All dogs fight at some time or another when confronting each other or even at play when things get a little aggressive. Wayne Hunthausen, D.V.M., an animal behavior consultant in Westwood, Kansas, and also president of the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior, says that fighting amongst dogs, while scary to us and harmful to the combatants, is extremely common.

There are many ways to stop these battles or even prevent them all together with proper supervision and a few training techniques. Here are some basic tips to keep your dogs from fighting and hurting each other more than they have to

1. Stop the action in a deep LOUD voice. When you see the fighting about to start between your dog an another or if you catch the battle in the beginning stages; then interrupt the scene with an extremely aggressive “NO!”. Your pet will take this loud thunderous command more seriously than if it where a lighter command call. Trust me, your dog will recognize when its owner means business!

2. If there is severe fighting for a prolonged time, then use a blanket if need be to grab your dog. This move is a last resort if the fighting between your dog and another has gone on too long and you want to stop your dog from being hurt even further. Throw a big object like a blanket in top of the combatants and then grab your dog. Be extremely careful! Many dog owners have been accidentally mauled by the biting dogs, as they do not pay attention to what they are biting when all wired up from the aggression.

3. Have your dog meet other strange dogs ahead of time. In other words, plan get togethers with your friends and their pets in which both animals will be leashed and you can control them while they learn that strange dogs are not always hostile. This is a conditioning strategy that works very well in the long run and keeps your dog from being unnecessarily threatened by dogs or other animals that it does not know.

A note to readers:I am closing comments on this post because it has turned into a place for requests for help with two or three pet dogs that fight with each other. Unfortunately, most cases of dog aggression will require a lot of work and effort to fix. You really need to consult with a behaviorist if your pets are constantly fighting with each other and have gotten into the habit of doing so.

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If you want to come home to your dog without him jumping on you or other people when they approach, then you had better train the dog properly.

WARNING: Do not knee your dog. I realize that this is the first reaction that most dog owners take when dealing with a constant “jumper” but it only makes things worse. Why? Because the dog is craving attention and even though kneeing the dog is negative attention – it is still a form of attention to the dog. You can also injure the dog without even realizing it.

The following training guide is one of several ways to train your dog not to jump when greeting you and other people. For this procedure, your dog will already have to be trained to sit:

1. With your dog leashed, go near the doorway with your dog on your left. Tell your dog to “Stay”. You should be holding the leash bunched up in your right hand and your left hand should be holding tightly the leash palm down, between the dog and your right hand

2. Have a friend come by and ring the doorbell. Once you go to open the door to let your friend come in, make your dog stay sitting at your left side.

3. If your dog starts to get frantic and and tries to disobey the stay command, correct him with a loud “NO”. Pull back the leash in a jerking manner, release the collar, and tell him to “STAY”.

4. Now with your dog under control and your friend a few feet away, have him give the dog a gentle “Hey boy” as he approaches the dog.

5. If the dog again starts to break the stay command, jerk the leash as you remind the dog to “STAY”.

6. You should have your friend approach the dog numerous times, and each time repeating the dog training commands if he starts to break away from the stay command. Each time that the dog does not jump, both you and your friend should pet him. Repeat the process over and over again.

This is a simple approach and often breaks the jumping habit within a day if you have the time and a friend to help you replay the situation over and over again.

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Keep your dog from getting into the habit of creating “ownership” of items like a room in the house or a special toy. Allowing your dog to be territorial will breed aggression.

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