Aggression between Two Family Dogs

I don't take aggression lightly- it is one of the top reasons dogs are put down. I often have clients who deal with different types of aggression. Luckily, I have yet to see any major damage- I have however come across a few emergency clinic visits for punctures. A scare that I wish on no one. My rule of thumb, error on the side of safety. If you have not had a situation, but you have that feeling that something is not quite right with your dogs responses to certain stimuli, contact a professional trainer and talk with your vet. Aggression can stem from a physical condition.

I highly recommend that you take the time to work on the aggression/dominance that might be lurking or exists.

A 'not-so-uncommon' situation I run into is as follows:

The client has two dogs, let's call them Bingo and Benji. Bingo displays all the signs of the dominant dog over Benji. Bingo, in fact, is beginning to growl over his food, snap, and get in pretty serious confrontations with Benji. Serious enough to the point where you are almost certain it is no longer a form of friendly play.

In this situation, here are some very minimal recommendations to consider to help build the a healthier relation between Benji and Bingo!

1) At feeding time- take a handful of the passive dogs dinner- and let the dominant dog watch you give her a few pieces (ask them both to sit- if at all possible).

2) Always leash the passive dog first when going out for walks.

3) Let the passive dog out and in the house first.

4) ANYTIME you see the dogs playing nice- reward it! Say good dogs, toss a treat at each of them anytime they are calm around each other.

We need to show the aggressive/dominant dog that his role of being aggressive is not going to earn him any rewards or praise.

There is a LOT more to this. Monitor and prevent anything that can be prevented.