My Dogs Got Into a Fight — Here's How We Got Our Pack Back

If you have multiple dogs and have ever experienced a fight between them, this one is for you.

...but if you know me, you know that all my kids have 4 paws, which means it wasn't an argument. It was a dog fight.

All I remember was yelling no, off, and stop. The fight was broken up, and everyone was okay except for me.

I was not okay… rather shaken to my core. It's been over six months, and I still feel uncomfortable talking about what happened - where did I fail? I'd always had a harmonious multi-dog home. Was I a bad pet parent?

So, I called the trainer, the breeder, the handler, and everyone I knew in the dog world. The common response was: it does happen, it is scary, and you're not a bad pet parent.

That may all be true. But I needed more than reassurance. I needed help.

What was Actually Going On

Looking back, we were on the verge of a perfect storm.

Daisy was going through her first heat cycle. Fleetwood was 3 1/2. Hormones were high all around. Ironically, the fight wasn't between them - it broke out between Fleetwood and Hudson, on a stormy morning in my home office. It seemed to last forever. It was over fast. And all five dogs looked at me like, "What's wrong with you?"

I have always had a harmonious pack before things suddenly changed that day.

Was this going to be fixable?

When I sprang into action on that day, I was also very anxious - and "very anxious" is an understatement. I felt like I couldn’t breathe.

I got Fleetwood and Hudson into their crates and called my friend Laurent at Elite Pro. They do boarding, daycare, and training, and they know my dogs. Then I reached out to Marc Wingdassen, my dog trainer. We had just started working together. I sent an email explaining what happened and thought: Is he going to think I'm a bad pet parent?

He did not.

What We Worked On

Marc and I started working every week - and as needed on:

• Dog obedience and excitement control

• Understanding your pack's dynamic – different dogs have very different personalities and triggers

• Crate management – use crates for movement, personal space, and timeouts

• Resource guarding - what it is and how to address it

• Structure and consistency

• Becoming the calm, confident leader your pack needs

Meanwhile, Laurent worked separately with Fleetwood and Hudson. The question was whether these two could peacefully coexist after a fight. Not all dogs can.

How It Actually Went

After a couple of weeks, everyone was home. Was it great? Nope. It was stressful. I felt like a warden and a prisoner in my own house. I watched every dog and every move. I wanted everything to be okay. These are my kids, after all.

But we kept working. One step at a time.

Where We Are Now

Fast forward to 2026. We now have a fun, obedient (debatable with Airedales), and manageable pack. We still work at it every day.

If you're going through something similar, here's what I want you to know:

• It can happen even in the most harmonious multi-dog homes - hormones, environment, and timing all play a role

• Getting professional help is not a sign of failure. It's the best thing I did.

• Recovery takes time and structure, but it's possible

• You are not a bad pet parent

Have you ever dealt with a dog fight or tension in a multi-dog household? Drop a comment - I'd love to hear how you navigated it.

-Kim Opdyke

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