Some of the calls we take are about manners. These aren't.
In September, several Reno-area owners told us about aggression inside their own home: a dog that's "very dominant with the other dog in the house," a dog that targets one housemate but not the other, two households that just moved in together and the dogs aren't getting along — and one owner whose dog started with small lashing out and escalated to a serious injury on an older dog. As one put it: "I don't want to give her away, but I can't have her hurting my dog or my family."
If that's you, here's the honest version.
It rarely fixes itself
In-home dog conflict usually follows a pattern: tension (staring, body-blocking, guarding a space or a person), then small snaps, then real fights. Each fight makes the next one more likely. Waiting for them to "work it out" is the most common mistake we see.
What to do right now, before any training
- Separate when you can't supervise. Crates, gates, closed doors. Rotate time out. This isn't failure — it's preventing the next fight.
- Remove the flashpoints. Feed apart. Pick up high-value chews and toys. Notice doorways, couches, and greetings — those are common trigger zones.
- Don't punish the growl. A growl is information. Punishing it can teach a dog to skip the warning.
- If there's been an injury, get both dogs to the vet, and ask whether pain or a medical issue could be part of the picture. We coordinate with your vet when there's a medical component.
What training looks like
The assessment for dog-on-dog aggression is different from people aggression, but the method is the same: teach the dog a reliable, rewarding alternative to the aggressive response, then practice it around the specific trigger at a safe threshold. Dogs with a bite history may wear a muzzle in early sessions — safety first.
This is the work our Reactive Rehab Daytrain is built for ($3,500, four weeks). Your dog trains with us by day and comes home each night, and the in-home lessons happen where the conflict actually happens — your house, your other dog, your routines. If the goals set at the evaluation aren't met by week four, we keep going at no extra charge.
We won't promise every pair of dogs can live together loose. What we will do is give you a clear, honest read at the evaluation.
If your dogs have already fought — or you can feel it coming — call (775) 349-7345 or book a free evaluation. This is exactly the kind of case not to wait on.