There are a variety of reasons dogs may show sudden aggression towards each other. Some of the most common causes of conflict between familiar dogs include frustration, illness, and resource guarding. You'll need to clearly identify the root of the problem to restore household harmony.
Dogs that bark and lunge when they see another pooch approaching aren't always displaying frustrated greetings. More commonly, fear is the driving force behind reactivity. If something is making your dog uncomfortable, then being trapped on the leash can heighten their anxiety.
Dogs in the same household can become aggressive toward each other for a variety of different reasons. Aggression may be dominance-related, territorial, possessive, or caused by fear/anxiety. Some dogs have “alliance aggression”.
Give your dog a cue, such as “turn” and lure him towards you. As soon as he turns, treat and continue walking forward rewarding the heel. A turn can be used to create distance between your dog and another dog, and allows you to focus on calming behaviors until your dog learns to relax when another dog is nearby.
Territorial lunging
They see another animal or human approaching as a threat. When dogs feel threatened, they either “flight, freeze or fight”. In this case, the “fight” triggers the lunge. These dogs are generally unhappy, and they displace this through aggression or reactive behavior.
In most cases, the best way to get a reactive dog ready for socializing is to slowly expose them to their triggers in a controlled environment and reward them with natural dog treats until they no longer react so strongly.
Play fighting is entirely normal, and two dogs living together will likely do it all of the time! You might see them really roughhouse; body slam one another, bite each other, and more. These “fights” can look violent; those who know nothing about dogs might think they're hurting each other.
It's better to prevent them than to have to stop them after they occur. People and dogs can become injured when there's a fight. Also, a dog will remember that he's been attacked. It may be very difficult–if not impossible–for them to get along afterwards.
The most common causes include conflict aggression, fear-based, defensive aggression, status related aggression, possessive aggression, food guarding aggression and redirected aggression.
There are a variety of reasons dogs may show sudden aggression towards each other. Some of the most common causes of conflict between familiar dogs include frustration, illness, and resource guarding. You'll need to clearly identify the root of the problem to restore household harmony.
Here are the signs that dogs are playing, not really fighting. They won't bite. They'll “mouth” (putting jaws around the other's face) or nip, maybe pulling ears, but they won't break skin. The dogs will swap roles – one will be on top, then the other!
Dogs are inherently social animals that live well together in groups, but that does not mean that all dogs get along. Most dogs will welcome a new sibling, but it is not always smooth sailing. The furry family member you have now will face many changes when a new dog enters the picture and may feel a bit displaced.
Many fights are territorial, such as when a strange dog enters your yard. The urge to protect people in their family, themselves, food, or some prized possession may provoke your dog to attack another dog. Overstimulation and what may have started out as friendly play can go too far, and a fight may break out.
Dog fights are a very dangerous thing to try and break up alone. You should never rush in and try and grab the dogs to pull them apart. They are in high "fight drive" and are not thinking clearly when fighting. If someone grabs them, they will bite without even thinking about who or what they are biting.
While it is never too late to socialize your dog, the sooner you start, the better. Socializing your dog is very important at any stage in their life. It's especially crucial as they get older.
Dogs of any age can start training to improve their reactivity. You do need to keep in mind that the longer a behavior has been ingrained, the longer it will take to retrain the dog. Whether or not the dog will be “cured” in the sense of being completely fine in the presence of his triggers cannot be predicted.
Sadly, they do not. The only way to counter reactivity is through consistent and positive training. You should never punish a dog for reactivity or it will only become worse. Especially if you own a young dog who suddenly shows reactive behavior, you should see professional help.
This kind of work can take anywhere from two to 12 months, as that's how long it takes for a dog to learn a new behavior.
Use a harness or head collar
A flat collar is not ideal for controlling a leash-reactive dog. Instead, your dog should wear a harness or head collar, both of which allow more control and security.
Attempting to punish or physically restrain a reactive dog may cause him to escalate his behavior and is likely to result in a bite or a severe attack. Do not pull back on the leash when your dog is reacting.
The Dog Calming Code program helps establish the very foundation of dog training: the relationship hierarchy that dogs are programmed to seek. Dogs are pack animals. In the pack is where dogs find balance and purpose. Take it from them and they'll feel out of whack!
Dogs who may normally be friendly with other dogs can sometimes become reactive and aggressive when attached to a leash. This behavioral trait, known as leash aggression or leash reactivity, is most frequently triggered by fear or frustration, although a high prey drive can lead to aggression when leashed as well.