I have a male dog. Mixed breed. Hairy tail and ears. Brown with black mussle. 1-year-5-months old.
I don't allow it out much save once in a while. And never too far from the house. I call it back in if he attempts to wonder off.

There's a dog closeby. Same street, just two houses apart. That dog should be between 5-10yrs old.

Now the problem -Territory! Anytime I let my dog out, he marks the areas surrounding where the other used to mark. He's showing traits of an Alpha-male. He is hostile to fellow dogs.

Both of them have once fought. Surprisingly, it was half. None won the other into submission during the brief bout. I had thought he'd get injured.

This night, a fight nearly ensued. He had all ears and tail standing stiff on full alert. He had transformed from the lovely pet he's meant to be into a beast in a twinkle of an eye. I had to get him inside cos he'd either injure that dog or he gets injured. But for how long can I avoid the fight?

Do you think I'm depriving him a chance to take his place if he wins in a fight? I know he must have guaged the other's strength through his barks, scent (perhaps?) and their last aggression. He seems very charged for a fight. I fear for both of them.

What do you guys think?

NO

krall: NO

Any particular reason(s)?

TheCommentsHub:

Any particular reason(s)?

have you ever seen a dogfight?

Prodeegee: have you ever seen a dogfight?

Animals fight each other everytime! For food, space, mating etc. Isn't restricting their interactions like obstructing their way of life.

TheCommentsHub:

Animals fight each other everytime! For food, space, mating etc. Isn't restricting their interactions like obstructing their way of life.

okay,lemme put it to u this way.would you let your kid fight for food, space and whatsoever cos children fight for it? My point is, if u love your pet you won't expose him/her to a dog-fight

Don't let them fight. They won't stop until one of them is seriously injured. You should put a muzzle each one of them before allowing them to interact, but be careful to use a very secure muzzle that can't be removed. My dog is recovering from injuries sustained during a fight with our dog. I allowed them to interact after muzzling my dog but my dog removed the muzzle and immediately bit our dog's ear. It was a nasty fight.

Can you fence your compound to prevent the fight?

Prodeegee: okay,lemme put it to u this way.would you let your kid fight for food, space and whatsoever cos children fight for it? My point is, if u love your pet you won't expose him/her to a dog-fight

I get ur point, thanks a lot. But its not natural for kids to physically fight for territory. And its not like staging a fight for entertainment. He wasn't even bred as a guard dog

Pls has anyone an experience of this territory tussle? How did it resolve cos I understand dogs are pack animals & must have a leader for a given marked environment.

Seun: Don't let them fight. They won't stop until one of them is seriously injured. You should put a muzzle each one of them before allowing them to interact, but be careful to use a very secure muzzle that can't be removed. My dog is recovering from injuries sustained during a fight with our dog. I allowed them to interact after muzzling my dog but my dog removed the muzzle and immediately bit our dog's ear. It was a nasty fight.

Can you fence your compound to prevent the fight?

The compound is fenced with a gate that's almost always locked. That's why its been easy to prevent a fight.

Even if I muzzle my dog before letting him out, the other dog without a muzzle may attack him. That, won't be fair

My male dog almost kill my new puppy today and it's not an interesting thing. Can you socialize them together instead of letting them settle it on their own? Cage one and play with the other in front of his cage and reward when he is relax. You might need a prong cooler on the caged one for correction.

oluomoadebayo: My male dog almost kill my new puppy today and it's not an interesting thing. Can you socialize them together instead of letting them settle it on their own? Cage one and play with the other in front of his cage and reward when he is relax. You might need a prong cooler on the caged one for correction.

Good idea. But the other dog isn't mine, and he's a bit hostile too. I'd prefer my distance.

TheCommentsHub:

Good idea. But the other dog isn't mine, and he's a bit hostile too. I'd prefer my distance.

Then manage your dog well, their is no point in them seeing each other . Dog fight is dangerous if you have high energy breed like mine.

TheCommentsHub: The compound is fenced with a gate that's almost always locked. That's why its been easy to prevent a fight

You just need to make sure that your gate is always locked, that the dog is always chained whenever the gate needs to be opened wide for a car to come in or out, and that the dog understands that sneaking out of the compound is not allowed. Then there will be no possibility of a fight. Is this possible under current circumstances? Who are the people you share your compound with? How often does your dog go out on his own?

Seun:
You just need to make sure that your gate is always locked, that the dog is always chained whenever the gate needs to be opened wide for a car to come in or out, and that the dog understands that sneaking out of the compound is not allowed. Then there will be no possibility of a fight. Is this possible under current circumstances? Who are the people you share your compound with? How often does your dog go out on his own?

seun you too like dog

wetin self?

gooosh!!!

TheCommentsHub:

I get ur point, thanks a lot. But its not natural for kids to physically fight for territory. And its not like staging a fight for entertainment. He wasn't even bred as a guard dog

Pls has anyone an experience of this territory tussle? How did it resolve cos I understand dogs are pack animals & must have a leader for a given marked environment.

yes, dogs are pack animals, but you should be the pack leader. you make the rules. you tell them what to do and what not. you own the territory. except you are asking the dog to be the pack leader.

Seun:
You just need to make sure that your gate is always locked, that the dog is always chained whenever the gate needs to be opened wide for a car to come in or out, and that the dog understands that sneaking out of the compound is not allowed. Then there will be no possibility of a fight. Is this possible under current circumstances? Who are the people you share your compound with? How often does your dog go out on his own?

He's not allowed out on his own, except of course for the twice (or so) he sneaked out.
Not many people in the house. Relatively, traffic in and out isn't high.

Prodeegee:

yes, dogs are pack animals, but you should be the pack leader. you make the rules. you tell them what to do and what not. you own the territory. except you are asking the dog to be the pack leader.

Sounds like a full time job, lol. But really, I would love nothing less than to train him myself if I knew a few more tips. He has a vocabulary of about 10 commands.
Though he acts like he understands when I make full sentences but I'm sure he just understands situations/what I'm saying reading my mood/tone.
From documentaries, pack animals with human leaders still have an Alpha amongst them, am I wrong?

TheCommentsHub: He's not allowed out on his own, except of course for the twice (or so) he sneaked out. Not many people in the house. Relatively, traffic in and out isn't high.

Then I see no reason for a fight between the two dogs. They have their separate territories; separate compounds. There is no reason for any interaction between them. To prevent your dog from sneaking out, teach all the members how to use blocking to indicate to the dog that the space around the gate belongs to humans and he is not allowed to come close to them when they are exiting the compound. I learned how to do this from an episode of Dog Whisperer. It is done by simply approaching the dog when he's too close to the gate, forcing him to back away. Then when he moves around you, you walk towards him to force back again. And again. After doing this many times, the dog will make a funny sound and give you lots of space. If everyone does this to the dog when leaving the house, then he won't be able to sneak out when people are leaving on foot. But if the gate has to be opened wide to let a car in or out, then you should make it compulsory for the dog to be restrained first.

yes, dogs are pack animals, but you should be the pack leader. you make the rules. you tell them what to do and what not. you own the territory. except you are asking the dog to be the pack leader.

The pack leader thing is outdated. Dogs are not out to dominate us. The relationship between humans and dogs revolves around provision of needs, not dominance. Human provides food and other good things to the dog in exchange for the dog's obedience and usefulness.

TheCommentsHub: Sounds like a full time job, lol. But really, I would love nothing less than to train him myself if I knew a few more tips. He has a vocabulary of about 10 commands.

If he knows that many commands then I'd say that you're a good trainer. Can you list the commands? How consistently does he obey them?

Though he acts like he understands when I make full sentences but I'm sure he just understands situations/what I'm saying reading my mood/tone.

He certainly does not understand anything you haven't deliberately trained him to understand!

From documentaries, pack animals with human leaders still have an Alpha amongst them, am I wrong?

Your dog and the other dog are not in the same pack, so there is no need for an 'alpha' among them. Just keep your dog inside your compound.

*edited*

out dated? when did k9 dominance become blackberry phones that gets 'out dated'. i've seen cases of dogs dominating their owners.so nothing is out dated about it.

Prodeegee: out dated? when did k9 dominance become blackberry phones that gets 'out dated'.

The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behaviour recommends that veterinarians not refer clients to trainers or behaviour consultants who coach and advocate dominance hierarchy theory and the subsequent confrontational training that follows it. Here why: Position Statement

I've also read that dominance theory is based on a misunderstanding of how wolves behave in their packs. The alpha male and alpha female in a wolf pack are simply the father and mother of the other animals in the pack. They don't achieve their position by fighting for alpha status. When their puppies grow up and are tired of living under the current alphas, instead of fighting for the position, they leave to form their own packs.

i've seen cases of dogs dominating their owners.so nothing is out dated about it.

Really? Do dog's put chains on their owners' necks in order to walk them? Do they determine what their owners eat, and when? Please elaborate.

Seun:
The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behaviour recommends that veterinarians not refer clients to trainers or behaviour consultants who coach and advocate dominance hierarchy theory and the subsequent confrontational training that follows it. Here why: Position Statement

I've also read that dominance theory is based on a misunderstanding of how wolves behave in their packs. The alpha male and alpha female in a wolf pack are simply the father and mother of the other animals in the pack. They don't achieve their position by fighting for alpha status. When their puppies grow up and are tired of living under the current alphas, instead of fighting for the position, they leave to form their own packs.


Really? Do dog's put chains on their owners' necks in order to walk them? Do they determine what their owners eat, and when? Please elaborate.

Seun, we are saying two different things. And ure quick to jump into conclusions cos of what you read online. Ure talking of trainers who coach or advocate dominance behaviour...that's between dogs and not human. Would you deny that dogs are pack animals by instinct? The owner of this thread wants to create a pack leader btw dogs and I made him understand that he should decide what dog does what. Don't be too quick to advice people about dogs if your source is not in the real dog world but online(petmd and other sites).

Prodeegee:
Seun, we are saying two different things. And ure quick to jump into conclusions cos of what you read online. Ure talking of trainers who coach or advocate dominance behaviour...that's between dogs and not human. Would you deny that dogs are pack animals by instinct? The owner of this thread wants to create a pack leader btw dogs and I made him understand that he should decide what dog does what.

I don't understand what you are saying here. Are you just trying to achieve dominance on Nairaland Pet section by challenging the alpha male?

Don't be too quick to advice people about dogs if your source is not in the real dog world but online(petmd and other sites.

In the real world, I own a dog called Sloan. He is very brave and fearless, but he appears to be stubborn sometimes. Thanks to what I've learned online, I know he's not challenging me for pack leadership when he does something I don't like. I don't have to bully him to regain my status.

Seun:
I don't understand what you are saying here. Are you just trying to achieve dominance on Nairaland Pet section by challenging the alpha male?

Lol...the alpha male huh? Issokay. Challenging is an option tho...this is the human world

In the real world, I own a dog called Sloan. He is very brave and fearless, but he appears to be stubborn sometimes. Thanks to what I've learned online, I know he's not challenging me for pack leadership when he does something I don't like. I don't have to bully him to regain my status.

U still don't get my point. Stubbornness isn't a dominant behaviour oga alpha male. I mean behaviours like groling when u come near her while feeding, growling when ure chastising her and so on...oga alpha male nawah o