Question: I have two Boston Terriers and a Doberman, all of which are males. My Doberman gets along great with one Boston Terrier put attacks the other. I can not put them together and have to always keep them seperated. What would cause this, and how can I fix it? - Tom
Answer: When your kids fight with each other, it is stressful, isn’t it? Dogs fight with each other for many reasons including resources (you, bones, food, resting places), social interactions (mismatched personalities), redirected behavior (aggression toward something else which is inflicted on the victim dog) and rank.
It can be particularly challenging to treat these cases because after a number of fights, the dogs become conditioned to react to each other with aggression. In addition, if punishment is applied at the wrong time, the dogs learn not to warn before they fight or they learn that punishment is associated with the other dog. Both of these factors worsen the fights.
You have a challenging problem. Try the suggestions below and if the fights don’t improve within 2 weeks, seek professional help from a board-certified veterinary behaviorist (www.dacvb.org).
1. Don’t assume that it is all about rank, because it is probably not. If your home is like most homes, you have one or more anxious dogs and that dog is most likely involved in the fights. Find the source of the anxiety and try to decrease it.
2. Institute boundaries. In a household with fighting dogs, it can’t be a free-for-all. Dogs need to sit for all attention, get that attention in a specified order and wait for their privileges.
3. Eliminate the problem. If your dogs fight over food, feed them separately. If they fight when they run out the back door, teach them to sit, stay and wait to be called to go out.
4. Don’t let them fight it out. This is just plain silly and really dangerous. Don’t do it.
5. Observe and interrupt. You need to police the situation and acting after a dog fight is not going to cut it. Instead, when you see that a dog fight is about to happen, step in and redirect the dogs.
Dr. Radosta
Lisa Radosta DVM, Diplomate ACVB
Florida Veterinary Behavior Service
PO Box 210636
Royal Palm Beach, FL 33421-0636
561-795-9398
www.flvetbehavior.com
Read more articles by Dr. Radosta | Ask her a question
Source: http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/pawshere/2011/02/11/two-males-dogs-are-fighting-constantly/
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