My Dog Attacks Other Dogs — What Do I Do?

Our dog's aggression towards others is one of the hardest situations we can face as owners. We not only have a hard time because of our dog, but also because of the harm they could cause other dogs, or that could be caused to them.

A dog attacking others limits us, since we won't be able to enjoy a walk or an outing calmly — we'll always need to keep them on the lead and stay constantly alert to avoid an unpleasant conflict. Below we explain how we can act.

Ending Canine Aggression

First of all, we need to do away with the myth of seeing it as normal for a dog to be aggressive towards others. Regardless of whether they're neutered or not, their age, or whether they're male or female, aggression towards their own kind, which is the case we're covering here, is never acceptable.

On another note, some owners see this kind of reaction in their dog as normal, especially if they're an entire male, and others accept it because they think it's not possible to change this behaviour. Both are mistaken. A well-trained dog will never attack others, and if they do, with work and expert support, it can be fixed.

The professionals who can help us in these cases are canine behaviour specialists or ethologists. Their advice should be sought from the very start. Waiting won't solve the problem — quite the opposite, the situation can get worse if we come across a much bigger dog, or a genuine attack happens.

The Importance of Canine Training

Either way, ideally we should be clear that to prevent aggression and any other behavioural problem, it's essential to properly socialise and train the dog from the moment they arrive home, whether as a puppy or an adult. Of course, on top of meeting their basic needs regarding space, food, exercise and vet care.

That's why it's essential we properly inform ourselves about what sharing a life with a dog genuinely involves, even before thinking about adopting one. Understanding canine psychology and being clear on how to handle a dog is the best way to prevent this kind of problem in day-to-day life together.

Why Does My Dog Attack Other Dogs?

You won't like reading this, but the truth is that, in a good number of cases of canine aggression, the fault is ours. We fail on some aspect already mentioned. There's a lack of training, socialisation is poor, we barely offer any stimulation, or we exercise the dog too little. These situations are among the triggers for an attack.

Dogs also need a stable environment, with set routines. This is because they feel calm within predictability, when they know what to expect after each action. Without all these conditions, we'll likely have a stressed dog, and aggression can be the way they show it.

What's more, it's a very common situation to be walking the dog, spot another one nearby, and even before our own dog notices it, we tense up, pull on the lead, try to leave and so on. With this we pass our nervous energy on to the dog, who will most likely react by attacking the other dog as soon as they get close.

How to Fix My Dog Attacking Other Dogs

The best approach is to put yourself in a professional's hands, but while waiting for the consultation or during treatment, we can follow some guidelines, at least to prevent an attack. The first thing, though it may be hard, is to stay calm. If it will give you confidence, you can walk the dog with a muzzle on to make sure they can't bite.

Of course, always keep your dog on the lead. As soon as you see another dog, have yours sit and stay still. As they spot the other dog, they'll likely tense up, start growling or barking, pull towards them and so on. That's why it matters that, with the dog already sitting, we stop them at the first sign, for example, with a "stay".

That is, with the dog sitting, if they start to get up towards the other dog, we'll say "no, stay", and if they obey, we'll say "well done" and give a reward. This way we're telling them that what we want when another dog is present is for them to sit and stay calm. And they'll tend to repeat that behaviour.

Canine Aggression and Neutering

When entire dogs — that is, those who aren't neutered — detect a female in heat nearby, they'll try by every means to reach her. If they come across rival dogs along the way, it's quite likely fights will break out. This risk obviously disappears in neutered dogs.

Neutering is recommended as part of responsible pet ownership to prevent this and other health problems. Even so, you should know not all canine aggression has a sexual component, so it's worth bearing in mind if you're expecting a miracle solution.