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What’s Dog Aggression All About
When your dog displays aggressive behavior it is natural to feel scared. You wonder if he may be a danger to you, or toward other people or even other animals. But there is a reason for dog some dogs display aggression. To help you to cope with dog aggression we first look at the background of dogs and how this was once helpful for dogs. Then we look at coping with dog aggression and what you can do to help.
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Is Dog Aggression Normal
Aggression is part of a dogs nature. Before dogs became domestic animals their survival was dependent on their ability to defend themselves. Expanding their body, fast movement, certain types of body language, as well as barking and lunging are some of the ways to fend including other canines. Without humans to protect them, if they had a place to sleep, food to eat and to get a mate such aggression was paramount to survive.
Today we provide those things for our dogs. But just like humans use flight or fight if they sense danger a dog will do the same. A living creatures have the innate ability to protect himself. And there is no getting around it, some dogs are physically capable of inflicting serious harm. Or at least giving someone a good scare!
So if your dog displays some kind of aggressive behavior there is a good chance that it is a fear base reaction to something they don’t understand. The good news is there are things you can do in most cases to help your canine break his aggressive habits.
With that said we look at some of the most common triggers than can cause dog aggression.
Types of Dog Aggression
There are several different types of canine aggression. There is bowl aggression aka food guarding, aggressive behavior towards other dogs and animals. And of course aggression toward people. The last one we break into two categories. One is strangers and the other family members.
You may wonder why we bother categorizing this stuff. After all, aggression is aggression? … not quite. These two different types of aggression stem from very different causes. And these causes require different ways to treating the issue.
Aggression Towards Strangers
Some dogs are nervous around people they don’t know. They may pace around and fidget. Or bark at the smallest sound. And many of them will jump or bark or they may fixate by staring at the ‘suspect’ object. It may the the delivery person that he intently waits for or someone approaching him on the street. But why?
What Causes Dog Aggression
The one big reason why a dog may not like strange people is simply that they are not accustomed to seeing other people. So in an effort to keep them a way he may display aggression as a warning.
Another reason is a dog if a dog was mistreated. This may be the case in some shelter dogs or ones who are rescued from neglect of cruelty. It is more than possible that he associates the negative with someone who appears like the ‘stranger’. The good thing is that dogs are forgiving and loving creatures. And with time, patience and training you can help a fearful dog to become one who is a more confident canine.
What Can You Do to Help Your Dogs Aggressive Behavior
One of the best ways to help your dog is to get him accustomed to the world around him. This includes carefully introducing him to other people and animals. If you have a puppy you can begin socializing him early (generally once he is vaccinated) and then continue throughout adulthood.
This way he will grow into a confident canine. You can start slowly and increase his activities as he adjusts. The key is not to push your dog or do anything that will not overwhelm him.
Remember a canine relies 100% on you to teach him and show him the world. So it is important that he gets regular walks so he will get to experience what is around him.
If you adopt an adult dog, the same will apply. You want to take thing slow. Make sure you get a good anti pull harness and leash. And fill your pockets with lots of treats so you can use them as part of his training.
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When you socialize your dog properly, he will learn through experience that new sights and sounds are fun, not scary. It’s not enough to simple force your dog into an unfamiliar crowd of people. This will likely cause more harm than good if done incorrectly.
As mentioned before if you have a pup you can start socializing him early on. Slowly take him to places where he may encounter people of all ages like children, men and women and people in uniform too. The more people he meets with in a positive context, the more he will be at ease and happy around strangers.
There are many ways to socialize a dog. One way is to take your dog to puppy school. Or you can take them to a group training class.
In a puppy preschool class, about ten or so puppy owners get together with a qualified trainer. Often there is at least two trainers present. The more the better, as it means you get more one-on-one time with a professional. Classes start teaching puppies the basic obedience commands. Such as sit, stay, recall and so on.
Obedience Classes
Obedience work is very helpful and it’s a great way to start your puppy on the road to being a trustworthy, confident adult dog. And the best part of puppy preschool is the play sessions. Where the puppies are encouraged to run around off-leash and play amongst themselves. It’s a joy to watch.
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This is a safe and ideal environment for them to learn good social skills. In addition they get to meet a lots of unfamiliar dogs. Which teaches them how to interact with strange dogs as well as a whole bunch of unfamiliar people. This teaches them that new faces are nothing to be afraid of. Classes for puppies is safe and controlled environment. And there will be at least one certified trainer present to make sure that things don’t get out of hand.
Most cities have dog park. Introducing your dog to other dogs is a great way to teach them social skills. Some parks offer areas that are separate for large and smaller breed dogs. Dog parks are wonderful for places for dogs to get rid of excess energy and have fun.
One a side note: if your dog is aggressive around others dogs then you want to work on behavioral issues before hand. The safety of all dogs is paramount.
Socialization doesn’t just stop with puppy preschool, though. It’s an ongoing effort throughout the life of your puppy and dog: he needs to be taken to a whole bunch of new places and environments. Remember not to overwhelm him: start off slow, and build up his tolerance gradually.
Aggression Toward Family Members
The two common reasons why a dog is aggressive towards members of his own human family is that:
- He is attempting to defend something he think is perceived threat (you). This is also known resource guarding such as food or his space. Though it may not sound like a big deal, this is a matter to address. There is actually a lot more going on here than your dog just trying to keep all his kibble to himself.
- The other is that there is something that is happening that makes him not comfortable with the treatment or handling he’s getting from you or another member (s) of the family.
Resource Guarding
Resource guarding is pretty common among dogs. This term refers a dogs overly-possessive behavior . For example your dog is snarling if you approach him when he’s eating. He may give a low down stare if you put your hand out to take a toy away from him.
All dogs can be possessive from time to time – as mentioned previously it is in their nature. Sometimes they get quite possessive over things that have no conceivable value to us. It may be tissue, old socks, garbage or even an area in the home.
However, guarding resources become an issue over items with a real and understandable value to a dog such as food, toys and blankets.
Why Does This Aggressive Behavior Happen?
It all boils down to the issue of dominance. Dogs are pack animals which this means there is a hierarchy. and there is a structured environment. In a dog-pack, each canine has a rank in a hierarchy which is a position and power (or “dominance”) in relation to every other animal.
Each animal is aware of the rank of every others. Which means that he knows specifically how to act in any given situation. This means if he will back down, push or fight to push the issue. And to a dog your family is no different to the pack environment.
Your dog ranks each member of the family, and has his own perception of where he ranks in that environment. This is where it gets interesting: if your dog perceives himself as higher up on the social totem-pole than other family members, he’s going to get cheeky. If he has a high sense of his own importance, he may start to act aggressively.
Both small and large dogs have the ability to display dog aggression. So even if your tiny terror seems cute and harmless all dogs will benefit from manners. And that is not only for us humans but it benefits them as a canine. Since they know where the fit and how best to behave.
Dominance
No underdog would ever show aggression or act dominantly to a higher-rank animal. As the consequences would be dire, and he knows it!)
Resource guarding is a classic example of dominant behavior: only a higher-ranked dog (a “dominant” dog) would act aggressively in defence of resources. To put it plainly: if it was clear to your dog that he is not, in fact, the leader of the family, he’d never even dream of trying to prevent you from taking his food or toys – because a lower-ranking dog (him) will always go along with what the higher-ranking dogs (you and your family) say.
How to Handle a Dominant Dog
The best way to cope with dominant and aggressive behavior is consistent obedience work. This will show your authority over your dog.
Just two fifteen-minute sessions a day will make it perfectly clear to your dog that you are the boss. You can make this fact clear by rewarding him with lots of treats and positive praise when he obeys a command. Or in contrast you can put him in “time-out” for misbehaviour.
If you’re not entirely confident doing this yourself, you may wish to consider enlisting the assistance of a qualified dog-trainer.
Brush up on your understanding of canine psychology and communication, so that you understand what he’s trying to say – this will help you to nip any dominant behaviors in the bud, and to communicate your own authority more effectively.
Train regularly: keep obedience sessions short and productive (no more than fifteen minutes – maybe two or three of these per day).
What to Do When a Dog Doesn’t Want to Be Handled
All dogs have different handling thresholds. Some dogs love to be touched. They are perfectly content to give and receive attention and hugs and kisses. And to have your arms slung over their shoulders. Which is the ultimate “I’m the boss” gesture to a dog, some of who may not tolerate it.
While others dogs who likely were not accustomed to a great deal of physical contact from a very young age – are not comfortable with too much contact. This may cause them to be nervy and agitated if someone persists in trying to hug them.
Another common cause of handling induced dog aggression is because of a bad grooming experience. This may either be a bad nail-clipping experience when a dogs nail are cut too short that cause pain. Another is being bathed which is something that a great many dogs have difficulty dealing with.
Grooming is a place when a dog is giving up a lot of his power. He may feel incredibly vulnerable. So it’s easy to see why a negative experience either by the hands of a less than caring groomer or an accidental injury would evoke fear around grooming.
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Getting Your Dog to Enjoy Grooming
Handling your dog is a lot easier if you start from a young age. Most dogs love being touched and if you handle your puppy a lot, he will get used to being handled and rubbed all over.
However for a dog who has not had a lot of physical contact throughout their lives handling is sometimes difficult to accept. You can practice picking up his paws and touching them with the clipper (switched off).
And practice taking him into the bath and turn on the water. This ways he will get accustomed to the sound of the water. Then you can gently touch him with some lukewarm water, so he will knows that the water is comfortable.
Sadly some older dogs may already have had unpleasant handling/grooming experiences which makes it a little more difficult. You need to undo the damage already caused by those bad experiences. You can do this by taking things very slowly while keeping your dog calm. If for any reasons he starts to show signs of stress, stop immediately and let him relax.
Try to make the whole thing into a game: give him lots of praise, pats, and treats. Take things slowly. Don’t push it too far: if you get nervous, stop.
Dogs show aggression for a reason: they’re warning you to back off, or else! If your dog just can’t seem to accept being groomed, no matter how much practice you put in, it’s best to hand the job over to the professionals. Your vet will clip his nails for you (make sure you tell him first that he gets aggressive when the clippers come out, so your vet can take the necessary precautions!).
As far as washing and brushing goes, the dog-grooming business is a flourishing industry. For a small fee, you can get your dog a bath, their nails trimmed and a their fur brushed.
Make sure you tell a groomer about any negative experiences. And bothers him and what helps him to relax.
Concluding Coping With Dog Aggression
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