It’s a well-known fact that adult dogs are extremely protective of their territories. Hence, make sure your dog is exercised enough and thus, has little energy to indulge in such violent behavior. Owners who pet or use verbal reassurance in an attempt to calm the pet and reduce aggressive displays may inadvertently encourage and reward the behavior because petting and calm vocal intonation are similar to praise. There are many reasons why your dog may be aggressive, and it may require veterinary advice. What we don’t realize, is that dog adoption is a tedious task that requires lots of patience and responsibilities on our part. If you’d like more information on your dog's behaviour or have any other queries, contact our

Common signs usually start appearing when the dog reaches puberty (between six and nine months old) or becomes socially mature at 18 to 36 months. Owners that are angry, frustrated or that yell at or punish the dog, may lead to a fearful association (pairing/conditioning) with the stimulus (arrival of visitors, knock at the door, doorbell). However, if your dog has become used to the aggression, these methods are unlikely to work. Most often, the main culprit is a lack of proper socialization and training, but there are other causes that can contribute to this issue. Solution: Your pooch doesn’t believe that sharing is caring and starts snapping at anyone who approaches their kibble. In the interim, the owners can use a leash or leash and head collar, along with the “come” command and rewards to teach the dog to leave the litter, at which time the puppies can then be handled.

Sorry, you need to enable JavaScript to visit this website. Do we give the same consideration to our dogs when they behave in a way that could be labelled as ‘aggressive’? If your dog is behaving aggressively however – either to people or other dogs - you should address it as soon as possible. Some symptoms are very similar to canine “play” behavior and excited, non-aggressive arousal. Generally, inter-dog aggression is more of a problem between dogs of the same gender. Bad things happen when powerful breeds (or mixes of powerful breeds) live with humans who like the breed but don’t understand and fulfill the animal in the dog. Would you like to write for us? Finally, your voice rises about the sound of the stereo; ‘JUST TURN THE MUSIC DOWN WILL YOU!’ and the driver responds, ‘alright, no need to shout.’. But, even though it’s undoubtedly a major problem, aggression in dogs can be corrected. Copyright © 2020 Petfeed ®. Only when there is no identifiable stimulus or cause for the behavior, or when an abnormal EEG (electroencephalogram) is documented, should the diagnosis of idiopathic aggression be considered. Shouting at a dog for growling at something he is fearful of will simply compound his fear, may escalate the aggression, and quite likely his aggressive response will worsen next time. Although, there is no medication for aggressive behavior, you can try neutering or spaying your dog. Read about the causes of aggressive behaviour in dogs here. Commonly directed at other dogs, this type of aggressive behavior stems from the fact that your pooch is feeling restrained and frustrated by their leash. You’ll know the behaviours they display when they’re stressed, anxious or overwhelmed and it’s your job to be their advocate, helping them to feel safe and climb back down their ladder. Your own safety should come first, so keep a good distance away, as it is possible for your dog to redirect their aggression towards you. Excessive aggression indicates that a real problem exists! A specific condition sometimes triggers the aggression, even though the dogs normally get along well. An animal pack leader is concerned for the pack, not for himself. Controlling such behavior needs a lot of patience from your side. Overly rambunctious play, and grabbing, nipping or biting at people or their clothing are some of the common signs of play-related aggression. Dog Training and Behaviour - Expert Guides & Advice, Understanding Dog Behaviours - Guides & Advice, you should never punish your dog for growling, Don’t assume that a wagging tail is always indicative of a friendly dog, Guarding resources (such as food, treats or toys), Aggression to other dogs in the household. and Senior Pet Behavior Problems). Solution: Contrary to the popular belief, cats and dogs are not natural enemies. That means we have to shape a dog's natural behavior so it fits in with polite society -- what we might call teaching a dog good manners. Any breed can cause trouble.