Aggressive dogs can be scary and dangerous. In their natural habitat, wolves and coyotes use aggression to establish their ranking in the pack, mating, and basic survival. In the family environment, those aspects of canine behavior are really not necessary.
Dogs can show their aggression in behaviors such as growling, snapping, showing their teeth, and biting. The underlying intent on the part of the dog expressing the aggressive behavior is intimidation.
If you look at the situation from the dog’s perspective, you’ll see there is usually a reason for the way he is acting. He generally feels threatened in some way. He might interpret a friendly gesture from a human as intention to do him harm. Or he might think someone is trying to steal his food. Overcoming aggressive behavior in dogs can be a complex issue, and it is often a job best left to a professional behaviorist or dog trainer.
Territorial aggression, protective aggression, and possessive aggression are all closely related behaviors. Territorial aggression is about the dog protecting his “turf”. This may or may not be confined to the immediate surroundings. Protective aggression is usually aimed at animals or people that the dog sees as a threat to his pack. It is important to realize that a dog might consider your family members to be part of his pack. Possessively aggressive dogs act out of defense of food, toys, or some other object they have decided is theirs.
A dog that is prone to dominance aggression is simply showing that he considers himself to be the leader of the pack. As previously mentioned, dogs might perceive their human family as members of the pack, and may actually see themselves as having a higher standing than the humans. When your dog has this perception, and he feels that you are encroaching on his authority, he may challenge you. It could be a situation as common as chasing him off the furniture. He might growl, snap, or even bite if you’re not careful. Everyday actions such as hugging a dog or reaching for its collar may also be interpreted as challenges in the right circumstances.
Redirected aggression is common in many dogs, but can be misunderstood by humans. This happens when a dog wants to show aggression towards another animal or a person that he cannot attack, so he redirects his aggression at a different animal or human that he is able to get to. A common example of this would be two dogs who share a yard, and are provoked by a third dog on the outside of the fence. Because the two dogs in the yard are unable to attack the provoking dog, they may become agitated and attack one another.
All of these problems can be modified, but due to the dangers of working with aggressive dogs, dog behavior modification should be left to the professionals.
Do not try to punish a dog that demonstrates aggressive tendencies. It’s very possible that you might do more harm than good. The possibility also exists that the dog may attack you.
You should first consult a veterinarian to determine if a medical problem is causing the aggressive behavior.
If it turns out that it’s not a medical problem, find a professional who specializes in aggression disorders. It’s usually best to do this at your home, where the dog is in familiar surroundings.
In the end, you are legally responsible for the way your dog behaves. You have to be sure that people and other animals are safe around your house, or you could find yourself on the wrong end of a lawsuit, or even being forced to put your dog down.
It’s very important to keep your dog away from situations that could result in aggression. If necessary, confine him and keep him away from other animals and people, particularly children, who are not aware of the dangers of aggressive animals.
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