Why Do Dogs Fight?
Dogs fight for all sorts of reasons, but most of them have to do with status. Fighting is a normal behaviour for dogs and the more they fight, the more their social order will be determined. If you want two dogs to stop fighting, then you should separate them as soon as possible because it is unlikely that they will simply stop on their own.
Dogs Fight Over Food?
Dogs fought over food for the same reasons they fight over most things: to establish a social order. If you feed your dog’s together, then you have to make sure that there is enough food for everyone. That means that if one dog is slower than the others in eating, you should feed him first.
Dogs May Fight Over Toys or Squeaky Toys
If your dog fights with other dogs over toys and squeaky toys, it may be because he has hunting instincts. If your dog has a monkey-like face and can’t stand to see anything that looks like prey, then he may be thinking about hunting when he sees a toy. This is a normal part of dog behaviour.
Dogs Fight Over Personal Space
When two dogs get too close to each other, they will fight over who will occupy the space that they want. Dogs will fight to keep their own personal space even if there are other dogs around.
Dogs Fight Due To Boredom
If dogs are left alone for too long, they may fight to entertain themselves. If you don’t want your dog’s fighting over boredom, then leave them toys to play with and take them outside to play every day. They will be far less likely to get bored and start fighting.
Dogs Fight Over Territory
Dogs will fight over territory just as wolves do. If you have more than one dog, then you will have to establish a territory for each of them. If your dogs are compatible and can live in the same territory, then it’s best to leave them alone. If you want to stop fights over territory, then make sure that the dogs have plenty of space to themselves. It’s also a good idea to give them chew toys so they have something else to do with their mouths.
Dogs Fight During Play
Dog play is really just the training for fighting. If your dog likes to wrestle, then he will need to be trained to fight. The easiest way to train him is by putting him in a sport such as obedience class where he can learn how to fight under a judge’s supervision. This way, when he’s playing roll-around, he’s getting training for his future fights.
Dogs Fight Over Rank
Puppies will fight over rank, but it’s the same as fighting for anything. They are establishing a social order so that they know where they stand with each other. This is most common in a household with more than 2 dogs. The only way to stop it is to keep them separated, but in this case, you can’t just take them out of the cage one at a time because all of the puppies would take turns fighting each other. Instead, you have to divide the space so that they each have their own territory.
Dogs Fight Over Mates
If your dog is a female, then she will fight other dogs over her mate the same is true if your dog is a male. Most of the time, however, dogs will fight at a distance over mates or they’ll use a front-end attack, but if there’s real danger involved, then they’ll go for the jugular.
Dogs Fight for Pride and Respect
Some dogs fight for pride and respect. Some of them will fight to show that they’re bigger or faster than the other dog, but most of the time, they’ll just fight to show off their strength.
Dogs Fight Over Play or Subordination
If your dogs are fighting during play or if they’re fighting to see who’s in charge, then it’s for two different reasons. Dogs will fight over play to prepare for real fights because it helps them learn how to fight without actually hurting each other too much. They will only fight when playing if no one has been established as the leader and there is an open social order. The fight will tell them where they stand in the social order.
Dogs Fight to Avoid being Subordinated
Most of the time, dogs fight to avoid being subordinated. If one dog has already established himself as the leader, then he will fight against other dogs just so that he can keep his dominance and keep control over them. Most of the time, however, animals will stop fighting if you stop them and make sure that they are getting enough exercise and food. This is particularly true for puppies because they’re still growing, and they need to be strong enough to protect themselves.
Dogs Fight to Due To Fear
Dogs that are afraid of something (or someone) will usually exhibit aggressive behaviour toward the perceived danger. This may cause dogs can attack and fight out of fear. Read our entire article on fear aggression.
How to Stop Dogs from Fighting
There are several things that you can do to stop dogs from fighting. You can separate them, you can give each dog his own space, and you can take them outside often. Another thing that you can do is to establish yourself as the alpha dog. If your dogs don’t know where they stand in the social order, then they’ll fight with each other. They’ll figure out where they stand based on your behaviour towards them. If you’re a very dominant dog, then it’s very possible that your dogs will fight you because they will be scared of you. However, if you want to stop a fight before it starts, then make sure that your dogs know where they stand in the social order. The only way to do this is to start off on the lowest level and work your way up so that they know who the leader is.
Summary
Dog fights are common in households that have more than one dog because they fight over rank. It’s also normal for your dogs to fight over mates, toys, and different things, but it’s not normal for them to fight all the time. Keep a close eye on your dog’s so that you can stop any fighting before it becomes a problem. If they’re fighting for play or if they’re just playing rough with each other, then it’s no big deal unless someone gets injured. If you’re one of the owners and your dogs are fighting with each other, then the best thing that you can do is to separate them. If there’s a group of dogs that are fighting, then try to separate them so that they don’t fight in the yard and so that they don’t come back in the house.
