Aggression between dogs is a leading cause of injury, relinquishment, and euthanasia — yet most cases are preventable or manageable with appropriate welfare-focused behavioral intervention.
Interdog aggression creates welfare harm for all dogs involved — the aggressor experiencing fear or frustration that triggers the behavior, the target experiencing the attack, and often both experiencing ongoing stress in environments where conflict is poorly managed. The welfare failure is most severe when owners respond with punishment, which increases anxiety and arousal and escalates future aggression. The behavioral welfare framework recognizes aggression as a symptom of unmet needs or learned fear responses — not character defects — and prioritizes identifying and addressing underlying causes rather than suppressing symptoms through force.