Aggression in dogs is one of the most common problems that dog owners face. Indeed, many dog training programs around the country are specifically designed to train dogs to reduce aggression. Should be noted that the problem of such behavior in dogs is not only for larger breeds. Smaller breeds can be aggressive too.
So why are they displaying signs of aggression?
Let us look deeper into some of the common underlying reasons that trigger the aggression as well as some of the things that you can do to help the dog reduce its level.
Dominance
One of the most common reasons why some dogs tend to be more aggressive than others is due to their instinct to use their dominance. The primary purpose of showing aggression is to exert their authority over a particular matter, like the dogs being territorial. Usually being directed at other dogs, the dominant pooch can growl or even snarl to show that they are one level higher than the other.
Also, dogs can be very protective of their possessions, like their toys, beds or even their favorite human. As such, any foreign intrusion into the area will cause the dog to be aggressive as they feed the need to protect their prized possession. It is also possible for two male dogs to be aggressive towards one another when they are fighting for attention for the same female dog.
However, there are some owners that mistake dominance as an illness. They are not the same, as one of it is an inherent problem while the other can be classified as a socio-environment problem. Do note that in both cases, the training methods needed to rectify will be different too.
Illness
This is again a common reason. Some diseases affect the dog’s cognitive development, and that itself will affect the dog, hence causing them to be more aggressive than other dogs of the same breed. The best way to determine if an illness is a cause is if you see a sudden change in behavior, from being mild-mannered and obedient to being aggressive.
The main reason here isn’t just illness though. The trigger is the dog’s unfamiliarity with the concept of pain. When pain sets in, be it from injury or disease, the dog will react to it by being aggressive.
Fear
Fear is one of the most significant contributors to any act of aggression. This does apply to humans as well too. Have you heard about the story of the bullied child who turns out to be another bully because of their experience? In this sense, if humans have abused a dog continuously, it is highly likely that they will turn out to be aggressive due to their experience as well as their lack of trust in humans or dogs. And this is probably one of the top reasons why shelters tend to need to conduct aggression training courses to ensure that the dogs do not display aggression when potential adopters come by.
Of course, a fearful dog can show signs of aggression when they are scared, and being aggressive tends to be an instinct, their natural reaction towards the unknown or danger.
Way to stop or rectify dog aggression
For you to have a happy dog and hence a happy family, you will need to take measured steps to prevent the aggressive behavior in your dog.
Visit the vet
When in doubt, you should always refer your dog to the vet, especially if the dog started to show signs of aggression without even provoked. In this sense, the vet will be able to give a proper diagnosis of the problem and proceed to treat the problem in the bud.
Professional dog trainer
If the problem is diagnosed as something not related to illnesses or injury and you would like to treat the dog’s aggression, then you can opt to enroll your dog to a professional dog trainer who will be able to train the dog to lower its level of aggression. A professional dog trainer can identify the reasons and create an individual training plan for your dog, rather than to use a templated one.
For the dog owners who are more into training the dog themselves, then you can opt to conduct the entire training using proven methods that can be found online. The critical thing here is that owners need to be patient and that you will need to have a good plan for this. One proper equipment that can assist you is the e-collar. The PetSpy e-collars are fantastic in this sense, as they have three types of stimulation like shock, vibration, and tone. And the owner can train a dog by using vibration or tone only and never use the shock; which is good as shock training can sometimes trigger or cause the dog to be aggressive.
However, our company advocates the usage of the e-collar should be done together with the professional trainer. This is because, if you are using the e-collar without any supervision from the expert, there is a chance that you might be doing the wrong process and cause irreversible damage to the dog.
Giving your dog away
Of course, there might come a situation at which you have kids at home, and the dog is aggressive in nature. In this sense, giving your dog away might be the best solution for both parties.
Conclusion
Aggression in dogs is a severe matter and warrants some attention being paid onto it to ensure that the dog recovers totally. If not, it will be extremely detrimental to your household as well as to your children.