it will function flawlessly every time. After all, some huge dogs can jump as high as your arms with ease, endangering both you and your dog in the process. However, it’s a better option than just attempting to push the large dog away, which will merely leave your pet helpless. Physically attacking an aggressive dog while he is engaged in an attack rarely succeeds in getting him to leave the area. He is speedier and has more bite than you. Additionally, kicking and yelling won’t do anything but aggravate the violent dog, just as the owner’s response will just encourage him. Flailing and yelling will encourage the dog, who is in fight or flight mode, to give it his all in the encounter “fighting ring.
When a beloved dog is in immediate danger and your body and mind are urging you to take action, it can be difficult to remain calm. however, strongly admonishing the belligerent dog to “A less dramatic response might actually work better than staying might. To divert the approaching dog, you may even drop some treats on the ground in front of it. You wouldn’t feel like doing anything at all. But if the goal is to convince the dog to eat instead of your small pet, what does it matter as long as you accomplish the desired result?
Similar remarks apply to the owner of the vicious dog. The owner of the small animal might not comprehend why you are being so polite to your dog while he is attacking. But once more, the goal is to train the dog to comply with your wishes; scolding him in the heat of the moment won’t help.
Of course, if you believe you have trained your dog to return to you after scaring or even hurting a smaller dog, perhaps with the assistance of a professional trainer or behaviorist because so much is at stake, and a second dog finds itself in an equally dangerous situation as a result of your pet, it’s time to permanently restrict his time spent outdoors off leash to your backyard that is enclosed by a high enough fence.
Why does my large dog constantly going after my small dog?
Dogs are sociable creatures with the capacity and willingness to live in packs as a result of their evolutionary history. The wolves who were the progenitors of dogs were able to cooperate to hunt, raise their young, and protect their area by living in groups. A dog communicates with other canines of its species mostly through quiet, energy-efficient bodily cues and body language.
“It would be counterproductive for group members to engage in physical conflict with one another and risk harm.”
Members of a group should not engage in physical conflict with one another or risk getting hurt. In general, the majority of well-socialized dogs want to avoid aggressive or physical confrontation. These canines may, however, be residing close to one another with little opportunity to prevent conflicts or being forced into regular competitions over desired supplies, resting areas, or human interactions. Poorly socialized canines or those who struggle to understand or communicate with other dogs are more likely to engage in combative interactions. Not all canines are adept or natural communicators with members of their own species, just like not all people are.
What is a dominance hierarchy, and does this explain why dogs may fight?
In the past, the majority of common dog-dog interactions were explained as a hierarchy of dominance in which one dog was vying for control of resources like food, territory, and prized objects in an effort to seize authority. These fundamental motives are contested by modern theories of canine behavior as an appropriate description of how canines approach these situations. Dogs do, in fact, display a gradient of preferences and a fluctuating demand for particular resources, and it is possible to forecast how well they will be able to hold onto or secure these items based on observation of previous encounters and conflicts. Food, resting spots, mates, territory, and prized possessions are some of these resources. The ability to access these resources is typically expressed through movements, bodily postures, and facial expressions. The more assured, brave, and assertive dog could think he has a good chance against a meeker, less assured, and less successful foe. Fighting is uncommon because the more courageous animal usually gives up the challenge as soon as the other dog concedes or defers. In some homes, these displays may be minimal or nonexistent, while in others, they may be dramatic and appear to indicate a distinct hierarchy. Depending on health, prior experience, and relative drive to get or preserve a resource, the apparent victor of these contests may alter (i.e., who wants it more). While the idea that there is a linear hierarchy and that dogs are bent on successfully taking over the pack are not in question, communication of intention and submission are. Observations of wolf packs in the wild suggest that there is not a struggle for power among the wolves but rather that the wolves interact with their young in a similar way to human parents, providing for them, taking the reins when necessary, and instructing them until they are old enough to start their own packs. But because our family dogs are unrelated, they are unable to leave a group of people with whom they do not get along. This may lead to miscommunications, persistent social stress, and even potentially violent interactions between dogs (see Dominance, Alpha, and Pack LeadershipWhat Does It Really Mean? & Interpreting Dog Language and Canine Communication).
My dogs have lived together for some time and now they are fighting. Why?
Dogs fighting in a home may be caused by a number of factors, including:
1. When a younger, larger, more agile dog challenges an older, self-assured dog in an effort to change the current pattern of resource division, fights may break out. This is more likely to happen as the younger dog ages or gets more frail. It may also happen as the elder dog ages or matures. Fighting can continue if the elder dog does not give up resources; but, if the older dog concedes, everything will be alright. Additionally, owners might not desire the transition and step in, which causes anxiety, could make the fighting worse, and might unintentionally encourage the dog who is better suited for a submissive relationship.
2. Alterations in the family, routine, or home may cause the pets to behave differently. This could be a result of the animals’ incapacity to adjust to the shift or underlying nervousness in one or both of them. In addition, once aggressiveness between dogs occurs, regardless of its origin, the resulting learning may have an impact on subsequent interactions between the dogs.
3. The incapacity of an older dog to react with the proper postures and signaling when engaging with a younger dog may be the cause of fighting between a younger dog and an older or unwell dog. Their expected relationship might change as a result of this. If a pet’s behaviors, such as hostility, are the result of an underlying medical condition, the medical issues must be resolved before attempting to rebuild a peaceful relationship. Unfortunately, many medical conditions, especially those connected to aging, may not be completely curable; in these circumstances, prevention rather than treatment may be all that can be anticipated. For instance, when approached or handled, dogs with medical disorders that cause discomfort and agitation may escalate their aggression. Canines with cognitive impairment, sensory decline, or movement issues may no longer be able to successfully communicate with other dogs through the display of signals or through reading the signals of others (through facial expressions, body postures and actions). Many dogs become more uneasy and unable to handle the older pet’s altered behavior, while some are fairly tolerant and easily adapt to the changes in how the older (or ill) pet responds (see Senior Pet Behavior Problems and Senior Pet Cognitive Dysfunction).
4. Existing dogs attempt to reconstruct and anticipate their new social ties when the social group undergoes a change, such as the departure of the forceful, self-assured dog or the arrival of a new dog. This can also happen when dogs raised together try to rebuild their friendship as they mature socially.
5. In some circumstances, aggression between the dogs may be redirected (i.e., when one or both dogs become highly aroused by an event or stimulus unrelated to the other dog, such as the arrival of the mail carrier, the owner’s departure, or the owner’s return home), it may direct its aggression toward the other dog because it is nearby or accessible).
6. Underlying anxiety, such as separation anxiety or noise sensitivity, can also cause fights. If this is the case, fighting might not stop unless the underlying issue is found and treated.
7. Access to resources that are seen more crucial to one dog than the other (resource-holding potential) is where fights are most likely to occur (see AggressionPossessiveObjects and Toys and AggressionPossessiveFood Bowl). Food, resting spots, territory, prized possessions, and social contacts with the owners or another dog at home are a few examples. The majority of the time, but not always, these fights include canines of the same sex and seem to be most violent when involving female dogs. Aggression may be facilitated by high levels of arousal and resources that are particularly alluring or unfamiliar. Fighting would most likely start if both dogs had a strong desire for the same resource, if the more subordinate dog had a higher want to keep the resource (especially if that dog got to it first), or if the owner supported the dog that was being challenged.
8. As they get older and more mature, some dogs that had previously harmonious relationships start to act and pose inappropriately in social situations. In some scenarios, it’s possible that the once-subordinate dog fights back when it had before showed soothing and respectful posture. Dog A, who is more self-assured, on the other hand, might carry on attacking despite proper subordinate signaling from its housemate. In contrast, when confronted, dog A might not engage in any pre-attack posturing (growl, snarl, stiffening), but instead launches a full-on assault. Dog A is acting inappropriately in both cases. These situations can present diagnostic challenges because letting the animals sort things out on their own or just encouraging the relationship’s natural growth could result in serious harm. These canines would no longer coexist in a free living environment; instead, they would distance themselves enough to prevent constant hostile conflict. People are understandably concerned when their dogs do not get along, but in reality, we should be genuinely impressed if our eclectic mix of canine personalities actually works well together.
9. It is plausible and advantageous that dogs in a family will employ canine posturing and communication to steer clear of hostile conflicts, resulting in fights that are moderate and restrained. Therefore, conflicts over resources, pain and irritability, misdirected aggressiveness, or sociopathic tendencies are more likely to be the root of dog fighting in a family than they are to be caused by any of the other factors (in which one or more of the dogs have underdeveloped or insufficient social communication skills). In some situations, one of the dogs is acting strangely. To identify which dog is acting abnormally the most, as well as to evaluate the diagnosis, prognosis, and whether medication may be required, a behavior consultation with a veterinary behaviorist is required.
How do I find out why my dogs have been fighting?
A thorough behavioral workup is required since the aggression may be caused by common learned hurdles, health issues, owner responses, excessive anxiety, poor social communication skills, or perhaps a lack of impulse control.
The history you give is frequently the most crucial diagnostic tool in any behavioral condition, though.
Physical examinations, neurological evaluations, diagnostic tests to rule out any medical disorders, and perhaps therapy trials to address the health issues and manage the symptoms would be the first steps in this process. The history you give is frequently the most crucial diagnostic tool in any behavioral problem. The specifics of the issue from its inception to the present, in addition to general information about the family, the home, your schedule, and prior training, are crucial. We can diagnose what is going on between the pets by watching a videotape (see Diagnosing a Behavior Problem). Is it behavioral or medical? and Introduction to Aggression).
Both my dogs are the same age, and after a third, older dog died, they began to fight. Why?
Dogs may fight when their relationships are unclear or when they share the same goals and successful past experiences. Fighting may start among the surviving dogs when an older dog starts to decline, get sick, or pass away, even if one of them is obviously the most assured and assertive. This is due to the fact that all of the dogs may have relied on the older dog to maintain a stable relationship, and they are now attempting to develop relational patterns. In any event, fighting can be dangerous and violent. It’s also probable that the altered dynamics of the home and relationships will cause more worry there. Even though you should often try to let dogs work things out on their own if they are only threatening rather than fighting, you will need to step in if there is a risk of harm. There should never be a situation when the dogs are permitted to “fight it out.” Redirected violent actions or attempts to break up the brawl could do you harm (see below).
When the dominant status is unclear or when the dogs are especially close in rank, conflicts may arise between them. Even when one dog is obviously dominating, fighting may start in the surviving dogs after the decline, illness, or death of an older dog. This is because the younger dogs are now attempting to take over the older dog’s position, which the older dog may have helped to retain. In any event, fighting can be dangerous and violent. Additionally, it’s probable that the shift in the household and pack causes more tension there. Even though you should often try to let dogs work things out on their own if they are only threatening rather than fighting, you will need to step in if there is a risk of harm. There should never be a situation when the dogs are permitted to “fight it out”. Redirected violent actions or attempts to break up the brawl could do you harm (see below).
