How to Train Your Dog to Not Attack Other Dogs

How to Train Your Dog to Not Attack Other Dogs
Medium difficulty iconMedium
Time icon1-6 Months
Behavior training category iconBehavior

Introduction

You’re walking through gorgeous green fields, the sun is out, your canine friend is bounding around sniffing everything — but then, they turn rigid, their tail drops, and all of a sudden, they leap across the field to lunge at another dog. Your stomach turns and you charge after your dog, hoping to prevent a battle. It is a wholly embarrassing situation and one that can leave everyone involved feeling emotional.

Dogs that attack are often misunderstood. Fear and protection instincts often drive dogs to attack, but the effects can be devastating. Firstly, your dog or another dog may be seriously injured, causing pain, discomfort, and hefty vet bills. In some states, dogs that attack other dogs or humans are required to be put down. Getting a handle on this behavior is essential for the protection of both your dog and others. 

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Defining Tasks

Training your dog not to attack other dogs might sound relatively straightforward, but it can actually be extremely challenging. This type of behavior is often a result of underlying issues that can be difficult to address. Therefore, successful training involves obedience, taking steps that reduce unsupervised physical interaction with other dogs, plus a number of other measures.

Rectifying aggressive behavior in puppies will be quicker and easier than changing the habits of older dogs, but it's absolutely vital if you want to avoid serious injury to your own dog and others. Dogs that attack other dogs can even go on to attack humans, so it's even more important you address any signs of aggression as soon as possible.

Consistency is key with this type of training, so you need to be prepared to be patient and put in the hours. It could take anywhere from a couple of weeks to several months to fully train aggression towards other dogs out of your canine friend.

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Getting Started

Before you get going with the methods below, you'll need to gather a few things. A secure collar and leash will be required. Make sure the collar is comfortable. You may also want to invest in a harness that allows you to have good control without the collar pulling on your dog's neck.

You'll also need a quiet place to train without too many distractions that isn't overpopulated with other pups. Treats or your dog's favorite food will also be needed to incentivize and reward them. Small, tasty training biscuits and pieces of cheese often go over well. Once you have these things and a proactive attitude, you’re ready to get to work!

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The Sitting Pretty Method

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1

Go to the park

Invite a fellow dog owner to an open area, such as a quiet public park. Avoid off-leash dog parks as they can exacerbate your dog's aggression. This activity is best done at a park with a dog-friendly walking trail.

2

Treats count

Don't forget to bring plenty of high-value treats! (We also recommend doing this shortly before dinnertime so both doggos have an appetite.)

3

Sit pretty

Put your leashed dog in a sit-stay position several feet off the trail and let the other dog walk by. Reward your buddy with a treat and praise each time they maintain a calm sit-stay without lunging or growling.

4

Patience

Continue the exercise, Each calm session deserves a high five and a food reward. However, this may take several tries. The other dog will likely need to pass by several times, so be patient.

5

Repeat and increase the intensity gradually

This step is a common theme in conditioning training. Once your dog understands what you want them to do, decrease the distance gradually. Continue your training and your buddy will be ready for a pup playdate before you know it!

The Counter Conditioning Method

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Take a walk and add treats

This method builds on the threshold concept from the Establish a Threshold training method. For your next walk, stash some of your dog's favorite treats in your pocket and head out for your walk. You can also work on counter conditioning if you have a large open space, like a big backyard, and a friend with a well-trained dog. If you're training at home, keep sessions short at first and be patient.

2

Start counter conditioning

Counter conditioning teaches your dog that staying calm around other dogs earns them a tasty reward. Once you've reached the threshold distance and your pup sees the other dog, start feeding them treats and giving praise. It's important to start slow and to always use positive reinforcement. If they get aggressive, take away the treats and move to a safe distance.

3

Walk and walk again

Remember, this process will take some time. You may need to go on dozens of walks or host several training sessions before the concept sinks in. Never punish your dog by yelling at or hitting them; this will only perpetuate the behavior and make them fearful of you. If they react calmly, continue lavishing them with treats and praise so they know they're on the right track.

4

Repeat

Repeat step two as many times as necessary. Eventually, your dog will associate seeing another dog at the threshold distance with getting a treat. This is known as a conditioned emotional response. Once your pup is consistently calm, decrease the distance gradually and assess your dog's reactions. Over time, once your pup is able to walk calmly past another dog, you may want to add another dog to the mix. Continue to build on this skill by increasing the time and decreasing the distance.

The Establish a Threshold Method

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Brush up on obedience training

Working on obedience is the first step to conditioning your dog to associate other dogs with good things, like treats, praise, and pats. A dog with knowledge about behavior is a wonderful thing. Make sure your dog is willing to heel and sit-stay on cue. Use positive reinforcement during this process.

2

Take a walk

Once you're confident that your pal will follow your commands, leash up and take a walk in an area where you'll pass other dogs, but keep your distance. Think of this walk as an experiment. You want to establish a "threshold" distance. Notice roughly how far away the other dog is when your dog starts showing signs of aggression.

3

Double the threshold distance

If your dog starts growling or lunging at a distance of 20 feet, move them 40 feet away at the very first sign of aggression. (This includes the stare-down that often precedes aggressive behavior.) This teaches them that you'll protect them from what they perceive as danger. Never force your dog to interact with other dogs if they're fearful or protective.

4

Mind your body language

Your dog will pick up on your emotions. Tensing up or gripping the leash tightly might make them more fearful or aggressive. Maintain a calm yet firm demeanor to let your dog know there's no danger.

Written by James Barra

Veterinary reviewed by:

Published: 11/05/2017, edited: 01/08/2021

Training Questions

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Training Questions and Answers

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Lucky

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Mostly American Pit Bull with German Sheppard and Austrailian Cattle Dog

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Twenty Six Months

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She plays hard and is fast. 50 pounds of muscle. At off leash dog parks she has gotten into fights, sometimes the aggressor and sometimes when another dog is the aggressor. Same thing at doggie day care. Her last visit they claimed she was the aggressor and she almost ripped another dogs ear off.

March 5, 2023

Lucky's Owner

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Caitlin Crittenden - Dog Trainer

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Hello, First, I would stop going to the dog park and to a doggie daycare where she is put with the other dogs. The more she practices the aggression, the worse it is likely to get, plus it puts others in danger. There are daycares out there that kennel dogs who need it, separately and have activities you can sign up for the daycare workers to walk, practice agility, or provide another form of exercise individually. For the aggression itself, I recommend hiring a professional trainer who specializes in behavior issues like aggression and has access to lots of other well mannered, dog friendly dogs. I would work with a qualified trainer, with safety measures like a basket muzzle, to gradually desensitize pup to other dogs, using obedience command practice to help pup stay less aroused and in the thinking part of their brain and out of fight or flight. I would begin training at a distance where pup can tolerate other dogs at, rewarding pup's obedience during obedience command practice, having the other dogs just be in the background. As pup improves and becomes calmer and unconcerned about the other dog being in the area, then I would very gradually decrease the distance, practice with the dog moving about more or making more noise in the distance, rewarding pup's continued focus on you and calmness around the other dog. This process would be done over lots of different training sessions, where distance is decreased as pup's body language shows that they are ready. Once the dogs are within a few feet of each other and pup is unconcerned, you could practice having them walk past each other, then eventually go on a walk with each other with the safety of distance and/or a basket muzzle for safety. When pup is okay with one dog, then you would start at the beginning with a new dog, until you had worked up to the walk again with that dog. Once pup was fine with the first two dogs, then you would continue this process with at least a dozen different dogs, until pup is generalizing the training to all dogs, and more relaxed around dogs in general. When working with a reactive or aggressive dog, be aware that a basket muzzle is sometimes needed too, even if the other dog is further away, because an aroused dog will sometimes direct their aggression toward whoever is closest, such as you - the one walking them. Training with an aggressive or reactive dog needs to be done carefully, and ideally under the supervision of someone experienced with handling an aggressive or reactive dog. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XzwUmSHyIc&list=PLXtcKXk-QWojGYcl1NCg5UA5geEnmpx4a&index=39 Some dogs naturally lack the impulse control to do well in unstructured, highly arousing environments where there are lots of other dogs wrestling and running. Those dogs often need environments where they can socialize with more structure and boundaries and with better leadership from the owner. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

March 6, 2023

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Grayboi

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American Staffordshire Terrier

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Five Years

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Is it common for him to attack a specific breed of dogs or person that he has been previously attacked by?

March 2, 2023

Grayboi's Owner

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Caitlin Crittenden - Dog Trainer

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Hello, Many dogs will attach the exact same person or dog who attacked them in the past. Whether or not they tend to attack the same type of person (like an adult male or female child) or dog breed (like a Labrador), often has to do with their previous level of socialization before they were attacked. If a dog has never been socialized around a certain type of person and their only experience with that type of person was someone attacking them, they may assume that all adult white males are dangerous for example. If the dog had many pleasant experiences with adult white males before the attack with the one individual, then they are likely to associate the attack just with that one individual and not all similar looking people for example. This can vary some dog to dog, but often the dog's previous socialization experiences will affect their view of others who are similar to the attacker afterwards. An attack toward the same person is likely though, especially if the person or other dog was the one who provoked the attack initially. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

March 6, 2023


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