My dogs are fighting! How do I safely break up a big and small dog?

Gradually increase the amount of time they are physically together as long as there is no aggression. Correct any negative behavior immediately. Consider a pheromone product, such as the Adaptil collar or DAP plug in diffuser, to decrease any anxiety or aggression. Provide additional bowls, toys and blankets to prevent resource protection. If the behavior persists, consider a consultation with a certified veterinary behaviorist.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Usually these behaviors can be corrected but this usually requires in person training by a qualified dog trainer. I recommend you consider hiring a qualified dog trainer to work with you in person. I think with the appropriate training they may learn to get along great so that you do not have to fear this any longer. Otherwise, they may be fine but it is a bit of an uncertainty if it will happen again. Good luck and have a good day!

Oh dear! I'm sorry to hear that you're having this problem. Aggression between dogs in the same household is a complex behavioral problem that's difficult to address in a forum like this. If you want to keep both dogs, I would strongly suggest getting in touch with a veterinary behaviorist who can evaluate them in person and help you determine why the fights are happening. He/she can put together a detailed training plan to work on the problem, and may also recommend medication for one or both dogs as part of the overall treatment plan. In the meantime, since it sounds like these fights are quite serious, I would recommend keeping the dogs separated from each other to prevent further problems until you are able to get some professional help. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here: www.dacvb.org

It's best to have a vet evaluate your dog's injuries after flushing any wounds thoroughly with normal water. To prevent this fighting, you have two options: 1) Keep the dogs seperated 2) Get the dog spayed/neutered Otherwise the fighting will continue and there's really not much else you can do about it. I hope that helps and everything is OK.

That sounds like a tough situation and I hate to hear this is happening. Most humans cannot correctly read canine body language without additional training. Unless you know what the dogs are saying to each other, it's impossible to know how to modify and train the dogs behavior. Canine aggression is a complex behavior as it can stem from dominance, possessiveness, fear, anxiety, resource guarding or a combination. I recommend to work with a professional trainer. This will give you the best and fastest results. Researching on your own will also be helpful. Familiarizing yourself with canine body language and dog training can help you to recognize what your pet is trying to say. You can find many books written on the topic and there is a trainer named Victoria Stilwell who I think is particularly helpful. Best of luck.

It's true that play between two dogs can sometimes get out of hand and become a more serious fight. It can be hard for many owners to distinguish this from rough play, so feel free to request a one-on-one consultation if you wish - you can take a video of the behavior for me to look at, so that I can give you a better idea of whether this is normal play or something more serious. In the meantime, I would recommend distracting the dogs from their play session and redirecting them to something else if you are concerned that things are getting too intense. You can do this by shaking a treat bag, and asking both dogs to sit for a treat when they come to you. This helps to bring their arousal level down a bit, so that they are calmer when they go back to playing.

Your worry is very valid! It is best to make sure the two are only playing together when you can directly supervise them and that puppy and your older dog are separated when you are away so that an accident can't happen - even the most well intentioned of a dog can cause an injury! If the puppy starts playing too rough, a "time out" of a few minutes for everyone to calm down can also help and teaches your puppy that too rough of play is frowned upon. Diverting with treats and toys is also a great way, so keep that up.