Question:
I have a behavioral question about my two dogs that I hope you can help me with. I have a collie and a Labrador that usually get along great. We have a large chain-link-fenced backyard that has a community walking trail adjacent to it. Whenever my dogs are outside and a neighbor walks along the fence with his or her dog, my pets become very agitated and viciously attack one another. Why would normally calm companions behave this way?.
T.G., Dunn Loring, Va Apr 01, 2007
Answer:
What you're seeing is a very common canine behavior called redirected aggression. Unable to get at the dog on the other side of the fence, one of your dogs attacks the other. Most often, this is a mock attack with no real biting; an occasional accidental nip may happen. This behavior can be interpreted as one dog inciting the other to attack and putting on a ferocious front in the face of a canine passerby. My own dogs engage in this same behavior when out for a walk and passing a neighbor's barking dog in its own backyard.
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