Tell me, does this describe your dog? Whenever somebody comes to your door, your dog puts on a big show of barking and acting brave, but all the time he’s backing up. If a stranger approaches him, he’ll run off to a safe distance, all the while regarding the interloper with mistrust and suspicion. These are signs of fear aggression in dogs. If you don’t deal with this problem now, it will only get worse as your dog gets older. In this article, we’ll take a look at what causes this type of aggressive behavior in dogs, and what to do about it.Causes of Fear Aggression In DogsOne of the main causes of this kind of canine aggression is a lack of socialization when your dog was younger. If your dog doesn’t have lots of opportunities to interact with unfamiliar people and other dogs when he’s between the ages of three and twelve weeks, he’ll have a hard time trusting people and dogs he doesn’t know. Unfortunately, another reason for this fearful behavior is that your dog was abused at some point in his life. It takes a lot of love and time to overcome fearfulness in an animal that has been abused.Some breeds of dogs, including herding breeds, are more prone to developing fearfulness. This aggressive dog behavior tends to run in certain breed lines, too. Hormonal imbalances may be a factor. A dog with borderline hypothyroidism (low thyroid hormones) may be anxious and fearful. Thyroid treatment is helpful in these cases.Will This Type of Fearful Canine Aggression Go Away On Its Own?Unfortunately, no. A fearful dog may learn that he can intimidate people by barking at them. Once he figures out that this works very well, his behavior will get worse, especially around people who are scared of dogs anyway. A dog may be so successful in hiding his fearfulness with a veneer of aggression that it’s hard to tell that the fear is what’s driving his bad dog behaviors.How Can I Train A Dog With Fear Aggression?A reward-based technique is usually the best way to deal with aggressive behavior in dogs that’s caused by fear. If your dog doesn’t like people, you need to figure out how to teach him that this stranger really does like dogs, and if you dog gets close to him, he’ll give your pup a treat. You need a volunteer for this, someone who’s very patient with dogs. Have your friend sit in a chair and scatter dry food around it. Your dog can get close or back off if he wants. Sooner or later, you dog will come close enough to get the food. The next time, have your friend hold the kibble in his hand. Be patient and let the dog come to him to get the treat. Don’t pay any attention to the dog if he’s acting fearful. If you punish him or reassure him when he’s behaving aggressively out of fear, you’re just rewarding this bad dog behavior with your attention. When and if the dog comes and gets the food, that’s the time to praise him.You can see that dealing with fear aggression in dogs can be a long and difficult process. A good dog training course can be a very helpful guide when working with a fearful dog. You’ll want to look for one that includes a free consultation with an experienced dog trainer.
Are you just plain fed up with the aggressive dog behavior your pooch is displaying? Join the crowd. Aggressive behavior in dogs is the most serious dog behavior problem that you’ll face as a dog owner. However, canine aggression is preventable if you understand why your dog develops aggressive behavior. Read on to learn more about this common problem.Your Dog’s Aggressive Nature Is InstinctiveAggression is a valuable behavior in the wild. A dog needs to be aggressive in order to hunt for its food. It also needs to be able to defend its kill from other animals. An aggressive dog also defends its territory and its mate.In the centuries since dogs were domesticated, people have selectively bred most aggressive tendencies out of dogs, but a few do remain. And since dog do have sharp teeth capable of doing people serious harm, it’s necessary to recognize aggressive behavior in dogs and deal with it effectively.Most dog owners don’t know that there are several types of aggression in dogs. The two most common are aggression towards strangers and aggression towards family members. These two types of aggression in canines have very different causes, and they need to be dealt with differently as well.Aggression Towards StrangersThis type of dog behavior is very easy to recognize. You dog may react in one of two ways:He’ll be jumpy and nervous, becoming startled at the smallest sound. You’ll see that he’s on the alert, acting fidgety, and pacing around while barking and whining.Or, on the other extreme, he’ll be very quiet, sitting in one place without moving, while staring hard at whatever it is he’s suspicious of — whether it’s a visitor or your unsuspecting mail carrier.The main reason a dog is aggressive around strangers is because he’s not used to them. Your dog needs to learn that strangers aren’t necessarily a bad thing.Aggression Towards Family MembersYour dog may show canine aggression towards members of your family for two reasons. The first reason is that he’s defending something he thinks belongs to him from something or someone he considers a threat. This is called resource guarding. In the wild, only the dominant individual acts aggressively to guard resources. So obviously, your dog thinks he’s the pack leader, not you, when he displays this kind of aggressive dog behavior.The second reason is that he’s unhappy about how you, or somebody in the family, is treating him. Discover How To Handle Aggression In DogsYou don’t have to be at the mercy of your dog, and you shouldn’t be. If your dog uses aggressive dog behavior to control you and get his way, this is a very unhealthy situation, as well as being potentially dangerous. There are many emergency room visits every year because of dog bites. You don’t want this happening to you or a member of your family, or anyone else your dog interacts with.You can learn how to handle aggressive behavior in dogs. You need a dog obedience course which includes a complete owner’s guide to rearing and training your dog to prevent canine aggression. Be sure to read testimonials from other dog owners who have purchased the course to see how satisfied they are with the material.Do yourself and your dog a favor and learn more about controlling aggression in dogs.
Are you just plain fed up? Does feeding your dog turn into a nightmare of aggressive dog behavior if anyone in the household comes near him while he’s eating? If your pooch is displaying food aggression in dogs, this serious dog behavior problem needs to be stopped before your dog attacks you or someone in your family.Dog Food Aggression Is Instinctive Behavior For CaninesIn the wild, a dog is protective of his food, his mate, and his territory. Aggressive behavior in dogs is necessary for their survival. The most aggressive dog is the pack leader, or alpha male, and he enforces his position by being the dominant dog in the pack. However, your dog shouldn’t be the pack leader in your home. If he is, you’re in for trouble, because he thinks he’s the alpha male, and like he would in the wild, he’ll enforce his position by using aggressive dog behavior. This is a dominance issue that won’t go away on its own. You must take steps to deal with his aggressive behavior before it reaches a dangerous level.Causes of Food Aggression In DogsMost of us have laughed at a “cute” little puppy who’s aggressively guarding his food. Don’t do it! This is a serious training mistake many dog owners make. Instead of encouraging this kind of canine possession aggression, you need to nip this problem in the bud.In your dog’s mind, he’s confused about who the pack leader is. If you don’t take the role of the alpha male (even if you’re female), there’s a leadership vacuum, to your dog’s way of thinking. If you don’t step into the role, he will. And he won’t be nice about enforcing his position in your household. Since he considers himself the top dog, he thinks he can take whatever he wants from whoever is lower in rank than he is. The reality is that the family dog should be at the bottom of the heap, not the top. Anyone in the household should be able to take anything away from him, even his food. Of course, you’re not really going to do this, but he needs to know where he stands in your household pack. Dog Food Aggression TrainingWith a puppy, you’ll make it clear that having people or other animals around when he’s eating is OK. Do this right from the beginning, and you’ll probably never have a problem with this type of aggressive dog behavior. Anyone in the family should be able to safely stand right next to him at any time while he’s eating. If this isn’t the case, you need to take control of his food.It’s always a good idea to feed your dog after you and your family have finished eating. Your dog will instinctively understand that the alpha dog always eats first. This reinforces your position and your family members’ positions in the pack in relationship to him.Require that your dog sit and stay quietly while you’re fixing his food. If he whines and jumps around and demands food, don’t give in. He needs to earn his food by behaving in a non-aggressive manner. Never let your dog “win” his food by growling at you. This only rewards his bad dog behavior.If food aggression in dogs is already a serious problem in your household, a dog behavior course may be your next step. Look for a course that includes a consultation with an experienced dog trainer, and that has a forum where you can get advice from other dog owners.Now that you know what to do, don’t delay in taking steps to control dog food aggression.
