Problems between dogs in the same household

Back to Training Page

General rules for reducing friction between two dogs living in the same household

Dogs will often fight over resources that they find valuable. In a normal household these resources often include food, water, toys, attention from owners and sleeping areas. By either removing resources completely from within a given area or by increasing resources less friction occurs.

When fights occur, most owners try and either chastise the dog that they feel has caused the problem or alternatively they chastise both dogs equally. When this happens it can cause a situation where the two dogs are completely confused over which has the highest status. This of course results in the fights being sustained over a very long period.

The following program is designed to allow the more dominant dog to develop his communication skills and so reduces the possibility of his needing to intimidate his canine friend in order to achieve this higher status. It also allows the older dog, if not the dominant one to gracefully step down from his former position of authority.

From now on you will need to feed both dogs in the following manner.

Have a lead or line attached to dog #1’s collar and hold on to the end of it while he is eating.
Use three food bowls instead of two.
Placing a large rock on top of dog #2's food will slow him down enough for dog #1 to eat his meal in peace.
Place dog #2's bowl on the floor just before dog #1
If you see dog #2 leaving his bowl to go to dog #1, then use the line to gently guide dog #1 to the third bowl.

Use two water bowls instead of just one and also increase the number of beds that are available in one area to three.

Always make a habit of greeting dog #2 before dog #1 when you enter the house.

Always put dog #2’s lead on before you put dog #1 on when you go out for walks.

Attach a six foot nylon line to dog #1’s collar and use it to teach him how to vacate a bed or resting area or where he needs to go in order to reduce the possibility of dog #2 having to move him physically. Use the line in a matter of fact way and always verbally reward dog #1 for doing what you are requesting. This should let both dogs know that you are now supporting dog #2 as the new canine pack leader. This line should stay on for a period of two weeks when there is supervision.

When the dogs are left alone, then you should position them so that they can see but not touch one another. This cuts out the possibility of them both trying to defend their respective territories from one another.

Because of the ramifications of pet overpopulation, we encourage pet owners to spay/neuter their pets. In some cases of agression, it may be wise to take care of the aggression issues before the animals are sterilized. With two male dogs, hormone therapy or castrating the more submissive of the two dogs is usually very effective. Castrating only the more dominant dog will increase the severity of the fights.

Back to Training Page