My Dog Attacked My Other Dog - Here's How I Stopped It Happening Again

A few years ago, my two dogs were out in the back garden getting a little exercise when my dog attacked my other dog entirely out of the blue.

Not only was it scary, but it was also totally unprovoked. And I just didn’t understand what could have caused this kind of outburst from an otherwise calm dog.

Now, thankfully, it only happened once. And I owe most, if not all of this to the calming techniques I learned from Dan Abdelnoor over at The Online Dog Trainer.

But even though I’ve long since dealt with the issue. It still kind of sets me on edge when I think about what could have happened if I’d not done anything about it.

If you’re reading this right now, then I can only assume that you’re in a similar situation.

So today, I want to highlight a few of the underlying issues that can cause this type of behavior, so you can set in motion an effective plan to address it…

WATCH VIDEO: Discover How To Quickly & Easily Deal With Dog Aggression Using A Simple Set Of Exercises That Make Your Dog Highly Responsive And Calm…

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My Dog Attacked My Other Dog – Why?

There is a wide range of reasons why your dog might suddenly act aggressively and start attacking your other dog.

Now sometimes (not all the time), you can usually spot subtle signs that they’re about to become aggressive.

And if you can Spot these signs in advance, it will give you the chance to intervene, whether it’s at home or out in the park.

So what aggressive signs should you look out for?

To name a few…

Your dog might become rigid and stands still
Their hackles will go up around its neck, or its fur will raise
Your dog will bare its teeth
They might growl or snarl
Your dog could lunge forward, nip, or bite
Licking its lips or yawning can also be a sign
Rapid wagging of the tail from a crouched position
Your dog might tuck its tail and cower down

Now, when you see any of these signs, you need to use a bit of detective work to figure out the cause.

Of course, this is much more difficult if you’ve recently adopted a dog from a shelter. Because you won’t be able to pinpoint and difficulties they may have experienced before becoming your pet.

For instance, some dogs will growl or snarl if you approach them while they’re eating food or chewing a bone.

And this could possibly because they were underfed or bullied by another dog who used to take its food away.

Other times, dogs can become aggressive if you give your other dog positive attention.

This is probably because your dog is either jealous of your other dog getting attention…

…Or it could be that they were ignored or neglected at some point, and they’re merely acting out.

You need to understand that there is always an underlying cause of aggression.

And knowing what this is will ultimately help you figure out why they attack.

But you need to remember that you won’t be able to get to the bottom of the problem until you have established the root cause of the problem.

Aggressive Triggers That Cause Dogs To Attack

So now you know what aggressive signs to look out for. Let’s take a look at the triggers that can cause this unwanted behavior.

Fear/Anxiety Aggression

A dog that is feeling fearful and scared might initially try to retreat.

But if it feels that there is no way out of the situation or it’s cornered. Then this can trigger an aggressive response, which causes your dog to attack.

This type of behavior is usually instinctive as dogs can usually sense when somethings wrong.

Social Aggression

If your dog is reacting aggressively and attacking your other dog (or dogs), then it could be due to the social environment.

This usually means that the dog has not been properly socialized and never learned how to interact with other dogs in a mutually beneficial and fun way.

Defense Aggression

This is a similar type of behavior to fear aggression. Only now, your dog attacks first before trying to retreat and escape the situation.

You can usually see early warning signs that the dog feels in danger. Such as repeatedly licking its lips, turning its head away, and showing its teeth.

Aggression As A Protective Measure

In this case, your dog might feel that you or another member of its ‘pack’ is in danger.

This is less likely to be the cause of aggression at home with your other dogs and is more common at the park or beach.

But if your dog becomes overly protective of you or your children, they can sometimes see your other dog as a potential threat.

Territorial Aggression

It’s only natural that your dog wants to defend its home, which can often cause aggression towards the postman or other people entering your house.

However, your dog might exhibit territorial aggression if you happen to have a new dog because it feels an intruding on its territory.

Possessive/Jealousy Aggression

If your dog is becoming aggressive around food, toys, or bones, this is a sign of possessive aggression.

It’s also known as ‘resource guarding’ and it’s particularly common among younger dogs.

Boredom Or Frustration Aggression

If your dog is not getting enough stimulation. Then they can quickly become aggressive, attack, or just misbehave in general to get attention.

This is a particular problem with working breeds of dogs, such as German Shepherds and Collies. But any dog can become affected by this.

Sexual Hierarchy Aggression

Suppose two male (or female) dogs are competing for the attention of a potential mate. In that case, they may well become aggressive and fight to establish a hierarchy of dominance.

This is an innate and natural tendency that is hard to suppress without medical interventions.

Injury/Pain Aggression

If a dog is injured or suffering an internal complaint. It may be aggressive and attack your other dog.

This is a type of fear-related aggression because the suffering dog can often become fearful of being injured and act aggressively to stop interactions with other dogs.

Predatory Aggression

This can occasionally occur between a larger dog and a smaller one in your home. Mainly when the large dog sees the smaller dog as prey.

It can also occur in the park when a dog chases a squirrel or bird!

Dominance Based Aggression

Dogs are naturally pack animals, so if your dogs have suddenly started fighting, or one has simply started attacking the other. It could be the result of one trying to establish its dominance over the other.

This happens more often both during and after adolescence.

So if one of your dogs is in the stage of maturing into an adult dog. This can sometimes cause aggression.

Now, you might be asking yourself…

“My dogs have lived together for a while, so why would they start fighting now?”

Well, even if your dogs have been living together for some time. It’s always possible that one will start to attack the other if there’s an underlying issue.

Now, I know it can be traumatic for both you and your dog, so understanding why it happens is the first step to resolving it.

And here’s the thing…

Dogs are highly sociable animals that evolved in packs. And as a result, they have a highly tuned sense of their place in the world.

This means that they will always be competing for where they stand in their pack and generally seek to find their place in the hierarchy.

But you need to understand that ‘as their owner,’ you are the ‘alpha’ in the pack.

And being the alpha, having more than one dog can cause them to attack as they naturally seek to get to the top of the pecking order!

This is especially true if one of your dogs has spent part of its life away from the family home. And they might feel the need to establish themselves as the dominant alpha.

But whatever the case, you’ll still need to step in and control the situation so that it doesn’t escalate.

So Why Is My Dog Attacking My Other Dog?

Of course, just like humans, sibling rivalry could potentially be a factor. However, there are also several other reasons why your dog may have started attacking your other dog.

Changing Up Your Daily Routine

For instance, dogs are creatures of habit. And if you change things in your daily routine, it can sometimes negatively affect your dogs’ behavior.

And while some dogs will adapt well to the new routine, other dogs simply won’t. So they may become aggressive and start attacking their siblings!

This kind of violence is often anxiety-related because any type of change is unfamiliar. So you’ll need to be patient and help your dog work through these changes.

Fighting For Pack Leadership

If a younger dog sees an older dog becoming weaker, it may attack it to assert its dominance.

Again, this is rooted in dogs’ evolutionary adaptations and can be difficult to resolve at times.

However, with a few simple training techniques and a little patience, you can eventually bring this behavior to a complete stop.

My Dog Attacked My Other Dog – What Can I Do?

Now, there are several approaches you can take to prevent unwanted aggression. But for you to be successful, you need to remain calm and act in a non-judgemental way.

See, dogs are instinctive creatures, and because you’re the alpha of the house, your dog will often pick up on your emotional state and quickly follow suit.

So if you’re often aggressive or anxious, your dog will sense this behavior and often adopt the same mentality.

Rule Out Any Pain Or Injury First

If one of your dogs starts behaving aggressively, particularly if it’s out of the blue, you should immediately see your vet.

It could be that your dog is acting out because they’re in pain or suffering from an invisible injury.

Call The Professionals

Once you’ve ruled out the possibility of a medical issue, then it might be time to seek the help of a professional dog trainer.

A good trainer can quickly help guide your dog through the issues that they are facing. And the great news is that it can sometimes take as little as a few days or weeks to start seeing positive results.

Manage The Situation

Now, if you’ve tried everything and your dog is still repeatedly attacking your other dog. Then you need to consider separating them until the behavior is dealt with.

It’s tough, but your number one priority should be to keep both of your dogs safe. So it’s sometimes necessary to temporarily keep them apart until you can figure out the underlying issue.

A Quick & Simple Fix For Dealing With Aggression

Now, if you’ve tried all of the above and nothing seems to resolve the issue, then here’s something that might do the trick.

It’s called The Online Dog Trainer.

And it’s an exclusive dog training membership site operated by Auckland’s top dog trainer Dan Abdelnoor.

Now, Dan’s membership site is the creme de la creme for dealing with behavioral issues like aggression.

In fact, over the years, Dan’s taught thousands of dog owners who were once just like you, unlock the secret to training a happy, well-adjusted dog.

Now, I’m not gonna lie, it does require a little work on your part. And you really need to stick with the training and be consistent if you want to see a permanent change in your dog’s behavior.

But if you’re at your wit’s end and you just want the problem dealt with as quickly as possible, then this might be the answer you’re been looking for…

Anyway, check out the video below to see what it’s all about…