Evidence-based rehabilitation protocols for dogs with interdog aggression combine desensitization, counter-conditioning, and management to improve household welfare for all animals involved.
Interdog aggression rehabilitation serves the welfare of all animals in affected households — the aggressive dog, the victim dog, and the human family members experiencing the stress of managing conflict. The victim dog welfare is sometimes underemphasized: living in a household with an aggressive companion creates chronic low-level stress even when overt attacks are prevented by management. Effective rehabilitation reduces this welfare burden through genuine behavioral change rather than indefinite management alone. When rehabilitation is incomplete or prognosis is poor, welfare-centered decision-making honestly assesses whether the welfare of all animals, including victim dogs experiencing chronic stress, is best served by continued rehabilitation attempts or by rehoming.