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My 5 female dogs fight. What to do about multi-dog aggression?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

What training method do you consider most effective when it comes to a multi-dog household made up of 5 females (all spayed) that fight when they are all together. The owner does not favor one over the other and toys are not involved, they have an entire acre for the dogs to run, yet it always ends up in a fight.

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

Published on January 29th, 2017

I'm sorry that you're having this problem! Aggression between dogs in the same household is a complex behavior issue that is a bit beyond the scope of what we can effectively help with in this format. Treatment for this problem involves identifying what triggers the aggression (which often takes a bit of detective work, and observation by an expert) and then finding ways to avoid these triggers, or working with the dogs over time to teach them to respond differently when these situations occur. It's not a simple process, unfortunately, so there's really no quick and easy answer to give.

Your best option would be to make an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist who can evaluate the dogs in person and give you some hands-on guidance in dealing with this problem. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here: www.dacvb.org

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA
Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer
Published on April 4th, 2018
Hi there! Aggression between dogs in the same household is a complex behavior issue that really needs in-person help to address properly - there can be a myriad of different reasons that they are fighting, so you need an expert to evaluate them in person and help you put together a plan to work on the problem. I would recommend getting in touch with a behavior consultant or a good reward-based trainer for help with this issue. See this webpage for more information on how to find someone qualified in your area: https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/general/findabehaviourist

In the meantime, I would continue to keep them separated to prevent things from getting worse until you are able to see the behaviorist.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA
Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer
Published on May 25th, 2017
I'm sorry to hear that you're having this problem! Aggression between dogs in the same household is a complex behavior issue that can have many causes such as stress/anxiety, frustration, resource guarding, or redirected aggression, so it's hard to say what might be causing this without more information.

In general, treatment for this issue involves identifying situations that tend to trigger the aggression, then managing the dogs to avoid these situations or working with a trainer to teach them some type of alternative behavior. Medication for one or both dogs may also be helpful, depending on the underlying cause of the aggression.

I would recommend talking with your veterinarian about this problem as a starting point - he/she may suggest starting some type of medication if appropriate, and should also be able to refer you to a good trainer or behaviorist in your area who can work with you in person. Make sure that the trainer you work with uses reward-based training methods only - punishment is not recommended in the treatment of aggression issues in dogs, because it often makes things worse.

Until you are able to see your vet and/or get a trainer involved to help you in person, the safest bet would be to keep both dogs separated for now to avoid any additional fights.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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