What Causes Aggression Between Dogs

What causes aggression between dogs? Sometimes dogs are aggressive towards each other. Not all people get along so how can we expect all dogs to? While this aggression is sometimes normal, there could be an underlying cause to it. Continue reading this article to determine if your dog's aggression is normal.  

Aggression by one dog towards another dog, whether it's an unfamiliar one or another dog in the same household is actually known as inter-dog aggression. This type of aggression mostly occurs between dogs of the same sex. It may be caused by genetic or learning factors.

It is usually something that can be noticed when a dog reaches puberty and it is most common in male dogs that have not be neutered. How do you know if your dog is overly aggressive? Well, some dogs may be defensive of their owner, family members, and home, however you don't want your dog to be overly aggressive. If a dog is overly aggressive it can cause problems and the dog may end up fighting another dog which could lead to injuries.

Common signs of inter-dog aggression are things like growling, biting or snapping at another dog, lunging towards another dog as if going to attack. If the problem occurs between two dogs that live in the same household there will be other signs that you may think are simple and not aggressive. These types of signs include one dog trying to block or prevent the other from entering or exiting a room. Staring may often occur.

There are different things that cause inter-dog aggression. It could be a specific event or single incident that triggers the aggression. If a dog was abused in the past or had bad experiences with other dogs in its past it may be aggressive. Dogs may also be trying to establish a social statues or they may actually be in pain due to a medical issue. In some cases, aggression is part of genetics. Unfortunately some dogs are breed for fighting. For example dogs such as pit bull are more prone to aggressive behavior than many other breeds. 

The information provided on this site is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your veterinarian or other health care professional. You should not use the information on this site for diagnosis or treatment of any health problem or for prescription of any medication or other treatment.