How do we keep dogs from fighting?

As social creatures, most dogs do not want to injure or harm each other unless they feel threatened. However, we screen those occasional dogs with a personality type that falls to the far end of the dog sociability spectrum and can exhibit aggressive behavior. We do this by introducing them to one of our resident staff dogs or regular client dogs designated as a temperament tester, in a safe and controlled manner.  This way we can examine each dog’s behavior and reactions for aggression around other dogs.  Dogs can also change in their sociability levels as they mature and become more selective or intolerant as adults and while it’s important that we differentiate between aggressive versus intolerant dogs, it’s also crucial that we identify both types of behavior as they develop and discontinue services should they become a problem. We define aggression as “the desire or intent to do physical damage to another dog or a human.” Therefore, we count all interactions between the dogs that are accepted into our daycare as communication. Just because you see some teeth or hear a growl does not necessarily mean someone is being aggressive, it’s just how dogs communicate with each other. However, just like any social creature including humans, misunderstandings, overreactions, or mistakes can happen during those communications. It’s more common to have scuffles for the younger dogs due to their social skills and emotional maturity still developing, but it can happen to anyone. It’s an unavoidable part of the joy of socializing!