Remember that if you have more than two dogs, several dogs can gang up against one dog and may not stop until that dog is dead. Packs may turn on
their own if the victim is old or sick, and occasionally they will even turn on the very young. Protect puppies, geriatric, and ill dogs by keeping them separated from stronger pack members when you're away from home and with supervision when you are home.
Here's one thing you might try if you have one perpetrator and one victim. Do you wear a particular cologne or hand lotion? Try applying your scent to the victim for a week or two and see what happens. Dogs are VERY scent-oriented. You smell like love, warmth, food, water, all the good effect of stopping aggression and building friendships. This works with cats, too.
Remember that in a pack situation, a dog may act out by chewing, soiling, or displaying other troublesome behaviors. These may be a result of something you did, changes in living arrangements or schedules, additions or subtractions of family or pack members, or simply a response to another dog's actions. Sometimes it's hard to guess why things aren't going right, so don't always blame yourself.
Each dog is different. Each situation has to be independently evaluated. If dog fighting in your home is just an occasional nuisance, do what you need to do to live with it and prevent fights. However, if the situation is making your life or your dog's life miserable, be willing to carefully place a dog with another loving family and get back to having a harmonious home. Life's too short to be miserable, and your dog's life is even shorter. Make sure it's a good one. If you place one dog, be alert to changes in pack dynamics. Another dog might try to take the first dog's place as antagonizer.
- Know in your own mind the differences between what you will tolerate and what you will not. Set your house rules and stick to them. It's your life, your house, and your dogs. Within the bounds of being reasonable and fair, within the bounds of humane treatment, it's your call.
- Don't worry about being alpha; just be clear within yourself and your dogs will know you are the boss.
- Keep learning.
- Observe your dogs carefully.
- When in doubt, it's better to be safe than sorry. Don't take risks, especially with a dog who has fought or bitten before. Use adult supervision, leashes, neutering/spaying, closed doors and gates, or whatever is needed.
- Experiment; if what you're doing isn't working, try something else. Try to give changes time to work.
- Use your clicker and treats to reward behaviors you like.
- Don't drive yourself crazy trying to figure out what a dog is thinking.
- Don't beat yourself up crying over mistakes you think you may have made. Life goes on.
- All's fair in love and war, and that includes breaking up a serious dog fight with a broom, or whatever means you can find. An emergency is an emergency.
- Be good to yourself. Take breaks. Take a bubble bath. Take a vacation.
- Don't do anything against your better judgment, no matter who said to do it. Trust your observation and intuition above all.