How do you keep Dogs from fighting?

I have two dogs and I loved them both very much. They do seem to get along for the most part but they still have a tendency to fight with one another. I find that the smaller of the two dogs Buddy II has a tendency to start the fights with the bigger and older dog Oso. Now, over the years I have had more then one dog at one time and I don't remember this always going on. Before Buddy II and Oso, there was Rocky and Buddy I, and they got along, which is a good thing since Rocky was a Golden Lab and Buddy I was a Chihuahua so Rocky could of easily killed Buddy I. As for the breeds of Oso, he's part Akita and part Lab, while Buddy II was suppose to be another Chihuahua but he's too big to be a full member of the breed. Because he somewhat resembles Oso and they came from the same friend, I think they might share the same mother which is an Akita. Anyway, we've had both dogs for a few years now and you would think this would of stopped by now that both dogs would of been long past the puppy stage. That's not to say these dogs don't get along, they do, but there are still those moments where Buddy II has to go bug Oso, especially when they are in the house. Have any of you experiencing this with multiple dogs, how do you control it or get it under control.

 

My dogs don't fight nor have they ever, so I'm lucky. My grandfather had dogs that fought from time to time. He would always throw cold water on them or squirt them with the garden hose. It always worked. The mess inside the house upset my grandmother. But the dogs stopped fighting.

 

Pafjlh, is there a reason for the fighting? By that I mean, does something trigger it like food, toys, sitting on the couch?

I've seen it between my sister's dog and my brother's dog. The trigger in their case is food. My brother's Doberman had protection issues. She would fight dogs that came near their younger Doberman. I don't think you have that issue since it sounds like they get along okay otherwise.

I'm not an expert on this. But, from what I've read and heard, you need to work on what triggers the fighting and where it happens. I've seen Cesar Millan deal with these cases on his show. You might look for the videos to see how he went about it. I think in most cases, he started by reasserting his leadership.

Keeping a squirt gun or shaker can handy might be a good thing. When my sister's dogs start in, I use my voice (which can be loud and strong) and it's usually enough to scare them out going further.

 

I have only one dog, but last month my friend visited us and she took her dog, Docent, with her. They stayed at my house for three days. She needed to leave so quickly, because my Homer and her Docent were fighting constantly, without any reason. It was terrible . We didn't know what to do, so the only solution was to separate them .

 

To the person who asked me if there was a reason for the fighting, the only thing I can come up with is Buddy II is a bully. In fact I think that's what we should of named him instead of Buddy II. As for the individual who suggested a garden hose, my brother has used this on them outside when their fighting has gotten totally out of control and really ugly. We have noticed that they really don't fight like this any longer, which is a good thing in itself. As for the indoor fighting, maybe it just comes down to playing and rough housing, but still it can get out of control Fortunately, I have noticed that lately Buddy II has started to listen to me the same way he does my brother, and usually when I tell him to get away from Oso and lie down he does. So I guess there have been some improvement in his behavior, as I said we suspect their siblings so maybe this comes down to a form of sibling rivalry who knows.

 

Oh one more thing that I forgot to place in my last post. Thank you to those who responded to my post with your suggestions and support. I appreciate your input.

 

I think dogs fighting has something got to do with the pecking order. Once the pecking order is established, then there's very little fighting. Of course, there are exceptions. Like Candy. She doesn't fit into any pack, so she has to live alone. In fact, she enjoys living alone.

 

I have a Pomeranian and a Chocolate Lab mix and like your two dogs, they get along for the most part. However, they do fight occasionally and it's usually the Pomeranian starting the fight. He may be small, but he is definitely the bully. The reason my dogs fight is because I've had the Pomeranian longer and the lab only recently came into the picture full time. My little Pommy is trying to lay down the rules that it's his territory and I belong to him.

I took them to obedience school to get a better handle on them and teach them to listen to me in all kinds of situations. Now when they fight, I separate them and make sure I show no preference or special treatment to one over the other. This usually works because my Pommy is put in his place as is the Labrador. Sometimes I think they just stop and go at it when I'm not home...but there's no evidence of that.