How to Treat Aggressive Dog Behavior

An aggressive dog is a problem that cannot be ignored. Each year many people including children are bitten by dogs. Sadly, many dogs end up getting euthanized because of aggressive behavior, when proper upbringing could have solved the problem.

Aggression problems can certainly be prevented with effective training. The earlier you start the better.

Why do dogs bite?

When a dog bites there is always a reason for it. In reality biting is a defense mechanism that dogs developed in the wild. Your dog might be showing signs aggression and you may not be aware of it. Growling at you or other people or animals, showing teeth, long hard stares, nipping at your hands or legs, snapping when you take away his toys can all be early signs of aggression. More obvious signs are biting, chasing or angry barking.

The solution to this problem starts with early socializing. Socialization is the process of exposing your dog to the outside world and the different situations that result from such exposure. In other words, how to deal with encounters with new animals, new people (mail carrier, garbage collectors) or moving objects such as people on bikes, surfboards, etc.  It is best to start your dog how to handle new experiences as early as possible. Hopefully this will happen when he is a puppy.

Reasons why dogs can become aggressive:

Why does aggression start in the first place?

It all comes down to dominance. Dogs are animals that in the wild live in a pack. A pack always has a leader and the pack follows the leader. Not only that, but every animal in the pack is subject to a certain hierarchy where every animal has a rank or position.

When a dog lives with humans and the human does not take the leader role, the dog gets a sense of importance and starts showing his muscle. The sign of aggression means your dog is taking the dominant role in the pack and is telling you to submit to him.

In order to fix the problem you have to use consistent and frequent behavior training. This means rewarding him for obeying a command and for being submissive and isolating him or “time out” when he behaves badly.

Dog feeding aggression and toy aggression, things you can do

Predatory aggression things you can do:

This type of aggression comes from the dog’s hunting nature. If he chases bicyclists, have a friend ride a bike and carry a squirt bottle filled with water.
When the dog starts to chase him your friend will stop and spray water on the dog’s face. This method of training is called aversion therapy.

Dominance

This is when your dog wants to be the pack leader. Use a leash at all times even at home until he learns. Use the leash to move your dog into isolation (no more than one minute). What this does is it takes his attention away from all the distractions of the family. Show him how to go through doors following behind you and hthat he has to wait until you go first. Show him that you eat before he eats. Soon he will learn who “the boss” is.

Aggression can become a serious problem. Consult with your vet as soon as your dog shows signs of aggression since he can give you advice on what else you need do in order to help your dog.

There is a lot of information on the Internet that can help you with dog behavior problems. The website SitStayFetch is well worth a look.

It’s a fairly priced guide to owning, rearing, and training dogs, and it deals with all aspects of dog ownership. Testimonials show that applying the information on this system has helped dog owners with dominance problems. SitStayFetch is not a professional manual. Instead it is geared toward the dog owner who needs a little help in bringing up Rover.  The e-book comes with a 56 day money back guarantee. They must really be sure that the product is that effective, otherwise they would not give that kind of guarantee. Click on the link below to view it::

SitStayFetch!