My intact male dogs fight when excited. Is it hormones or play?

Neutering both dogs at 1 year of age may help if this is related to the female (male dogs may still try to claim possession of her even if she is fixed). If the younger dog is already exhibiting undesirable behaviors, you may look at neutering him now. There is a possibility this is not related to the female. Working with a professional trainer may be your best option. Also, after the neutering, the hormones will still be around for about a month so it’s not instantaneous. I hope this helps.

I'm sorry you are dealing with this problem! The first thing to do is neuter Loki. His aggressive behaviors to other male dogs could be due to the hormones produced from being intact. Intact male dogs will fight to protect their territory and for females. Neutering him can help reduce the aggressive tendencies. After that is done, I recommend getting him in with a professional behavioral expert. I never recommend owners work with aggressive behaviors on their own due to the serious risks to safety, and it is something that is best left to the professionals. A behavioral expert can work with Loki and you on his aggression, and can help train him to reduce it. Good luck, I hope this helps!

Unprovoked aggression can have many causes. You don't specify whether or not your dog is neutered, but if he's not, I would consider it very likely that his aggressive tendencies are related to testosterone, and schedule surgery to get him neutered, as removing the source of testosterone (i.e. the testicles) will help tremendously in controlling his aggressive tendencies. If he is neutered, then it's likely that his aggression towards other dogs is rooted in fear. He will need some careful training to help to reverse these feelings, and it may be quite difficult, but is certainly possible. Talk to a trainer in your area about starting with a good general obedience class, which will improve not only your bond but also his confidence level (and thus reduce his fear). You'll have to work to reward him for good behavior by using a small delicious treat to gain his attention and keep him from trying to go after other dogs on walks. In the meantime, always keep him leashed when he's outside in order to protect him as well as other dogs.

It is possible that your younger dog being unneutered may be contributing to the aggression between the two of them. I would also try to think of the situations in which they have fought to see if there are any toys or other resources that they may be protective of. Consulting with a veterinarian or behaviorist may be indicated to determine the best way to move forward with both of them.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your dog. This is normal behavior for an intact male dog. If you have him neutered, his hormone levels will decrease. This will resolve this behavior. I hope this information helps!

Hormonal changes that occur after being spayed or neutered can sometimes cause tensions. Keeping the dogs separated unless supervised may help reduce fights. If you notice one or both dogs becoming too excited or agitated, separating them and giving them a chance to cool off can help. Removing items of contention such as treats or toys can also help reduce fighting. If the fighting continues, or they are unable to be together at all, seeking out a local veterinary behaviorist or trainer in person that can observe their behavior may be useful for formulating a training plan to help both dogs get along again.

Hello and thank you for your question. I suspect this is all related to Bodhi hitting puberty. At this point, it is fine to neuter him. He is at least 75% full grown if not more. This can help to eliminate some of the behavior. I do also recommend reading about dog body language so that you can start to understand what the are saying to each other. Ideally you will stop a situation that is going badly when it is at a level three instead of a level eight. This can help to keep Bodhi's experiences positive which can help him in the long term. Another thing that can help is to make sure Bodhi is well exercised before he goes to the dog park. Pets who have a higher energy level are more likely to have problems than pets who have a lower energy level. You can't control the other dogs but you may try this for 2 weeks and see if this changes the behavior towards Bodhi. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.