Why do Dogs Fight Amongst Themselves?

Instead of focusing on just breaking up a fight your dog is involved in, it is better for you to understand the reasons why dogs fight in the first place. Allowing your pooch to get involved in fights consistently can lead to long term behavioral and physical problems. In many ways, it is the same as if you allow a child to get away with being aggressive. Be attentive when you see your dog in a fight, as relaying these details to your vet can uncover some reasons as to why the fight began in the first place.

Scuffles & Physical Fights

If you pay attention, you may pick up on the postures and actions of dogs just before they launch a physical assault. Dogs that are victims of attacks or cause attacks regularly may be suffering from severe anxiety. Dogs that are frequent victims of attacks can turn this anxiety into aggression and start attacking other dogs or even people.

Most dog fights can be categorized as scuffles or real fights. A scuffle is usually nothing more than a necessary process that teaches dogs about their social systems. These altercations can sound frightening, as a lot of noise is made, but they usually end within 60 seconds and with very minor to no injuries to either side. Scuffles involve dogs grabbing one another around the ears, shoulders and neck, and are more about making a statement than causing harm. You will often see many scuffles of this nature if you are alert enough.

A genuine dog fight is a scary experience if you see it and it can result in a serious injury or even death. In a real fight, the dogs will target the stomach, throat, and front legs and the victim of the attack will often retaliate by grabbing a hold of the other dog’s neck. If your dog is involved in such a fight and receives severe injuries, take him to the vet immediately.

Reasons for Fighting Amongst Dogs

Most people erroneously assume that dogs fight to establish authority, but there are a multitude of reasons. For example, if your dog fights with unfamiliar dogs, he is likely to have an underlying anxiety or fear that provokes these attacks. Perhaps he doesn’t have enough physical contact with other dogs and now he has a complete lack of understanding when it comes to canine behavior. As there was a lack of proper socialization when he was a puppy, he could be completely unable to read the signals of other dogs.

It could also be the case where your best friend is affected by past experiences with dogs. Sometimes a dog will attack simply because it is fearful of being attacked and wants to get the first blows in. The type of dog, how it makes an approach, the environment, and the signals of the other canine could all play a factor in how your dog reacts. It is also possible for dogs to fight over things of value (in their perspective) and there are dogs that fight just to be bullies.

As you can tell, the mind of a dog is very complex, probably more so than you once believed. Diagnosing the reasons for aggressive behavior from your dog is not easy, but with the aid of your vet, perhaps you can uncover them.