All dogs can and will show aggression given the right set of circumstances. Aggression for a dog is a natural response and it is critical to understand what circumstances and experiences will probably provoke aggression in your dog. Understand that what a human may see as an unprovoked aggressive act in a dog may, in fact, be perfectly logical to a canine mind. The major determinants for aggressive behavior in dogs are discussed below.
Territorial Aggression
Dogs will use territorial aggression when defending their territory. This is any territory that the dog is familiar with or has marked with her scent. While you may encourage your dog to protect your property, the dog may claim the whole neighborhood as his territory to protect.
Guarding Aggression
Dogs tend to guard both possessions, and members of their pack. This may include people, other family pets, and even favorite toys and sometimes especially food items. Guarding aggression is directed at unfamiliar people or animals that are approaching the dogs people, possessions or food. On occasion, the dog will even guard food or toys from familiar people or dogs.
Transferred Aggression
Transferreed Aggression often happens when a dog becomes upset or over-excited and instead of becoming aggressive with the specific item, it transfers its aggression/frustration onto another dog or person. For example a kid may poke a dog with a stick through a fence, and since the dog cannot defend itself because of the fence it may turn its aggression on another person in the yard or on another dpg.
Pecking Order Aggression
Dogs are pack animals, and they need to establish the hierarchy with the family or household members (humans and animals alike). Once the dog has established his rank in the family he, does not like to be challenged. Often well-meaning owners will inadvertently teach their dogs that they are in fact the highest ranking pack member; that can lead to difficulties in controlling the dog. It is also common for there to be aggression issues between dogs in the same household as they battle it out for the alpha dog position.
Aggression Due to Fear
Dogs respond with a fight or flight reaction when presented with a fear causing situation. Aggressive dogs will growl, snarl or even bite if they become afraid. Remember, different reactions in dogs are due to past experience, genetic disposition, and training methods used. A dog may see a fearful event in a calm environment if he or she has been mistreated in the past. Dogs that would like to use the flight option but are cornered will resort to aggression to attempt to protect themselves.
Some dogs will become aggressive when they believe that they are threatened, that their position in the pack or family is threatened, or that their territory or possessions are endangered. As humans we often don’t understand all the triggers for a dog to respond aggressively. Aggression in dogs, whatever the reason, needs to be controlled in order to avoid a potentially dangerous situation for both humans and other animals. Positive rewards training works well for these aggressive dogs, and punishment almost never helps and in fact will often make the aggressive behavior worse.
Filed under Aggression, Dog Training
