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My dogs fight over treats. How to stop aggression in multi-dog home?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed | 35 lbs

We have 3 rescue dogs all from Mexico. Our first rescues is Kyro. He is 3 and passive. Our second is Chica. She is 18 months. She is the aggressor. We have Nathan who is 6 months old. 5 0ut of 7 days they all get along. They play fine together. But when it involves treats Kyro gets his Nathan gets his and Chica get hers. She is aggressive to the male dogs to the point we have a huge dogfight. I'm at the end of my rope. She is a good girl most of the time. They all wear muzzels when they go out

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Megan, DVM, CVA

Veterinarian

Published on April 20th, 2018

It is so hard when they don't get along all the time especially when they are having fights at least 1-2 times per week. I would stop giving them treats together. You can either stop giving treats or put her in a different room when treats are given. I would also consider putting her on a calming chew like vetriscience composure and a calming collar like adaptil. These are natural ways to help take the edge off. Unfortunately, they don't work on all dogs. If this doesn't help, I would talk to your vet about trying an anti-anxiety medicine like fluoxetine or trazadone. I have had some success with anti-anxiety meds in dogs that are the aggressor of a group. I hope this helps!

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    Answered By Daniel Fonza, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on November 4th, 2019

    I would recommend putting her in socialization classes to help with this fear / anxiety. You can use calming products such as Adaptil and see if those help as well. If training fails and Adaptil does not work, then I would consider anti-anxiety medications.

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    Answered By Daniel Fonza, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on April 5th, 2018

    Hi there and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! For anxiety, there is a product over the counter that you can use, which can be found online or at your local PetCo, called NaturVet Quiet Moments Calm Chews with Melatonin. I would start this supplement and see if it helps relieve the anxiety. You can also try the Adaptil collar and thundershirt to see if this also aids in relieving the anxiety. If the anxiety worsens or does not improve, I would schedule an appointment with your veterinarian to discuss anti-anxiety medications. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

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