How to Deal with Aggressive Dogs: Strategies for Preventing and Stopping Dog Aggression
By: Will Bangura, M.S., CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, (Dog Behaviorist) Certified Dog Behavior Consultant
Dogs are not only our best friends but also an integral part of our family. But unfortunately, sometimes our furry friends can exhibit aggressive behavior that can make us and our family members feel unsafe. Understanding the causes of aggression and taking the right steps can help us prevent and stop this type of behavior. In this article, we’ll discuss what dog aggression is, its causes, and the strategies we can implement to prevent and stop it.
What is Dog Aggression?
Dog aggression is a behavior that is exhibited when a dog perceives a threat or challenge and responds in a hostile manner. It can range from growling and barking to snapping and biting. Aggression in dogs can be triggered by other animals or people, and it can be directed towards either. It’s important to understand the various types of aggression in dogs, as this can help us identify the underlying cause and take the necessary steps to stop it.
Types of dog aggression include:
- Fear aggression: This occurs when a dog is scared or feeling threatened. It is usually exhibited through growling, barking, and lunging.
- Territorial aggression: This occurs when a dog perceives an intruder or stranger as a threat and feels the need to protect its territory.
- Possessive aggression: This occurs when a dog feels threatened by someone or something trying to take away its food, toys, or other possessions.
- Defensive aggression: This occurs when a dog is feeling threatened and feels the need to protect itself.
- Social aggression: This occurs when a dog feels the need to establish dominance over another dog or person.
- Frustration-induced aggression: This occurs when a dog is prevented from achieving something it wants.
Causes of Dog Aggression
The underlying cause of aggression in dogs can be difficult to determine and can vary from dog to dog. However, some of the most common causes are:
- Genetics: Aggression can be hereditary, so it’s important to check the family history of a dog before bringing it into your home.
- Fear: Dogs can be scared by loud noises, unfamiliar people or animals, or a traumatic event.
- Injury or illness: Pain or discomfort can cause a dog to become aggressive.
- Lack of socialization: Dogs that are not properly socialized may become aggressive when exposed to new environments or people.
- Lack of training: Dogs that are not trained properly may not understand how to behave in certain situations and can become aggressive.
- Lack of exercise: An inactive lifestyle can lead to pent-up energy which can cause a dog to become aggressive.
- Lack of leadership: Dogs tend to look to their owners as a leader. If there is a lack of leadership, a dog may become aggressive in an attempt to assert its dominance.
Signs of Dog Aggression
When a dog is feeling aggressive, there are certain signs that can help us identify the underlying cause and take steps to stop the behavior. Some of these signs include:
- Growling and barking: A dog may growl or bark to warn off a perceived threat.
- Lunging: A dog may lunge towards a perceived threat in an attempt to protect itself.
- Snapping: A dog may snap at a perceived threat in an attempt to ward it off.
- Biting: If a dog feels threatened, it may bite to protect itself.
- Avoidance: If a dog is feeling threatened, it may try to avoid the situation by running away or hiding.
Strategies for Preventing and Stopping Dog Aggression
Once we’ve identified the underlying cause of aggression in our dog, we can begin to take steps to prevent and stop the behavior. Some of the strategies we can implement include:
- Training: Training our dog to understand basic commands such as “sit” and “stay” can help us manage the behavior and teach our dog how to behave in certain situations.
- Socialization: Socializing our dog with other people and animals can help it become more comfortable in new environments and around strangers.
- Exercise: Providing our dog with regular exercise can help it release pent-up energy and reduce the chances of aggression.
- Leadership: Establishing ourselves as the leader of the pack can help our dog understand our expectations and reduce the chances of it becoming aggressive.
- Avoidance: If our dog is showing signs of aggression, it’s important to remove it from the situation and allow it to calm down.
- Time-outs: If our dog is exhibiting aggressive behavior, it’s important to redirect its attention and provide it with a time-out to allow it to calm down.
How to Deal with an Aggressive Dog
If our dog has already exhibited aggressive behavior, it’s important to take the necessary steps to stop it. Some of the ways we can do this include:
- Avoiding punishment: Punishing our dog for aggressive behavior may only make the situation worse and can cause the dog to become more aggressive.
- Redirecting attention: If our dog is about to become aggressive, we can redirect its attention to a non-threatening activity such as playing with a toy or going for a walk.
- Providing a safe environment: Ensuring that our dog is in a safe and secure environment can help reduce the chances of it becoming aggressive.
- Seeking professional help: If our dog’s aggressive behavior persists, it’s important to seek help from a professional such as a vet or a dog trainer.
Training and Socialization Exercises for Aggressive Dogs
Training and socialization exercises can help us teach our dog how to behave in certain situations and reduce the chances of it becoming aggressive. Some of the exercises we can use include:
- Obedience training: Teaching our dog basic commands such as “sit”, “stay”, and “come” can help us manage its behavior and teach it how to respond in certain situations.
- Clicker training: Clicker training is a positive reinforcement technique that can help us teach our dog how to behave in certain situations.
- Desensitization: Desensitization is a technique that can help us teach our dog how to respond to certain triggers such as loud noises or unfamiliar people.
- Behavioral modification: Behavioral modification is a technique that can help us modify our dog’s behavior by teaching it how to respond to certain triggers in a positive manner.
Practical Tips for Dealing with Aggressive Dogs
In addition to training and socialization, there are certain practical tips we can implement to help us manage our dog’s aggressive behavior. Some of these tips include:
- Ensure our dog is spayed or neutered: This can help reduce the chances of our dog becoming aggressive.
- Avoid punishing our dog: Punishment can make our dog’s aggressive behavior worse.
- Avoid overstimulating our dog: Too much stimulation can cause our dog to become aggressive.
- Monitor our dog’s behavior: By monitoring our dog’s behavior, we can identify any triggers that may cause it to become aggressive.
- Provide our dog with positive reinforcement: Rewarding our dog for behavior we want to see can help it understand what is expected of it.
- Exercise our dog regularly: Providing our dog with regular exercise can help it release pent-up energy and reduce the chances of aggression.
Dog Body Language and Verbal Cues
It’s also important to understand our dog’s body language and verbal cues so we can recognize when it is feeling threatened or uncomfortable. Some of the signs our dog may exhibit include:
- Cowering: A dog may cower or crouch if it is feeling scared or threatened.
- Growling: A dog may growl to warn off a perceived threat.
- Baring teeth: A dog may bare its teeth if it is feeling threatened or aggressive.
- Tail wagging: A dog may wag its tail if it is feeling happy or excited.
- Yawning: A dog may yawn if it is feeling stressed or anxious.
- Panting: A dog may pant if it is feeling hot or anxious.
Professional Help for Aggressive Dogs
If our dog’s aggressive behavior persists, it’s important to seek help from a professional such as a vet, dog behaviorist or a dog trainer. A professional can help identify the underlying cause of the behavior and provide us with strategies to manage it. Some of the techniques they may use include:
- Desensitization: Desensitization is a technique that can help us teach our dog how to respond to certain triggers such as loud noises or unfamiliar people in a positive manner.
- Counter conditioning: Counter conditioning is a technique that can help us teach our dog to associate certain triggers with positive outcomes.
- Positive reinforcement: Positive reinforcement is a technique that can help us reward our dog for desirable behaviors and discourage undesirable behaviors.
- Drug therapy: In some cases, a vet may prescribe medication to help reduce aggression in our dog.
Conclusion
Dog aggression can be a scary and dangerous behavior for us and our family members. It’s important to understand the causes of aggression and take the right steps to prevent and stop it. By implementing training and socialization exercises, providing our dog with positive reinforcement, and seeking professional help, we can help our furry friends manage their aggressive behavior and create a safe and secure environment for everyone.
If you’re dealing with an aggressive dog, remember that there is help available. With the right strategies and professional help, you can help your dog become the loving and loyal companion it was meant to be.
