No one likes an aggressive dog; they are a threat to themselves to others and even to their owner. A dog with unchecked aggressive tendencies will more than likely eventually bite and could hurt someone seriously. In order to successfully change a dogs aggressive behavior you have to know it s cause before you can attempt to dispel the behavior. Here is a look at 6 of the most common kinds of aggression and how best to deal with them.
Maternal Aggression
Maternal aggression is caused when a dog who is about to deliver or has recently given birth feels the need to protect her pups from what she perceives as a threat. The best course of action in this case is to give the female dog and her litter plenty of room and then not breed the female again, as maternally aggressive dogs tend to not lose that trait.
Pain Induced Aggression
If your dog has never shown any signs of aggression and then suddenly starts displaying aggressive tendencies, he may have some medical problem that is causing him pain and causing him to react aggressively. A complete vet check up and treatment will cure this type of aggression and give you back the loving pooch you once had.
Dominance Aggression
A dog that thinks he is king of castle and begins growling and snarling at family members is a real danger. This occurs when the owner did not assert his authority when the dog was a puppy. The best thing to do is to enroll your dog in an obedience training class that uses strong behavior modification techniques.
Inter dog aggression
When you have two dogs who are in the same household it is only natural that one will assert dominance over the other. In most cases, this dominance will be worked out between the two dogs with no injury to either if you refrain from interfering. Unless there is a real fear of one or other dog suffering serious injury, leave them to settle the matter themselves.
Fear Aggression
When a dog is introduced to new situations that cause them to become anxious and fearful they become aggressive as a means of protecting themselves. The best course of action to take when a dog is being aggressive due to fear is to immediately remove him from the situation and begin a slow program of socialization which will help reduce his anxiety.
Punishment Aggression
Dogs who are mistreated enough, reach a point where they will fight back rather than take any more abuse. Once they have reached this point placing them in situations similar to those where the abuse took place or any sudden movement that makes the dog perceive the threat of abuse will cause him to act aggressively. If you should happen to adopt a dog who is suffering from punishment aggression, you are going to need to tread carefully to establish trust and show your dog he is safe. If the aggression is extreme you may have to reconsider returning the dog for your families safety.
Knowing why your dog is acting aggressively will help you to formulate a plan to change his behavior.
Author Resource:
This article was written by Kelly Marshall of http://www.ohmydogsupplies.com - the best place for dog beds, featuring free shipping on all orthopedic beds everyday.
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.look4articles.com/images/icon_Rss.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
Category Rss Feed
Print This Article
Add To Favorites
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.look4articles.com/images/rss.jpg "XML Feed For RSS")