Why Are My Dogs Fighting All Of A Sudden?

“why are my dogs fighting all of a sudden?” …It’s a question that can leave even the most experienced owner scratching their head in frustration.

Why are my dogs constantly provoking each other over what appears to be nothing?

Now, before we get into how to curb this behavior, let me just start by saying that sibling dogs are always going to hustle and tussle from time to time.

There’s nothing wrong with this. In fact, a lot of the time, it can be seen as a way of showing their affection towards each other by having a good old play fight.

…But what happens when the fight turns nasty?

…What do you do when the seemingly innocent fun takes a turn for the worst, and real damage is being done?

I probably don’t need to tell you that a serious dog fight is something that needs addressing ASAP.

Because not only can it cause long-lasting physical and mental damage to each of your dogs. It can soon start to rack up expensive bills from vets and doggy behavioral specialists if not dealt with in a timely manner.

So what can you do?

Well, behavioral modification techniques (more on this a little later) are a great place to start. And while they can work great for changing your dog’s behavior for the better, I want to briefly talk about something that’s both quicker and easier to implement.

And that’s teaching your dog’s the power of calm.

See, a dog who can instinctively knows how to remain calm and in control of their emotions is a lot less likely to demonstrate aggressive behavior.

This is why before you do anything else, I’d highly recommend checking out the 5 step-by-step calming exercises in the video below to bring your dog’s emotional state down a few levels.

Not only will they quickly calm your dogs. But when implemented consistently, they’ll also teach them how to dial down their emotions in any situation that triggers it.

Here’s the video link to take a look: 5 Step-By-Step Calming Exercises To Stop Your Dogs Scary, Aggressive Behavior…

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Playfighting Vs Aggression – What’s The Difference?

When dogs get into a little rough and tumble, the warning signs of aggression are usually easy to spot. And I think that most owners will kind of get a sixth sense if something is amiss.

However, for argument’s sake, and to make sure you’re fully aware of the difference between a playful dog fight and a real one. I just want to quickly point out some of the tell-tale signs to look out for when your dogs are displaying a little roughhousing.

So there are typically 2 things you should be focused on…

…The first is your dog’s body language.

…And the second is the type of growl your dog is exhibiting.

For instance, a loose, relaxed posture, wagging tail, and a high-pitched growl that is short in duration are all clear indicators that your dog is in a playful mood.

Ninety-nine times out of a hundred, this behavior isn’t something you shouldn’t generally worry about. However, it’s still important to keep a close eye on your dogs to ensure the situation doesn’t escalate beyond this playful nature.

On the flip side, a dog displaying real signs of aggression will typically have a stiff or rigid posture. This can sometimes be accompanied by a low, deep growl that is longer in duration.

It’s important to note that if you spot ANY of these signs, it’s wise to separate your dogs before things turn nasty.

Why Are My Dogs Fighting All Of A Sudden?

Hierarchy

The battle for the position of top dog is always going to be on the agenda, especially with siblings.

See, dogs are pack animals by nature. And with this fact comes an ongoing motivation to establish some sort of pecking order.

Now, although any dog can get a little too big for their boots from time to time, this behavior is particularly prominent in same-sex dogs like Boxers and Pitbulls, who are naturally prone to fighting things out for pack leadership.

Having said that, even working dogs like Border Collies, German Shepherds, and even most terrier breeds have been known to demonstrate aggressive behavior in their quest for hierarchy.

Territorial/Possessiveness

Territorial or possessive behavior can take many forms, and the truth is that there are literally dozens of reasons your dogs could be demonstrating this behavior.

Dogs have a natural instinct to guard what is theirs. And while most dogs will play it down with the occasional bark at the mailman or when someone rings the doorbell. Other dogs will make it their mission to guard anything and everything they deem to be theirs.

Food, a favorite toy, the bed… even you can be considered a possession if your dog sees you that way.

And they’ll sometimes go to extreme measures to protect it.

Changing Of The Times

Things change all the time.

Dogs get older, new people come in and out of their life. And with this comes a shift in routine that can sometimes bring out the worst.

For instance, if one of your dogs has started to reach their golden years (i.e. is getting older and therefore less active). A younger dog may sense the opportunity to work their way up the pecking order and challenge the older dog for pack leadership.

Alternatively, one of your dogs may have recently hit adolescence and now feels confident enough to hold their own against what was once a much bigger dog.

But whatever the reason, it’s still something that, if left unchecked, can lead to a lot more headaches and frustration on your part. As you’ll constantly be on edge waiting for another fight to break out.

Remember those 5 step-by-step calming exercises I was talking about earlier?

Now would be the time to familiarise yourself with them.

Watch the video, implement the exercises, and you should see a marked improvement in your dog’s ability to reign in their emotions and keep calm.

Jealousy

Just like humans, dogs can become increasingly jealous over certain situations they have no control over.

And while there’s more than one reason for a dog to get jealous, it’s particularly common in households where one dog is favored over the other.

You might not realize it, but through your dog’s eyes, you may be giving the bulk of your attention to your other dog. Which in turn probably won’t go down too well with them. Especially if they’re naturally territorial or possessive.

Overexcitement

Never underestimate how quickly a seemingly harmless playfight can escalate.

You see it all the time. One dog will have the upper hand in a particular situation. Which will then give the other dog the incentive to go one step further in an attempt to outdo the other.

Before you know it, both of your dogs are staring daggers at each other and are ready to pounce at any given moment.

It’s not intentional, and it certainly doesn’t start out that way. But the truth is that no dog is immune from feeling the urge to get the upper hand when things aren’t going their way.

How To Stop Your Dogs Fighting?

The first step to stopping your dogs from fighting is to…

Figure out whose causing it.
Assess why it’s happening.
And finally, put measures in place to stop it.

More often than not, there will be a very specific reason your dogs are turning your home into a constant battleground. And it’s up to you as their owner to ultimately figure out why.

So before moving on, ask yourself the following…

Do my dogs fight at specific times of the day? (mealtimes, naptime, on walks, etc.)
Which dog is the aggressor? (pay close attention here as it could be one or both depending on the circumstances)
What can I do to manage the behavior until I can get the situation under control? (separation, distraction techniques, etc.)

Once you have this information to hand, you can then go ahead and put some preventative measures in place to limit contact during these specific times.

Now would also be a good time to work through those 5 step-by-step calming exercises to help keep control of the situation.

Because not only will they quickly calm your dogs. When used consistently, they’ll also remove the urge to fight in scenarios that usually trigger it.

In addition to this, consider the following…

Share The Love

This kind of stems back to the whole jealousy issue I was talking about earlier. Even if your dogs seem calm and placid most of the time, never underestimate the lengths a dog will go to get themselves noticed.

The solution? …give both of your dogs equal time and attention and do your best to keep it consistent.

You’d be surprised at how a little bit of TLC can have a dramatic reduction in your dog’s desire to act out.

The end result? … a dog that doesn’t feel compelled to fight for every scrap of attention.

Distraction

This is something that’s often overlooked, but you’d be amazed at how simple distraction techniques can work wonders for diverting your dog’s attention.

Toys and treats are usually the go-to options here to initially distract your dogs before a fight happens. However, if you’re a little late to the party and the battle is already in full swing, here are your go-to options…

…Option #1:

Make a loud noise to attract your dog’s attention long enough to separate them.

Making a loud clapping noise works well here. Or better still, ringing the doorbell (if you have one) to divert their attention away from each other.

…Option #2:

Throw a towel or a large blanket over one or both of your dogs to temporarily block their vision.

This should give you enough time to get one of your dogs away before they go at it again.

…Option #3:

Spray water at them using either a bottle spray or a quick burst from a hose pipe.

This should be the short, sharp shock they need to rethink their behavior.

Behavior Modification Techniques

When done right, behavior modification can work very well. The downside, however, is that it can take a very long to start seeing the benefits. So you’ll have to be very patient with this method if you want to see results long-term.

It works like this…

Bring your dogs together in a safe and secure environment where there is no chance of them harming each other.

Freestanding dog gates work well here. Or alternatively, you could temporarily muzzle your dogs to limit any potential damage they can cause.

Anyway, once your dogs are successfully together, give them both a verbal cue to either sit or lay down.

If one (or both) of your dogs comply, simply reward the good behavior with positive praise and attention.

However, if things take a turn for the worst, temporarily separate your dogs until they’re calm and then reattempt the first step.

The idea here is to simply get your dogs to be calm in each other’s presence. And then reinforce the behavior by offering a reward like their favorite treat or some positive attention.

Again, this isn’t a quick fix, and it can take weeks of consistent effort. But if given enough time, your dogs will eventually start to associate not fighting with each other as a way to get what they want.

If you wanted to, you could even double down on this technique by applying the 5 step-by-step calming exercises to both of your dogs before the first interaction.

This way, they’ll be much more likely to comply, and it could potentially save you weeks of hassle and frustration.

Wrapping Things Up

At the end of the day, stopping unwanted dog fights can be a huge pain in the proverbial.

And while it might take some time to get things under control, the alternative option of letting your dogs work it out on their own will be a regrettable one.

It’s hard, I know, especially when all you want is the reassurance that your dogs aren’t going to attempt to tear each other apart multiple times a day.

But by following the advice highlighted above, you’ll get there sooner than you think.