Having multiple pets in the house can be exciting, but it can also be miserable, especially if they don’t get along. Every animal has their own unique personality, and if that personality doesn’t mesh well with the personality of the other pet, you could find yourself breaking up fights at all hours of the day and night.
But just because your pets don’t get along right now doesn’t mean that there’s no hope for their future. There are plenty of tricks that you can use to try and get your pets to be civil with one another, and the following information can help.
Try and determine the source.
There may be an underlying issue as to why your pets aren’t getting along. It could be that they both have strong personalities and want to be the dominant one in the household, or it could be that one animal is picking on the other one. Try and pay close attention to determine the source of their rivalry. This can help you to alleviate the issue.
Give them the same attention.
Animals tend to fight with one another when they feel threatened, and if an animal assumes that the other one is more liked, they may take it out on the animal. For example, if you recently brought a new dog home, your older pet may feel as if you’re trying to replace them, or they may not like the attention you’re giving to the new dog. When you ensure that your attention is given equally to both animals, you will help to alleviate any issues.
Treat them fairly.
If your pets are two different animals, this may be difficult to do, but it’s important. You need to make sure that you’re treating your pets as equally as you can. For example, don’t allow one of your dogs on the couch but not the other. Don’t give one cat a treat or a new toy but not the other. The more equal you treat them, the less fighting there will be.
Use positive reinforcement.
Positive reinforcement is the best way to train your animals to get along. When you notice your pets behaving with one another, give them a treat or a pat on the head. This positive reinforcement will help encourage your pets to continue getting along with one another. Once they start to realize that they earn a reward for behaving with one another, they’ll start behaving more often.
Bring in a professional trainer.
If your attempts don’t seem to have any effect on your animals’ behavior, it may be time to bring in a professional. There are trainers out there that can help you get your pets to live peacefully together by alleviating the issues that lie between them. Some professional trainers may have you bring your pets to their facilities while others may make house calls. You’ll have to find trainers in your area for more details on their method of training.
Danielle Nottingham is a vet tech and blogger for DogTrainingCollars.com who often writes about dog training and behavior modification.
