Ask the AKC Animal Behaviorist - What To Do When Dogs Don't Get Along

Jul 23rd 2010

Meet Mary Burch, American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen Director and Paw Nation's expert columnist addressing your questions on animal behavior. Dr. Burch has over 25 years of experience working with dogs, and she is one of fewer than 50 Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists based in the United States. She is the author of 10 books, including the new official book on the AKC Canine Good Citizen Program, "Citizen Canine: 10 Essential Skills Every Well-Mannered Dog Should Know."

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I have a 6-year-old Lab named Charlie. I also have a new man in my life who has a 4-year-old mixed-breed dog (about Charlie's size) named Kathy. The problem is that Kathy and Charlie don't get along. We tried having them meet on neutral ground at the dog park, but they just ignored each other or snapped a little. When I bring Charlie over to my boyfriend's house, Kathy is very territorial, and vice versa. How would you recommend we get these dogs to like each other?

It was a good idea to have Charlie and Kathy meet on neutral ground. Now the goal is to get Kathy to allow Charlie in her house (and, as you say, vice versa). Kathy and Charlie could both benefit from learning some basic skills that can be used to manage their behavior when they are together. The reason being that if you can have Charlie and Kathy respond to specific commands -- even when they are distracted by having the other dog near -- you'll be better able to control their interaction.

Start by teaching Kathy and Charlie to sit on command at home in their respective houses when the other dog is not present. A great way to do this is to make sitting a game. As soon as Charlie's rear touches the floor, give him a treat. Move around to different parts of the home or yard to ensure he will sit anywhere, anytime you give the sit command. Practice this when other dogs (not necessarily Kathy) are present so that you know he really has the behavior down. Have your boyfriend do the same thing with Kathy.