Is Your Dog Dangerous To Other Dogs?
When it comes to dogs that are reactive towards other dogs the priority is the same: to objectively determine whether or not the dog is dangerous. If not, resolve the problem as soon as possible. If yes, then how dangerous?
So, how do you determine if your dog is dangerous?
The nitty-gritty question is: During past disagreements or full-contact fights, has your dog ever harmed another dog?
If “no”, then your dog is not dangerous and so you can and should begin the classical conditioning and confidence building exercises in this course immediately, so you can get back to enjoying life with your dog. It is highly unlikely that your dog will cause serious injuries during future scuffles and fights.
Nearly all dogs bark, growl, snap, lunge and even fight other dogs at some times in their lives but that doesn't necessarily mean they are dangerous. In fact, in 99% of dog fights, neither dog is injured.
The speed and fury of a dog fight is just downright scary to watch but if, when the dust settles neither dog has any injury, it means both dogs were pulling their punches and fighting in a strictly controlled fashion so as not to injure one another.
Yes, they are anxious, stressed, lack social savvy and in desperate need for immediate rehabilitative training, but they are not dangerous and so, start resolving the problem right away.
However, if a dog has ever caused an injury that necessitated veterinary treatment, then it is dangerous. The dog did not acquire sufficient bite inhibition during puppy and adolescent play. Immediately get assistance from a professional dog trainer. Until then, do not let your dog have the opportunity to hurt any other dogs or puppies. Even if your dog is on-leash, an unsuspecting puppy could run up to say hello and one would expect similar injuries.
Yes, it is possible to reduce or suppress reactivity with classical conditioning and teaching basic manners while on-leash and muzzled but it is virtually impossible to safely and humanely teach an adult dog bite inhibition with non-human animals.
However, compared to biting people, fighting is much easier to manage, simply by keeping the dog away from other dogs. A dog can live quite happily at home with its human family and friends. It is difficult though to keep dogs away from people, for example, unannounced visitors (especially children), groomers and veterinarians.
In summary … very few dogs cause significant damage to people, other dogs, or other animals. The dogs that do cause serious injuries are dangerous and common sense dictates that you should immediately seek professional help and draft a plan to prevent any more incidents. However, the wonderful news is that the vast majority of biting and fighting dogs are simply not dangerous, since they have never inflicted serious injury and so, you may resolve the problem safely and quickly.
If you determine that your dog is not dangerous, then you should start rehabilitating them right away. Deal with this problem now, before it gets more dangerous and more difficult to resolve. Build your dog's confidence so the two of you can get back to enjoying life together, and start the process today!