02/08/2022
Very good advice, for multiple dog homes!! ❤️🐾❤️🐾❤️🐾❤️
PREVENTING FIGHTS IN MULTI-DOG HOUSEHOLDS
90% of clients say the same EXACT thing: “It was never a problem until the day it was.” When I dig deeper and ask questions, it’s the same story over and over again. The dogs had scuffles here and there and plenty of red flag warning signs were present, but because there were no injuries, it was always ignored. Professional help isn’t sought until one or both (or more) dogs end up needing medical treatment for wounds - or, when the dogs have to be completely separated because they are at a “seek and destroy” level. And it drives me CRAZY, because so much is preventable. It’s rare that I see someone where the dogs fought right out of the gate. It’s almost always a progression over time.
Sadly, I’ve also had NUMEROUS clients that I met for non related issues, yet I saw the warning signs, spoke up, had my advice ignored, and then a few months or years down the road I get a call because the dogs are trying to kill each other. And I have to say, “I told you so, and you didn’t listen.”
IMO many people with multiple dogs think they know their dogs best and don’t believe that things can progress to the point of danger. I’m telling you, it can happen to anyone. Dogs don’t choose to live with one another. WE decide to force several random dogs to live with one another and share resources under one roof, expecting them to exist peacefully with zero rules or boundaries. Some get lucky and can get away with that. Most cannot. I too, at one point thought I was immune to it long ago, until I had to live through dogs severely fighting with one another and I learned from my mistakes. I speak from experience on the inside as well as the outside.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
The following is a short list of standard dog-dog safety rules for ALL households, whether the dogs have had issues or not. Because PREVENTION is easier than trying to put out a fire.
1. All dogs should have their own safe space, and usually that’s a crate. It should be situated in a way that there is a physical barrier (ex: crate door closed) between each dog AND so the dogs cannot see each other. The safe space should be used whenever food items are given out. This set up prevents “wandering” to multiple food dishes, as well as displays of distance increasing signals or social pressure while eating. Anything that the dog cannot immediately swallow, should be given in a manner where they can enjoy it in peace. Dogs who are fed across the room can still eyeball each other, dogs who are fed in other rooms without doors closed can still wander about, owners who say they “always supervise” typically aren’t monitoring subtle body language yet can also get distracted easily, and situations where one dog “lets the other dog eat first” can still cause stress and tension in the relationship. Finally, the dogs should be put into their respective places, PRIOR to their meals even being prepped. The act of gathering bowls and scooping food can also trigger resource guarding. Even if the dogs are in a “controlled” position such as a down stay, they can still hard stare one another and be put into a place of competition. Everyone should wait for and then enjoy their food in peace.
2. Don’t feed from tables, counters, or plates because then those areas and those activities also become associated with food and can encourage resource guarding.
3. Practice impulse control exercises with all of the dogs and don’t allow pushy behavior. Dogs who are impulsive, who just go for stuff without thinking, are way more likely to start fights with other dogs in the household. Practicing behaviors such as waiting at all thresholds to be released, stay, leave it, and learning a patient behavior such as sit to ask for attention will set everyone up for success. Dogs who push their way in for attention should be body blocked, ignored, and then should be taught alternative, patient ways to get attention.
4. I also recommend to never put one dog at a disadvantage in front of the others. Restraining a dog for husbandry or grooming, disciplining a dog (I’m mentioning this because it’s something people do whether it’s appropriate or not), or confining a dog (like having one crated while everyone else runs around) can put a bullseye on that dogs back, or, can stress that dog out to the point of needing to “one up the others” the next time an opportunity arises.
5. Avoid scenarios that cause frustration. Some examples include walking dogs together who are reactive (walk separate and work on behavior modification), scenarios that may cause jealousy (if doing a training session and giving one on one attention separate them instead, if allowing one dog to watch you walk out of the house with the other dog on leash give that dog something to occupy themselves with when you leave, etc), overexcitement (greeting guests, delivery people, etc make sure to maintain order), and dogs who are injured or don’t feel well (separate them in another area of the home until they’ve recovered).
6. If a problem arises, no matter how small or mild, seek professional help so you can implement prevention techniques ASAP, stopping any potential escalation from becoming worse.
Remember, that while dogs are social animals, canids in the wild choose who they live with. In our homes, they do not choose, we do. So it’s also on us to make sure that we keep the peace.
