How Do I Help My Dogs Get Along?

Why My Dog Randomly Attacks My Other Dog

Twice the dog is twice the fun, but sometimes one of them could be subject to random attacks from the other.

Canine aggression could be frustrating to you as an owner, even to your other dog, especially when sudden and seemingly unprovoked. To avoid any shortcomings of such behavior, here is how to better help your two dogs get along.

Section 1

You’re the loving owner of two well-mannered dogs; but you often find yourself witness to a fight breaking out between them. If all you usually see from them is good behavior, the first question you’ll find yourself asking is why your dog randomly attacks your other dog.

As you go on a quest for the reason, it is important to remember that correcting it as quickly as possible is substantial. As a dog owner who can’t speak their pet’s language per se, learning what causes one of your dogs to snap at their packmate will make it much easier for you to help your dogs get along.

Why Do Dogs Fight?

Perhaps as a pet owner any issues arising with your dog, especially when behavioral, is very worry-inducing. Luckily, the clarification is actually so much closer to heart for us humans: aggression in dogs is caused by a dog reaching its stress threshold. Stressors in a dog’s life, mostly over time, build up to a point of frustration that they have to let out, and how they blow off that steam is by lashing out. Unfortunately for your other dog, it is the closest in reach.

Common Stressors for Dogs

To an outsider, your dog’s attacks on your other dog might seem sudden and unprovoked, but it helps to look around at home and identify what might have been possibly building up the stress that lead to that aggression:

• Choke or shock collars.
• A harmful, stressful environment for your dog – like harsh verbal or physical punishments.
• An illness or injury you might have missed.

What Can I Do to Stop My Dog from Being Aggressive?

If you’ve already started looking into what might be causing your canine this much frustration, you’re already on the right path. Identifying your dog’s stressors is one of the most important initial steps, along with a couple of extra steps that, when done over time, will defuse the tension and remove your need to intervene:

1. Removing Your Dog’s Stress Triggers

The easiest place to start would be your home as stress triggers around you are more clearly identifiable and simpler to remove. The tougher part begins when you find stressors outside of your home that are also out of your control, but everything has a strategy.

Whole Dog Journal has a somewhat comprehensive table of possible stress triggers both inside and outside of your home, and how you could help your dog overcome them.

2. Socialization

After a fight between your dogs, it is probably best if you keep them apart for a couple of days then reintroducing them carefully with both of them on a leash. Reintroduction, however, is a part of a bigger strategy: socializing, or re-socializing in some cases, your dog. It’s common a dog’s frustration might stem out of a lack of socializing.

In the case of both dogs living together, socializing your dogs by helping them build a stronger bond through doing activities they’d enjoy together works well. Start by feeding them together, taking them on walks together, or even taking them on parallel swims if they love the water.

3. Re-Establish Yourself as Pack Leader

It’s probably a familiar idea to you that hierarchy is very important to dogs. In the doggy dog world, an Alpha’s presence leads to submission; and that’s what you should be doing.

You might have stumbled across Zak George’s training YouTube channel: has a very insightful video on how you can stop your 2 dogs from fighting by taking back control.

4. Make Sure You Give Your Dog Plenty of Exercise

Exercise is one of the number one tips in relieving stress for your dog. As a general rule, if your dog is worked out enough, they’ll be tired, calmer, and more well-behaved.

If for any reason your dog starts acting out, which includes attacking your other dog for no reason, they might not be well-exercised.

Conclusion

It is incredibly frustrating loving two dogs but seeing them fight let alone processing your beloved pooch’s act of aggression. Don’t lose help though – this is a very common scenario that many people have complained about and were able to successfully resolve.

If reading this post has brought your attention to a clear stressor that might have been consistent in your dog’s life, start by removing it. The good thing about socializing your dogs and regaining control in your relationship with them is that you can easily practice them simultaneously by way of yummy treats and some patience. And at the end of the day, a tired dog is a good dog!