Our canine friends’ most prevalent kind of hostility behavior is dog biting other dogs.
When a dog feels the need to defend her territory, she may become violent against an unfamiliar dog or toward other dogs in the house. But don’t worry, as long as you don’t go far with your dog’s aggression or protectiveness, you’re OK.
With excessively violent behavior against other dogs, you may find yourself in the middle of a lawsuit. Or possibly having your pet taken away by animal control if you don’t do anything about it.
Dogs aren’t all the same when it comes to playing with other dogs. One kind is overbearing and unwilling to give their “goodies,” which may include family and house, while the other is more averse or fearful.
Social anxiety disorder, in which a person feels practically phobic about being in big groups of people, is an example of this. However, it is feasible to treat dog aggressiveness against other dogs.
Because most dog owners want their pets to be friendly, they often overlook the warning signals of dog aggressiveness.
If a dog cannot be socialized and trained to enjoy the company of other dogs, it may need to be taught how to regulate their aggressiveness toward other dogs while being a sole companion in the household.
What Triggers Dog Biting Other Dogs Behavior?
A broad range of factors may lead to dog-to-dog aggressiveness. In addition, the present mood of the dogs, their activity levels, and the surrounding environment all play a role in determining whether a given trigger generates an escalation into hostility.
The most common triggers:
• Defense over resources
• Self-defense when in danger
Food, toys, territory, and reproductive rights are common causes of dogfights. A dog in heat should not be brought to an open dog park, for this reason.
As the male canines vie for dominance over the female, this might easily lead to a fight. Dogs may also engage in territorial and food fights.
How To Stop Your Dog From Biting Other Dogs?
Hiring a competent dog trainer may be quite beneficial in situations of dog-on-dog aggression. Having a skilled trainer watch our dog’s body language in real-time may help us better understand our pet’s behavior.
We may use this information to better understand our dog’s relationships with other dogs. And also to pinpoint the cause of any aggressiveness he exhibits against them.
Steps to Stop Dog-to-Dog Aggression
You may stop your dog’s aggression towards other dogs by following these simple steps:
• Keep your cool and always have a game plan in place. Our dog will feel much more worried if we show signs of anger, fear, or frustration toward him.
• Our dog will get more comfortable among other dogs if nothing occurs every time we encounter another dog.
• Be careful not to allow a dog to engage in any kind of aggressive activity. His animosity against another dog will increase the more he engages in this kind of behavior.
• Set the stage for our dog’s success. Only allow him to meet calm and friendly canines that we are certain he will be able to deal with. In the future, he will be able to meet other dogs more confidently as a result. It will also assist us in boosting our own self-esteem.
• In a safe and supervised training setting, we can help our dog overcome its fear of other dogs.
Affectionate Dogs
It is natural to find a dog biting another dog during play. Canine sociability is affected by several variables. These include genetics, early education and exposure to other dogs.
This implies that even if a dog isn’t extremely dog friendly, he may still be a fantastic family dog.
The best time to begin socializing a puppy is between 6 and 14 weeks of age.
In order to learn to read and respond to other dogs’ body language and utilize his own body language to communicate, a dog must engage in a variety of play and social contacts with other dogs throughout this period.
Some studies suggest that dogs that have had little exposure to other dogs as puppies are less likely to see other dogs as “friends”. And they are more likely to respond defensively when encountering other dogs.
When a dog acts aggressively, these early encounters teach him to utilize a soft mouth instead of a forceful bite.
This might be a result of a lack of exposure to other dogs during the socialization stage or having access to just particular breeds of dogs.
An adverse encounter with an aggressive or bullying dog may also teach a dog that dogs — or specific sorts of dogs — are harmful. As a result, fear-based aggressiveness may develop.
Why Does Your Dog Bite Other Dogs?
When a dog bites another dog, it must have felt some dangerous feeling, but there are a variety of reasons why one dog may attack another.
In this instance, the bite is a protective action intended to increase the space between the two dogs and minimize the danger that both provide. As a rule, bites are only used as a last option if other communication attempts fail.
Most dogs will try to indicate their want for distance before biting. If a dog’s mild warning signs are ignored, such as avoiding eye contact and turning his body away, he will advance to more serious warning signs, such as barks, growls, hard stares, and snarls.
The majority of dogs will want to avoid a fight or a bite because of the significant danger of harm.
Dogs may become more aggressive under certain conditions. While some dogs are sociable with their owners’ pets, others may turn violent when confronted with new ones on walks or at the local dog park.
Others may experience aggressiveness from canines they are acquainted with. It’s possible that having a prized property like a favorite chew toy, food dish or even a human partner might stoke the dog’s hostility in this scenario.
When a dog instinctively responds to another (typically smaller) dog as prey, it might result in a bite. This should be stopped as biting on their sensitive body parts, such as the neck would cause extreme injury for the bitten dog.
Almost every dog is capable of biting if the circumstances are just perfect. Although the dog was most likely signaling his displeasure before the bite, the dog’s owner will often characterize it as “coming out of nowhere” in many circumstances.
Therefore, it is essential that dog owners identify the signals of fear and anxiety.
Hire a Dog Behaviorist
Dogs who have previously bitten should be evaluated by an expert in order to identify the danger of repeat attack and the best training methods.
If a dog is acting aggressively because it is in pain or otherwise unwell, it is important to rule out medical conditions.
Behavioral treatments tend to be more effective in dealing with canines who exhibit a wide range of warning signs before launching into a bite than those that produce a single warning signal.
A bite’s intensity affects the risk as well. A mix of cautious management (avoidance of circumstances that may exacerbate violent tendencies) and training is frequently the best answer in high-risk scenarios.
All of these elements must be maintained indefinitely if the dog wants to avoid another outbreak of aggression.
The employment of training techniques in conjunction with a behavior modification strategy is fairly uncommon, such as teaching the dog to back away or go to a mat when confronted.
A dog’s fear and anxiety towards other canines may be turned into a positive connection with the same scenario via training. It is possible to decrease hostility by teaching a dog that pleasant things happen when he interacts with other dogs via training.
The employment of management equipment like barrier gates, head halters, and basket muzzles may be necessary in certain circumstances.
To ensure the best possible future for your dog and your family, it is essential to seek the advice of a specialist in all dog bite cases.
Overwhelmingly, dog-aggressive pets are abandoned by their owners. The dog may have to be removed from the scenario if the danger of aggressiveness is too great. In other circumstances, the only option is rehoming.
Socialization of Dogs
Dog socialization has just become the hottest new trend in pet care. Uncomfortable social settings are often imposed on dogs. In the end, though, a dog will turn to hostility if he continues to have unfavorable encounters with other dogs.
Negative greetings educate dogs to be afraid of their own kind. Whereas positive welcomes encourage them to appreciate the companionship of other canines.
We will only increase our dog’s dog-to-dog aggressiveness if we push him to interact with dogs that have imbalanced or clashing temperaments.
A more well-adjusted dog will be more self-assured, content, and at ease in his social interactions with other dogs as a result of our efforts to assist him in this area.
Domination and Aggression
A quarrel between two dogs is sparked by a trigger event. This does not imply that the fight will lead to a physical confrontation. For a quarrel to be resolved, a dog must be ready to surrender to another dog.
Dog fights generally break out when one or both canines refuse to give in to the other’s dominance demands. They use their fangs to put an end to the quarrel in this instance.
Those dogs with more strong personalities will not back down. It’s the same for folks who are more assertive in their personality.
How can I tell whether a dog’s hostility is because of miscommunication?
A dog’s forceful actions or postures might evoke this hostility. A dog’s high postured head or leg, eye contact, a high tail, or a stiff-legged approach are all examples of dominating body postures.
Aggression may occur if one of the canines does not display adequate appeasing or submissive behaviors to the other.
Owners’ responses, such as tugging and tightening the leash or correcting with the leash, or the use of threats or disciplinary measures, may unintentionally heighten anxiety and arousal.
These signs may alert the dog to the danger of the approaching situation. It is also not possible for the dog to respond at a full pace and range of body postures, approach, and retreat while the dog is on a leash.
It’s possible that some dogs aren’t sure how to properly interact with other dogs. This may be because of a lack of socialization with other dogs or dogs of other breeds. Or because prior negative encounters with other dogs have exacerbated the issue.
In dogs who are nervous or scared, especially in canines that lack social skills with other dogs, problems may swiftly develop.
It is possible for one or both dogs to become aggressive if the other dog is startled by an aggressive dog’s too exuberant and overreactive displays. Such as those used by an assertive or dominating dog.
Alternatively, the signaling dog may not be interpreting the signals of the second dog and may raise the intensity of its displays. Potentially to the point of violence, even while the other dog exhibits respectful behavior.
The second dog may become defensively aggressive as a result of this. Good communication among a group of known dogs, via physical and verbal cues, will result in a low level of fighting.
This doesn’t necessarily work, however, if you’re dealing with two dogs that have never met before and are meeting and welcoming one other.
As a result of a variety of factors, including a lack of socialization to other dogs, a lack of prior experience, and a broad range of variances in physical appearance and behavior across breeds and individuals, it may be difficult for a dog to adapt to new situations and locations during walks.
When confronted, some dogs that are too confident would fight rather than flee.
If a dog’s owners lack verbal and physical control, the dog may become too pushy and/or overly protective. While out on a walk, the dog should not be relying on its owners for guidance and comfort.
Instead, it should lead the way in responding to the many stimuli it encounters. There may be other dogs that are friendly or socially attracted to the other dog, but they are unsure or afraid of the conclusion of the situation.
Conflict or uncertainty (competing emotions) might lead to aggressiveness in certain circumstances.
How can I tell whether a dog’s aggressiveness is based on fear or defense?
Dogs often display this kind of hostility when confronted with aggressive dogs.
The diagnosis is based on the dog’s body language and behavior when confronted by another dog.
Although these positions and behaviors may alter over time, depending on the outcome of the contact, they are generally consistent across time.
If a dog learns that his aggressive show terminates encounters, he may develop more confidence in his body language and his conduct.
As a result, it’s necessary not only to pay attention to the current emotions and postures, but also those from the first few interactions.
When a dog is scared, it may lean against its person or try to sneak up behind them, with its tail tucked and ears pinned back.
When a dog is approaching, they may be barking and lunging at the same moment, while also backing up. Face-to-face contact with the dog should be avoided.
The dog’s violent tendencies may have developed as a result of earlier assaults from which it was unable to flee and was greatly injured.
A dog’s ability to play and relax with other dogs might be hampered if he or she hasn’t had enough early socialization with other dogs.
When there are more than one dog present, a dog that is too excited and unable to be soothed or controlled by its owners may inspire the second dog to become scared or protective, leading to violent outbursts from both dogs.
In many cases, the dog’s behavior may be influenced by the owner. With this in mind, the owner may use leash tightening reactions or even “corrections” to indicate that the approaching dog or perhaps the scenario is concerning to the dog.
As a result, if the dog’s owner is agitated or concerned about the dog’s conduct, the dog is more likely to correlate the owner’s emotions with the other dog’s approach (rather than their own behaviors).
Due to the possibility of being provoked, a dog may become even more protective and hostile.
A dog’s aggressive behavior may be reinforced if its owner makes an attempt to calm it down. Instead of reinforcing fear and anxiety in the dog, an owner who punishes or threatens it will only make the dog more frightened and apprehensive.
Dogs who are bound on a leash (particularly with a choke or pinch collar) might get agitated and aggressive if their owners don’t have good control over them.
The diagnosis is based on the dog’s body language and behavior when confronted by another canine.
Because they are unable to flee, terrified animals are more prone to engage in aggressive behavior.
Final Thoughts
Dog biting other dogs‘ behavior is a serious issue. If you’re concerned about your dog’s behavior, don’t dismiss it and walk into a potentially lethal scenario.
Dog aggressiveness training’s most critical component is ensuring your dog’s safety as well as the safety of other canines.
Keep in mind that punishing your dog with harsh training collars and frightening techniques like alpha rolling will only exacerbate the issue.
Displacement biting (biting their owners while being aggressively reprimanded) is a problem for certain dogs with canine aggressiveness difficulties.
Thank you for taking the time to read what we have to say, and we hope you find it helpful. Let us know what we’ve overlooked in the comments section if you do.
To help us better assist other dog owners, please do not hesitate to share your comments with us.
Related Resources
Why Does My Dog Nip Other Dogs and How to Stop It
What to Do If Your Dog Bites Another Dog
What should I do if another dog bites my dog?
