Dog Aggression: Coping and Managing Your Best Friend

Dog aggression is one of the main reasons as to why people put down or rehome their dogs, no one want to have a dog that is known for biting people but the reality is these things happen. That being said the reason a dog bites or is appearing aggressive may also very well be that it is scared. Fear and Aggression are two sides of the same coin, dogs have an innate sense of fight or flight and being domesticated for so long their sense for fight almost always trumps their sense for flight.

“Fear and Aggression are two sides of the same coin.”

Breeds

It is often thought that big dogs such as Rottweilers and German Shepherds but unbeknownst to most it is actually the smaller breeds that have more reports of biting humans.

Note: Just because these dogs are aggressive does not mean anyone should refrain from having any of these breeds, with the proper training and love any dog can be friendly.

• Daschund
• Chihuahua
• Jack Russell Terrie

What are the major causes

There can be several reasons why a dog may become aggressive, and almost all of them are because of some form of human neglect or mistreatment. Here are a few common causes of aggression in dogs.

• A traumatic event or series of traumatic experiences with people or other dogs.
• A lack of socialization with particular environments or types of individuals.
• A history of having important resources such as food or comfort removed or denied.
• Genetics, hormones and illness can also cause aggression especially with elderly dogs.

Warning Signs

If you ever do run into an aggressive dog there is several behaviors and signs you can look for because dogs have certain tells that let you know when they are in fight mode. Here are the most common warning signs..

• Curled lip and bared teeth
• Hard stare and forward ears
• Stiff legs
• A high held stiff tail
• Snarling or growling

“It will be difficult to retrain your dog to become less aggressive even more so if the dog has an unknown past and you are unsure on the conditions it was living in.”

What You Should Do

It will be difficult to retrain your dog to become less aggressive even more so if the dog has an unknown past and you are unsure on the conditions it was living in. The older the dog the harder it will be to retrain it, however with the right amount of dedication, training, patience, and sincerity a once thought hopeless dog can become friendly. The best way you can ensure success in training would be to take your dog to a professional aggressive behavioral dog trainer, they will get your dog started on learning the skills necessary to become obedient at a moments notice, and they will teach you training exercises you can take home and use in the real life.