Why are my dogs fighting when one visits? How to stop dog aggression?

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.

A few thoughts here: first, esteemed PhD level animal biologist Ray Coppinger debunked the "alpha" concept when it comes to dogs several decades ago, but the idea seems to persist for some reason. Second: you should always introduce a new dog to existing members of your canine household on neutral ground. Bringing a "stranger" into your home invites territorial behavior. You don't say how long you've had the newest dog. If it is a short time, they may be working out dominance issues and, as long as no one is getting hurt, this can be okay. Sometimes, there is more noise and posturing than anything really serious going on. Not being there, I can't know for sure. If you are really concerned, or if blood has been drawn, I would ask your vet for a recommendation to a canine behaviorist (NOT the same as a dog trainer!) for help. Good luck with this!

I hate to hear this is happening. I;m sure it's not only scary but stressful as well. 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. Also, dogs who are spayed and neutered are less likely to fight though this is not always the case. I recommend to discuss having both dogs altered with their veterinarian. Best of luck.

That sounds like a tough situation and I hate to hear this is happening. Most humans cannot correctly read canine body language without additional training. Unless you know what the dogs are saying to each other, it's impossible to know how to modify and train the dogs behavior. Canine aggression is a complex behavior as it can stem from dominance, possessiveness, fear, anxiety, resource guarding or a combination. I recommend to work with a professional trainer. This will give you the best and fastest results. 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.

Ypur puppy is probably very lively and wants to play with your old dog. Your old dog probably does not feel like playing and does not want to bother with the youngster, so the only way to deal with a wild youngster (for him) is to tell the little on in no uncertain terms, that he wants to be left alone. So I would keep the puppy very busy, give it lots of play and exercise, so it is tired afterwards and does not need or want to entice the old dog to play. Make sure that you do not leave the puppy alone with the older dog, as there is a serious possibility of the old dog getting fed up and biting the little one. Best keep them separated. Your old dog will probably calm down and ignore the young one as soon as the young one stops pestering it for play and attention.

Yes, some dogs can be very territorial and fighting can certainly cause damage. I would recommend that you are always close by to monitor their interactions and be available to separate them if needed. It is quite possible that as the puppy matures, it will find the boundaries set by your older dog and learn to respect them. However, some dogs never seem to get along. In this case you may have to confine them to separate areas of the house to keep them safe from each other. If the older dog is protective of toys or treats, you may just need to remove these all together to prevent fights. If it is during meal times, the dogs may need to be crated while eating or placed in different rooms. Here is some helpful information on fighting in dogs, including a section on training: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=2303

From this little bit of information it's really difficult to know why the dogs are continuously fighting. Aggression between dogs can be due to fighting over resources such as food toys or attention, can be territorial or sometimes even affected by hormones. Spaying and neutering and helps in many situations if they are not already fixed. Here are some websites with behavior articles that may help. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=SRC&S=1&SourceID=47 https://drsophiayin.com/. Good luck