Preventing fights between male dogs
Better than stopping two male dogs from fighting is preventing them from attacking each other in the first place. Avoiding aggression before it escalates into a physical altercation involves recognizing canine body language. With the help of canine behaviorists such as Turid Ragaas and her book On Taking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals[3], we can interpret many of the body postures, facial expressions and vocalizations of dogs.
Trying to separate a fight between two male dogs can be very dangerous for both us and the dogs themselves. This is why responsible dog owners should adequately inform themselves about canine body language. According to Ragaas, some of the most obvious signs are grunting, staring and bristling of the coat. It is also important to remember not to leave dogs with the potential to fight alone unsupervised.
If you are able to detect these signals, then you will be able to distract them before fighting between the dogs breaks out. By looking at canine body language and their calming signals, you can know when to act. Remember not to scold or shout at the dog. It is not only ineffective, but it could make behavioral problems worse.
Aggression in dogs indicates their welfare is seriously compromised. This is especially the case when the aggressive behavior is directed towards other dogs in the family. Stress, anxiety or frustration are commonly present in aggressive dogs and are often related to a lack of physical exercise and/or mental stimulation. Therefore, one of the first steps is ensuring your dog has a positive routine. It can exacerbate certain feelings of jealousy in dogs which can also lead to problems with well-being.
It is essential that dogs have between two and three daily walks with at least 20 to 40 minutes of physical exercise. However, the specific physical needs of the individual dog need to be met. If you have two male dogs in the same family, walking them together at the same time will help make the situation positive and provide the feeling the dogs are part of the same group. If you are unable to walk them together, then they will still both need exercise. You may need to share duties with a trusted friend or family member, but you cannot reduce the necessary exercise either dog needs.
The importance of mental stimulation for dogs cannot be underestimated. These usually take the form of interactive toys or intelligence games. Remember that keeping a dogs mind active helps not only to improve their well-being, but also encourages learning and stimulates their curiosity.
You can find out fi your dog is not adequately stimulated with these signs a dog is bored.
Whether you want to know how to stop dogs fighting over food or any possessive behaviors in dogs, it is essential that dogs are able to understand basic orders. They help to keep the dogs in line for both their own good and that of the household. When it comes to canine aggression, they can be used as a control mechanism to prevent attacks and fighting. We usually start with basic dog commands such as sitting and lying down, but should also move on to more commands and abilities once these are mastered.
When applying these basic instructions, it is recommended to perform the training separately. Performing them together makes it very difficult to control both animals, especially if they have been fighting previously. Rather than helping to improve behavior, you will generate a negative experience and make it even more difficult to reinforce obedience.
Dont forget to use positive reinforcement when training and educating your dogs. Unlike other more abrasive techniques, this will encourage learning and lower stress and anxiety levels[4]. This is fundamental if you want to stop male dogs fighting each other.
Rule out organic causes of dog aggression
As we have discussed in the introduction, the root cause of your dogs aggression can manifest itself for various reasons. Before trying to work out if the problem is a behavioral one, we need to ensure the issue is not hormone related or caused by an underlying health concern. To do this, we need to seek advice form a trusted veterinarian as only their qualified assessment will be able to achieve the correct diagnosis.
Below are the most common causes of aggression in male dogs:
All of these problems can be exacerbated by puberty as this is the stage at which hormonal changes are most acute. This large number of hormone changes usually intensify sexual and territorial instincts which often affect behavioral problems.
Male dogs begin to associate other males as competition for their potential female mates at this time, often leading to fighting. This is why castration is recommended for most male dogs to eliminate the aggressive behaviors, as well as reduce the desire to escape and prevent territorial markings[1]. While castration is recommended, it is not always effect and 25% of dogs which have been castrated do not alter aggressive behaviors.
Another hormonal concern is locating the type of hormone present in aggressive animals. A 2017 study found that service dogs with a calm demeanor had higher levels of the hormone oxytocin, while more aggressive dogs were found to have more vasopressin[2]. While the study is not conclusive, it does point to a possible way of combating male dog aggression via genetic testing.
If you have sexually intact mixed-sex dogs at home, we provide assistance with how to control a male dog around a female in heat.
Can 2 Male Un-neutered Males Live Together?
The short answer is yes, 2 intact male dogs can live together when they have a responsible owner.
However, depending on each of their personalities, they may or may not live in harmony together.
It’s up to the owner of the dogs to really get to know their dogs and be ready to recognize any signs of tension between their dogs.
Dogs give signals but sometimes these signals are very hard to spot for owners.
Sherman and Leroy have since passed away and they lived together for their entire life, but not without a few minor altercations.
Sometimes, dogs that can’t get along will need to be separated to ensure their safety.
Currently, I have 3 male dogs living under the same roof.
2 of the males are intact and 1 is neutered.
Maybe but dogs that are neutered might fight too.
Being intact is not the only factor that goes into dogs fighting with each other.
Other factors can be:
For instance, if you have a dog that tends to resource guard toys or food, you might have an increased risk of a fight happening between your dogs regardless if they are neutered or not.
2 Male Dogs Can’t Get Along – Dog Training Video – ask me anything
Q: My dog, Wishbone, is an intact male Jack Russell. He wasn’t completely socialized and had a few aggression issues. He is now much better with us, but he hates my mother-in-law’s intact male dog, Jonesy. They got into a pretty bad fight after months of getting along. Now, if they even see each other, they try to get at each other and fight. Should I assume that he won’t get along with any other male dog? I want to board him, but I’m afraid he’ll be a pain to the kennel if he barks or tries to fight with other dogs. Any advice?—Peacemaker in Pasadena
A: Fights involving unneutered male dogs aren’t uncommon, and with Wishbone and Jonesy both being intact, you’ve got double trouble. But does their “talk to the paw” relationship predict that Wishbone will have trouble with other dogs as well? Maybe. While it’s true that there are plenty of intact males who are not dog-aggressive, dogs can tell when another is unneutered. When an intact male enters a dog park or social group, it’s not unusual for other dogs to get their hackles up, both literally and figuratively, and fighting can result. You didn’t mention Wishbone’s age, but assuming he’s an adolescent or older, I’m curious as to why he’s not been neutered. I assume you’re not planning to breed him, as aggression issues can be passed down genetically. Unless he’s a show dog or there is some medical or other reason that he must stay intact, I urge you to speak to your vet about neutering. In addition to lessening the incidence of aggression toward other males, neutering also decreases urine marking, roaming, and possibly, other aggression-related behaviors such as territoriality. As to Wishbone’s relationship with Jonesy, if one or both of them get neutered, it might change; but given their established history of fighting, it might not, and it would be best to manage the situation by keeping them apart for now. The important thing is to give Wishbone every possible chance of having peaceful encounters in the future. If possible, hire a gentle, positive trainer who has his or her own dogs that are “bomb-proof” around other dogs. That would allow you to work with any possible reactivity in a supervised way, and the trainer could then help you to ease into encountering unfamiliar dogs in public. All of that should help you to predict how Wishbone would behave in a kennel/boarding situation in close proximity to other dogs. If it seems potentially problematic, you could always opt to have a petsitter stay at your home instead.