How to Prevent Dogs from Fighting with Positive Associations

For this Omaha dog behavior training session we worked with a canine trio on how to prevent dogs from fighting. Arwen is an energetic lab mix that has been going after his much smaller roommate Luthian, a Chihuahua mix. While these two are fighting, Pippen, a Shiba Inu, gets caught in the cross-fire. (Arwen, left; Luthian right and Pippen, shown below)

When I first arrived for the session, I met Arwen and Pippen without Luthian, who waited in the other room. Due to the dogs fighting one another, the guardians had separated these two to prevent any other fights until they could have this in-home training session with me. Pippen didn’t seem to have a problem with either of the other dogs.

One of the guardians caught me off guard by saying he didn’t find a need to train the dogs to sit, the most basic core cue that any dog knows. Building confidence and self-esteem in dogs can come from learning new skills. Teaching dogs the basics in various situations is important.

These pups not knowing how to sit on command caused some hiccups during our training session. I rely on the sit command for various exercises and as a gauge of a dog’s well-being. As a dog trainer and behavior expert, I discovered early on that asking a dog to sit once can reveal a lot about its comfort level. If a dog is familiar with the command but refuses to sit, it’s signaling discomfort with something.

Understanding the cues your dog responds to is important for building a strong relationship. This means paying attention to how your dog reacts to different signals or commands. By recognizing these cues, you can better communicate with your dog and strengthen your bond. This understanding will help you anticipate your dog’s needs and respond appropriately.

Why do Dogs Fight Each Other?

Just like humans, if dogs are unsure what someone wants from them, it can cause them to become frustrated. Frustration can turn to anxiety which can lead to stress in dogs.

This is important to understand in this case because all dog aggression comes from stress.

Dog aggression can stem from both behavioral issues and health concerns. Not taking care of a dog’s basic needs like water, food, play, and socialization can make them stressed, aggressive, or sick. It’s important to keep dogs active both physically and mentally to keep them from lashing out, especially at other dogs.

I went over how to use marker words to help dogs learn what it is they want them to do. We followed up that lesson with a hand targeting exercise to put it into action. This helps the guardians guide the dogs and move them without using physical force or touch.

Before the guardians swapped out Arwen for Luthian, I had offered several dog behavior tips. However, Luthian’s unexpectedly sweet and affectionate demeanor took me by surprise.

While I was offering advice, Luthian showed his love by snuggling into my chest. It was almost as if he was saying, “Petting me will make us both happy.” And he was absolutely correct!

How to Prevent Dogs from Fighting

After getting an opportunity to observe Luthian, I had the guardians get Arwen so that we could head outside and I could show them an exercise to stop dogs from fighting each other. If you have dogs that aren’t getting along, or you’re curious about how to prevent dog fights, you should check out the free positive dog training video below.

If you have two dogs that are fighting, creating positive associations is a great way to stop dog fights. The engage disengage game is perfect for dogs with dog aggression problems because you get to construct an environment that sets the dog up for success.

I mention this because many people set their furry friends up to fail by putting them into an environment where the situation is beyond what the dog can handle or hasn’t been prepared for.

One of the keys to this exercise on how to prevent dogs from fighting is to go slowly so that the dog does not get reactive. If you move too fast, collapsing the distance too quickly, you can provoke a response which is the dog essentially practicing the behavior you’re looking to stop.

Can Dogs Live Together After Fighting?

I shared a number of other tips to help dogs practice being together without fighting in the above video. I’d like to see the guardians attempt walking the dogs together and giving them a lick mat or chew item each day.

They should do this while the dogs are behind barricades or tethered on opposite sides of the room to make sure that everyone stays safe. As the dogs get back into a rhythm of being together, the barriers and tethers can be faded out, but only after many successful sessions. Better to be safe than sorry when you are working on preventing dogs from fighting and ensuring they can live together.

I asked the guardians to reach out if they had any questions or problems with these exercises as well as with periodic updates. Due to the size difference between the two dogs, it’s going to be important to prevent dogfights from occurring again.

In the meantime, keeping the dogs separated outside of structured positive communal activities may be the best way to go.

It will take some time, but if the guardians practice these exercises daily, the dogs should get back to hanging out together as one big happy family.

Additional Tips for Preventing Dogs from Fighting

To address dog aggression in a multiple dog household, the most important step is separation. To keep the dogs safe, use baby gates, crates, or give them their own rooms. This will help ensure they have their own space. Separating the dogs can prevent any potential conflicts.

Each dog having their own designated area can reduce stress and promote a peaceful environment. This separation minimizes conflicts, offering the opportunity to focus on training and behavior modification without immediate confrontations.

To help the guardians remember all of the dog training tips we shared in this in-home dog behavior training session, including how to prevent dogs from fighting, we recorded a roadmap to success video that you can check out below.