My bonded dogs fought suddenly. Can they ever live together again?

I'm sorry to hear that you're having this problem! Aggression between dogs in the same household is a very complex behavior issue, and is a bit beyond the scope of what we can effectively help you with in this format. I would strongly recommend making an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist - he/she can evaluate Bruja and Tosha in person to help determine what is causing the aggression, and will help you put together a detailed plan for managing them safely and training to work on improving their behavior around each other over time. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here: www.dacvb.org In the meantime, I would recommend continuing to keep the dogs separated until you are able to see the behaviorist - this will prevent the problem from continuing to get worse, and also keep the dogs from injuring each other.

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!

This is one of these situations where more information would be needed to truly address this issue. I will offer you some general information and advise, but I will ultimately suggest you obtain a consultation with one of our experts or seek a trainer / veterinarian. Dogs that were getting along great but then suddenly start having problems is usually due to some type of environment change, new resource, new person, or some specific change to one of the animals involved. I would suggest you evaluate all of the above things I have listed in some detail and try to figure out if anything like this has happened around the time that this aggressiveness had begun. Obviously, depending on the nature of the dog fights, they can be dangerous for not only the dogs but the people attempting to break them apart. If fights are becoming more frequent, I would have to recommend that you keep your dogs separated until a more permanent solution can be reached.

Unfortunately it's impossible to know without being able to observe the dogs. Certainly if both males are not neutered, that could be a big reason. Typically, intact males are more prone to fighting. It's possible now that the Bulldog is 2, he is now officially an adult and could be competition to the older male. That's just a guess. Canine aggression is a complex behavior as it can stem from dominance, possessiveness, fear, anxiety, resource guarding or a combination. Most people are not familiar with reading canine body language and training. Because of this, I recommend to work with a professional trainer. 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.

If the two are a bonded pair, I would consider trying to introduce the more aggressive one toe the other animals alone without her buddy. See if this makes any difference - she may have been being protective. Unfortunately, this doesn't necessarily resolve your problem. While I hate to say it, you only just got these guys and they may not be best suited for your home. If I were you, I would contact the shelter or rescue from which you acquired them and let them know what is happening. Usually, if the place is reputable, they will understand and take the dogs back in order to place them somewhere else. Rescuing an animal should not become a big project for you if it was not meant to be one in the first place. If you decide that you are going to keep them anyway, they will need to be introduced to your other animals very slowly and carefully, and under strict supervision for an extended period of time. The use of positive reinforcement training will hopefully allow them to coexist at some point. There are no guarantees however. Hope this helps. Let me know if I can assist you in any further manner.

Hi and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am so sorry that your two pups have not been getting along recently. I would separate both dogs while you are away until you can figure out the issue. A lot of times housemates will fight due to phobias (thunderstorms, loud noises), separation anxiety or aggression. Also, sometimes one dog may have a medical issue presenting it self to be weaker than the other dog. I would make sure both pets are pain free and have no concerning issues like vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, pain etc. A lot of the time, the newer dog in the household tends to be the aggressor. I would work with each dog separately and together for obedience training. If possible, i would get a professional dog trainer to help. A lot of the time it is the people that need training on how to properly time commands for their pups. Once they have a solid foundation of obedience training I would try a few things that will test ability to ignore one another in the same room, then give one dog attention while the other one ignores it etc. I would reward the dogs for remaining calm. This will help teach them that they can be in the same space and tolerate each other. These can be some helpful training tools that you can start with. However, if the fighting escalates, getting a professional trainer would be highly recommended sooner rather than later! I would really appreciate if you could mark this question as helpful or not as helpful. It allows us to improve on the quality of our answers to other pet owners!