Want a great way to prevent dog fights in an off-leash play environment? Do you know the key events that trigger a fight? Can you tell when a fight is most likely to happen? Keep reading to find out how you can keep dogs safer when they are playing with other dogs off-leash.
Fights between dogs seldom happen “out of the blue.” To those who are skilled in understanding canine body language, there are some tell-tale signs that things are headed down the inevitable road to a fight. Learning to identify these signs will dramatically increase your ability to keep dogs safe and raise the bar of safety in off-leash play.
- Dramatic increase in arousal – the idea that” letting dogs play without supervision or control is fun and safe for the dogs” is a myth that needs to be debunked. Taking off the leash and allowing a dog freedom to do whatever he wants is not only unsafe, it’s also irresponsible. Lack of management by those supervising will lead to increase levels of arousal among the dogs. Arousal and aggression is linked. One often leads to another (think of sports fans who get revved up and then fight in the stands). Dogs need help to prevent their arousal levels from getting too high. Good leaders keeps arousal levels low by intervening to redirect the dogs if they begin to get overly excited during play.
- High-energy events – Certain events and activities will trigger higher arousal level in dogs. You may need to limit the number of dogs in the playgroups when these activities are happening:
- Dogs coming or going to/from the group
- People coming or going to/from the group
- High activity games such as group fetch or chase
- Too much inappropriate behavior. The following behaviors will generally lead to an increase in aggression between dogs. For this reason, these behaviors should be interrupted and the dogs redirected if they happen frequently:
- Rolling a dog
- Pinning a dog
- Bullying (one dog picking on another dog)
- Excessive chasing of a dog (especially if the dog being chased begins to hide)
- Early warning signs to aggression. These are explained in detail in Off-Leash Dog Play and include the following:
- Stiffness
- Freezing
- Direct Stare
- Snarling
- Growling
If you observe any of these signs, intervene immediately to separate the dogs. It’s surprising how many times I’ve heard people say, “Oh, he growled all the time, but I never thought he would bite.” Keep in mind that growling is an early warning sign…ignore the warning sign and a dog is likely to escalate from the signal to a bite!
What are some other signs you use to identify a potential problem between dogs? Get more information about handling and preventing injuries in your pet care facility by joining The Dog Gurus today!
16 comments. Leave new
I have had my dogs for 2 yrs and recently one of the 2 has become super territorial. She hasnt ever done this before her brother cant play with toys anymore because she wont let him yet she dosent want them, she doesn’t like other dogs by her kennel if she is in it, she is just not her happy self anymore. I took her to the vet to check blood work to see since she has been moody and sad but that all came back normal. So i know there is a behavior issue but i cant seem to hit the nail on the head with this girl. I got them both at the same time from the same litter.
Hi Rachael, I’m sorry to hear your dogs aren’t always getting along. I would be sure the blood work included a full work up for thyroid as well as the normal blood work that is done. If you are still having challenges you may want to enlist the help of a professional trainer. You can find a Certified Trainer in your area by checking out the trainer search at http://www.APDT.com. Hope that helps!
Such a useful article. Thank you! I run a doggy daycare and boarding business on a smallholding in Johannesburg, South Africa, and I really struggle to get owners to understand that parking in the designated parking area and not moving beyond the No Entry sign are things that exist for a reason – it goes a long way towards reducing incidents of High Excitement as you have detailed. I’m going to share this article to my Facebook page. Thanks again.
Thanks, Robyn. I’m glad it was helpful and I love that you are helping to educate the dog owners in your country too!
Help! My sister-in-law adopted a dog last December (hound dog type). We have a dog (bulldog type) that was adopted 5 years ago. We get them to play often, but every once in a while they start fighting. We have no idea what brings it on, and it’s very upsetting. After we pull them apart, they seem fine and actually sorry about it. What advise can you give us to help prevent this behavior?
Hi Sharon, With older dogs they often have less patience for extended playtimes. It might help to shorten their play sessions. I would also be sure toys and food are not involved since sometimes dogs will fight over those resources.
Hi, we have a 1 year old husky female that has issues with other dogs. Sometimes she is fine with a certain dog and the next time she is mean to that same dog. We have a hard time taking her to the dog park at our apartment because she doesn’t play well at all with most of the other dogs and it’s hit or miss with the dogs she does get along with. She also runs along the fence and barks at other dogs that might be walking by the dog park. Do you think she is guarding the dog park ?
Hi Stephanie, It’s most likely that when there is a fence involved the dog is just excited and frustrated that she can’t get to the other dogs and that is what is causing her to run along the fence line barking. I would probably recommend finding her other activities that she could enjoy without having to worry about other dogs. Or find just one or two dog friends she loves and only going to play with those dogs.
Hi Robin.. very helpful article.. I have a query. I recently rescued a stray puppy…she is now 7 months old .. she got along well with my other dog a cocker spaniel who is 4 years old.. last month they both went into heat at the same time and the younger one has become very aggressive , fights with the cocker doesnt let her walk or move .. the vet said during heat this behaviour is obvious but now their heat is over and she is still behaving the same way… very aggressive and hateful towards the cocker spaniel… my elder dog is now really scared of her.. I try as much as possible to read the warning signs and avoid the fight but sometimes I cant and they fight aggressively until stopped. What Should I do to stop this behaviour?
Hi Sushree, For this situation its best to keep them separated until you can find a local trainer who can help you with the two dogs. Basically you have to set up scenarios when good things can happen with both dogs while they are in the presence of each other.You will most likely need someone to help you initially and keep the dog tethered on leash for a while as you work on the behavior. You can find a trainer by doing a trainer search at http://www.apdt.com
Hi we have a 6yr old rescue dog..suzy is jack Russell cross staffy. She is the sweetest most affectionate little girl with people and kids…but she runs for and attacks any dog she can get near…she rarely draws bloody…but last time. .she did…we have tried everything we can..she is now on medication to try and calm her…she is a very anxious girl… we feel so bad for medicating her…but we dont know what else to try…any suggestions would be appreciated. .we have paid a fortune out in training. .but to no avail. ..regards jo
Hi Jo, It might be best to work with a veterinarian behaviorist who can help with a training program as well as prescribe medication. This is a special type of vet (DMV). But I would also look at the best option being that she can be near other dogs on walks, but not necessarily feel you need to have her play or interact with them. Hope that helps.
Hey,
I currently have two dogs (one is a 2 years old male and the other is a 1 year female), the oldest has always played a little rough but has been VERY socialized since 3 months old. Lately I have noticed the oldest has been greeting other dogs by placing his head over a theirs and if I don’t catch his attention right away they fight. This has almost always lead to my dog and the dog he has just meet into an understood situation, meaning they do not reinitiated a fight that the just had. There have been a few occasions where if the other dog is also very aggressive I or the other dog owner had to leave. Is this normal behaviour? How do I stop this if not?
I ask mostly because my dog recently appeared to have injured another and even after asking if the other dogs own if their dog was okay, they implied that my dog was at fault and did not reciprocate in asking if my dog was okay.
Hi Erik, The behavior you are describing is a little confrontational in terms of canine body language. So its not a typical part of a polite greeting which is why some dogs may get upset about it. It’s also not uncommon for dogs to want to play less with other dogs as they get older. It may be that your dog is growing tired of meeting new dogs and doesn’t want to play as much. I would manage the situation by taking your dog to play with dogs you know he gets along with and just doing short play sessions with other dogs. However, in meeting other dogs if your dog may injure another dog then it might be best to stick with non-dog play activities. Some dogs would prefer to just spend time playing with their humans! Hope that helps.
Hi, an incident happened with my 15-month-old GSD which has left me slightly puzzled. He is well socialized and loves playing with other dogs. He backs away from dogs who tell him off, hides behind me if they are aggressive and respects their boundaries. Today he was rough playing with his best friend when another dog joined. This dog was too much for both of them and pinned his friend hurting her. I do not know if my dog had given other cues for this dog to knock it off, but he bared his teeth and his body went stiff. He has never done this before. He came away easily when I called and sat acting as if nothing had happened. The other dog had been put on the lead so I allowed him to stay off leash. He was fine with the other dog afterward. Should I be worried?
Hi Kim, It sounds as if you dog actually showed some appropriate displays considering the other dog was overwhelming him and the other dog. Your dog always does indicate through his body language that he is not comfortable with overly assertive dogs (he backs away and hides). These are early warning signs that he is not happy. So it would only make sense that if his limits are pushed beyond where he can get away, his displays will escalate, which is what happened (baring his teeth and going stiff). The main thing I would consider is really monitoring who he plays with and when you go to the part to allow him to play. He needs a bit earlier intervention from the pet parents so he doesn’t get overwhelmed and so he doesn’t have a chance to practice the defensive behavior (practice makes perfect so we don’t necessarily want him to keep having to do this…not just because we don’t want it to escalate, but also because it’s a clear sign he is not happy). Hope that helps.