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Your two dogs seemed to get along so well. but now all of a sudden they seem to hate each other.
Max attacks Bailey periodically. and your household is very stressful now.
This is not completely uncommon. In fact a few days ago I got an email addressing this very issue:
We got our puppy potty trained, crate trained, obedience trained, but now he’s attacking and combating with my older dog. I never thought this would be an issue. I thought my dog’s would be best pals, but now I’m searching for suggestions on how to stop dogs from fighting. What ought to I do?
—C.C.
It’s essential to discover why the fights are occurring so that you can attempt to fix the problem.
In this article, I’ll talk about why dogs may fight as well as how to avoid it. Also, I’ll deal with what to do if a fight occurs.
It’s essential to avoid fights from occurring, if possible.
Why household Dogs may Fight
There are numerous reasons why dogs in the same household fight. even dogs who have been together for a while may start to fight.
When a new canine joins the family, there’s always a period of adjustment. in some cases fights break out for various reasons.
As the tension increases in a dog’s life, fights are much more likely to occur.
The following are some of the likely reasons dogs in the same household may fight.
To maintain the Hierarchy
In the wild, there’s a separate hierarchy for male and female dogs. In our homes too, there’s a greater possibility of combating between dogs of the same sex.
There’s also a greater possibility of non-neutered dogs combating each other.
1. Guarding Their Owner
Dogs may guard numerous resources. resources include things that are important to the dog.
Of course, we’re a very important resource to our dogs. We give them attention, feed them, walk them, play with them, train them, take them out to socialize them, and give them terrific treats and chews.
So some dogs guard their owners and the space around them.
When Fido in the same household gets too close to the owner, Max may attack. and Fido may fight back.
Both dogs–and the owner–may be injured in such a skirmish.
2. Guarding other Resources
Some dogs guard other important resources against other dogs. Of course, food, treats, bones, and toys are seen as essential to numerous dogs.
There’s also a threshold distance beyond which a canine won’t attack. However, if another canine gets too close, the canine with the bone will attack.
The distance at which a canine will attack varies by the dog.
3. change in a local Dog’s health or Age
Some dogs may sense that another canine in the household has become ill. and the healthier canine in some cases will attack the sick dog.
Another scenario is when a canine matures and challenges the older dog.
4. changes in the household or Routine
Any change in members of the family, such as when one leaves for college, can cause tension in a dog’s life.
Even changes in routines, such as occur when someone gets a new job, can be very stressful for a dog.
Some dogs find such changes very challenging and can’t adjust. As their tension level increases, so will the propensity to fight.
5. changes in the Canine Social Group
When a canine leaves the home or a new canine joins, there’s a period of adjustment.
A much more confident canine may have passed away and a new hierarchy is recognized between the remaining dogs. Or a new canine may challenge the recognized hierarchy.
6. Redirection When Dogs become Overstimulated
Sometimes a canine will become too aroused by an event and attack whatever is nearby–including another local dog.
Even though the stimulus is unrelated to the other dog, an attack can occur.
This can also happen when the owner or a visitor arrives or departs or even when the mailman delivers mail.
7. Underlying Anxiety
Some dogs with a tension or anxiety disorder may attack another canine when their tension crosses a threshold.
This can, for example, happen when a canine is noise sensitive. even though he may be alright with regular household noises, if a new noise–like that from a delivery truck–occurs, he may become overstimulated.
And he may attack a nearby dog.
Some dogs have separation anxiety and, because they are overly stressed when an owner departs, may attack another dog.
8. improper Socialization
A canine who was improperly socialized may be much more likely to attack another dog. He might not correctly read another’s body language.
For example, the other caninnullnull
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