Learned components of aggression Learning and conditioning aggravate most forms of interdog aggression. If the owner tries to calm the aggressive dog or distract it with food treats, this may only serve to reward the aggressive behavior. One of the most common mistakes is to punish the dog that is aggressive toward other dogs. And, if the dog to dog interaction results in pain or injury to one or both dogs, the dogs will quickly learn to become more fearful and aggressive at future meetings. In short, if the owners cannot successfully control the dog and resolve the situation without heightening the dog s anxiety or increasing its fear, the problem will progress with each subsequent exposure.
Prevention starts with puppy training and socialization.
Early and frequent association with other dogs will enable your pet to learn proper interactions and reactions to other dogs. This can be very helpful in prevention of aggression to other dogs. You must have good control of your dog. This means that your dog will take contextual cues from you, and may be calmer and less anxious in the presence of new stimuli. Moreover, the dog should reliably respond to commands to sit, stay and quiet.