Quick Answer: Sibling rivalry in dogs occurs when two or more dogs compete for resources such as food, attention, favourite spots, or access to their owners. Warning signs include growling, snapping, and pushing the other dog out of the way. It becomes serious when one dog corrects the other, and the second dog won’t back down; this is likely to escalate into a fight. The solution involves consistent rules, fair resource management, and addressing the behaviour where it happens: in your home.
Bark Busters professional dog trainers receive calls weekly about dogs fighting in multi-dog households. Watching dogs they love turn on each other over a spot on the couch, a meal, or simply who gets petted first, is one of the most stressful situations owners face
Sibling rivalry between dogs is manageable. But it requires understanding why it happens, recognizing warning signs before fights occur, and making changes that address the real triggers, not just separating dogs and hoping for the best.
This guide covers what causes rivalry between dogs in the same household, how to spot early warning signs, and what actually works to restore peace.
What This Guide Covers
• What sibling rivalry in dogs actually means
• The three resources dogs fight over most
• Early warning signs before rivalry becomes aggression
• How owners accidentally make rivalry worse
• Which dogs are most likely to develop rivalry
• How to resolve rivalry and prevent fights
What Is Sibling Rivalry in Dogs?
Sibling rivalry in dogs is defined as two or more dogs in a household competing for resources.
“Competing” doesn’t mean playful jostling. It means growling, snapping, body-blocking, pushing the other dog out of the way, or outright fighting. The competition centres on things dogs value, and dogs can value resources differently than humans expect.
Despite the name “sibling rivalry,” dogs don’t need to be actual littermates or even related. Any two dogs living in the same household can develop rivalry when resource competition creates tension.
What Do Dogs Fight Over? The Three Main Resources
Understanding what dogs consider “resources” is essential for preventing and managing rivalry. Dogs compete in three main categories:
1. Food
This includes meals, treats, chews, bones, and anything edible. Food-related rivalry can appear during feeding time, when treats are given, or when one dog finds something to chew on. Some dogs guard food bowls; others compete aggressively for high-value items like bones or stuffed Kongs.
2. Access to Spaces
Dogs value physical locations more than many owners realize. Competition over spaces includes: favourite spots on the couch or bed, doorways and thresholds, position near the owner’s feet, crate locations, sunny spots by windows, and the “best” resting areas. One dog may claim a spot and guard it from the other, or conflicts may erupt when both dogs want the same location simultaneously.
3. Attention from Humans
Owner attention is a highly valued resource. Rivalry over human attention shows up when you pet one dog and the other pushes in, when one dog blocks access to you, or when dogs compete for who gets greeted first, lap time, or play engagement. Some dogs become possessive of their owner, treating human attention as something to guard from the other dog.
Early Warning Signs: How to Spot Rivalry Before It Escalates
Catching rivalry behaviour early is always better than waiting until dogs are fighting. Watch for these warning signs:
Growling
Low rumbling or growling when the other dog approaches food, resting spots, or humans. Growling is a warning signal; the dog is communicating discomfort.
Snapping
Air snaps or quick snaps toward the other dog, often without making contact. This is an escalation from growling; the dog is adding a physical warning to the vocal one.
Body Blocking and Pushing
One dog physically positions themselves between the other dog and a resource (food, owner, space). This includes hip-checking, shouldering, or using their body to push the other dog away from something they want.
Stiff Body Language
Tense posture, hard staring, raised hackles, or freezing when the other dog approaches. These signals indicate a dog is uncomfortable and may escalate if the other dog doesn’t back off.
Resource Guarding Behaviour
Eating faster when the other dog is nearby, moving items to another location, or hovering over possessions. The dog is trying to protect resources they fear losing.
When Does Sibling Rivalry Become a Serious Problem?
Help is definitely needed when one dog corrects the other (growl or snap) and the second dog will not back down.
In healthy dog dynamics, a correction from one dog prompts the other to defer or move away. The situation de-escalates because one dog yields.
When neither dog backs down, escalation to a fight is likely. This indicates a more serious breakdown in the household hierarchy and requires intervention before someone gets hurt.
Other signs that rivalry has become a serious concern:
• Fights have occurred, regardless of whether injuries resulted
• One dog is showing signs of chronic stress (hiding, avoiding common areas, changes in eating)
• Tension is constant, not limited to specific trigger situations
• Dogs cannot be in the same room without supervision
• The intensity of conflicts is increasing over time
If you are seeing any of the signs above, it is time to contact a Bark Buster trainer near you for professional dog training help.
How Owners Accidentally Make Sibling Rivalry Worse
This is where many owners are surprised: human behaviour often unintentionally creates or escalates rivalry between dogs.
Dogs have a natural hierarchy. When humans accidentally interrupt or contradict that hierarchy, dogs can start fighting.
Unequal Rules Create Conflict
Common scenarios that trigger rivalry:
• One dog is allowed on the bed or couch, but the other isn’t
• One dog always goes through doors first
• One dog gets fed first every time
• One dog receives more attention, more freedom, or more privileges
These patterns send mixed messages about status and create resentment. The “favoured” dog may feel entitled to guard their position; the other dog may challenge what they perceive as unfair treatment.
Intervening in Natural Corrections
When one dog appropriately corrects another (a quick growl to say “back off my bone”), some owners immediately scold the correcting dog. This undermines natural communication and can make the corrected dog bolder about pushing boundaries, leading to bigger conflicts.
Always Protecting the “Underdog”
It’s natural to want to protect a smaller, older, or seemingly weaker dog. But consistently intervening on one dog’s behalf can disrupt household dynamics and actually increase conflict. Dogs need to establish their own working relationship with minimal human interference in normal interactions.
Insufficient Resources
Competition increases when resources are scarce. Households with one food bowl, one water bowl, one dog bed, and one favourite toy create more opportunities for conflict than households with abundant resources in multiple locations.
Which Dogs Are Most Likely to Develop Sibling Rivalry?
Age Dynamics: The “Teenager” Problem
Rivalries often develop when a puppy starts to become an adult. Just like a human teenager, adolescent dogs start pushing boundaries. Where a puppy deferred to an older dog, the maturing dog begins saying, “don’t boss me around.”
This transition period, roughly 6 months to 2 years, depending on breed, is a common trigger point for rivalry that didn’t exist when the second dog was younger and naturally submissive.
Size Doesn’t Matter, but Temperament Does
Size isn’t a reliable predictor of rivalry. A small dog can absolutely challenge a large dog, and many small dogs are more assertive than their larger housemates.
Temperament is the key factor. If you have two confident, assertive dogs, they will often jockey for position in the home. Two dogs who both want to be “in charge” are more likely to clash than a confident dog paired with a more easygoing companion.
Same-Sex Pairings
While any combination of dogs can develop rivalry, same-sex pairings tend to experience more conflict. This isn’t universal, but it’s a pattern trainers observe regularly.
Dogs with Resource Guarding History
A dog who guards resources from humans is likely to guard resources from other dogs. If you’re adding a second dog to a household where the first dog shows any resource guarding behaviour, proactive training is essential.
How to Manage and Resolve Sibling Rivalry
Establish Consistent, Fair Rules
Rules should apply equally to both dogs. If one dog isn’t allowed on the furniture, neither is the other. If one dog must wait before eating, both dogs wait. Consistency removes perceived favouritism that fuels competition.
Increase and Separate Resources
Provide multiple food bowls, water stations, beds, and toy options in different locations. Feed dogs in separate areas if mealtime creates tension. Reduce the need to compete by ensuring there’s plenty of everything.
Manage High-Value Items
Some items—bones, chews, stuffed Kongs, favourite toys—trigger more intense competition. These should be given in separate spaces or removed from the environment entirely if they consistently cause conflict.
Stop Accidentally Favouring One Dog
Audit your own behaviour. Who gets petted first? Who goes through doors first? Who gets fed first? Vary these patterns or make them consistent in a way that doesn’t always advantage the same dog.
Supervise and Interrupt Early
When you see early warning signs—stiffening, staring, positioning—calmly redirect before escalation. Don’t wait for growling or snapping. The earlier you interrupt the behaviour pattern, the easier it is to prevent fights.
Why In-Home Training Works for Sibling Rivalry
Sibling rivalry must be addressed where it happens. Dogs are fighting over spaces and items in their own home. You cannot replicate this in a classroom.
In-home training allows the Bark Busters trainer to:
• Observe real interactions between your dogs in their actual environment
• Identify specific triggers unique to your household
• Work with the whole family so everyone implements consistent approaches
• Address space-related conflicts exactly where they occur
• Develop solutions customized to your home layout, routines, and dogs
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I let my dogs “work it out” themselves?
Minor corrections (a quick growl that the other dog respects) are normal dog communication – but always pay attention! If conflicts are escalating, if neither dog backs down, or if fights have occurred, intervention is necessary. Dogs don’t resolve serious rivalry on their own, and fights can result in injuries to dogs or humans who try to separate them.
Is it ever too late to fix sibling rivalry?
It’s never too late to improve the situation, though earlier intervention is always better. Long-standing rivalry with repeated fights takes more time and effort to resolve than catching tension early. Some dogs with severe aggression may need permanent management protocols, but most multi-dog households can achieve peaceful coexistence.
Will getting a third dog help balance things out?
No. Adding a third dog to a household with existing rivalry typically makes the situation more complicated, not better. Always address the current conflict before considering additional dogs.
Can sibling rivalry develop suddenly in dogs who previously got along?
Yes. Changes in the household (new baby, move, schedule changes), health issues affecting one dog, or a younger dog reaching maturity can all trigger rivalry in dogs who previously coexisted peacefully. If harmony suddenly breaks down, look for what changed.
The Bottom Line on Multi-Dog Household Harmony
Sibling rivalry in multi-dog households is stressful, but it’s usually manageable. The key is recognizing that dogs compete over resources, food, spaces, and human attention, and that owner behaviour often unintentionally fuels the competition.
Watch for early warning signs: growling, snapping, and body blocking. Intervene before one dog corrects, and the other refuses to back down—that’s the flashpoint for fights.
Establish fair, consistent rules for both dogs. Increase resources so there’s less to compete over. And remember that rivalry happens at home, over things in your home, which is why addressing it requires working in your actual environment, not a training classroom.
With consistency and the right approach, most dogs can learn to share their household peacefully.
Need Help with Dogs Fighting in Your Home?
Bark Busters trainers work in your home to address sibling rivalry where it actually happens. We observe your dogs’ real dynamics, identify specific triggers, and work with your whole family to implement solutions that last.