When dogs get into fights, it’s often an issue about rank or territory. However, sometimes the reason is more complicated and hard to spot. When random fights become frequent, it’s best to seek the help of an animal behavior expert to shed light on the mystery.
Cream and Pudding are two papillons that have lived together since they were puppies. These two dogs get along most of the time, but there’s one particular situation that always gets them to fight. This is when Pudding gets cradled or held by her owner.
When Pudding is in her owner’s arms, she tends to growl at Cream. This often leads to serious fights that require intervention. Fortunately, they instantly become friends again after fighting. It’s a strange dynamic that greatly puzzled the owner.
An animal behavior expert was asked to look at the problem and offer a solution. After the initial observation, the expert concluded that the fights were not caused by territorial disputes or pack ranking. It wasn’t even an emotionally charged scrabble, but rather it was a conflict between opposite personalities.
In other words, the two dogs misunderstand each other. Cream is a curious dog who loves approaching Pudding. On the other hand, Pudding is more introverted and prefers to be left alone. This is why when Cream approaches Pudding, the latter views it as an invitation to fight.
The suggested solution was to stop Cream from approaching while Pudding was in the owner’s arms. The owner had to command Cream to stay put and reward her with treats if she followed. This was a way to give Pudding the space that she wanted, thus preventing the start of a fight.
On the flip side, Pudding was also taught to be more proactive. The owner strapped a bag of treats on Cream’s back so Pudding would follow her around. This way, both dogs learned to adjust to each other’s personalities. After the training sessions, they never got into another meaningless fight.
Source: SBS TV Animals via YouTube.
