Common Behavior Problems
Don't Get Along with Other Family Dogs
Does your dog want to “be the boss” of the other dogs
in your family? Is one of your dogs a “bully” and gets
grumpy if the other dog just looks at him wrong? Do your two female
dogs get into nasty fights with each other?
These are just a few of the many types of problems that can develop
between dogs who live together. Traditional wisdom labels all these
problems as “dominance problems”, but
this is simply not true and is dangerously misleading.
Supporting one dog’s dominance over the other can sometimes
be helpful, but can also actually cause an increase in conflict,
because it is the wrong thing to do. Many dog-dog problems are not
about dominance.
Many fights sound worse than they are, and often neither dog is
injured. This is a good sign, but you should seek expert help to
prevent the problem from escalating. If one dog has already been
injured, you may be better off separating them until you can consult
with a certified behaviorist who can help you.
Using the right techniques to introduce dogs to one another can
prevent some fighting problems. Avoid just putting the dogs together
and “letting them work it out”.
If your dogs’ fighting problem has escalated to the point
where they cannot get along, one dog is afraid of the other, or
either dog is being injured, we recommend a consultation
immediately, to avoid further injury and to improve the quality
of life for both you and your dogs. |