What Is Red Zone Aggression in Dogs?

Cesar Milan has become a household name via his popular National Geographic Channel show "The Dog Whisperer." According to Cesar, when a dog is in the "red zone" state of aggression, the animal's high level of tension and frustration, mixed with the resulting desire to act out through aggression, can make it extremely difficult to bring the animal to a calm and relaxed state of mind.

  1. Identifying Red Zone Aggressive Dogs

    • Some dog breeds, such as pit bulls and mastiffs, are considered more likely, because of the power and size of the breed, to become red zone aggressive. According to Cesar, no matter the breed, it is vital to establish your role as "pack leader." The pack leader is always calm, balanced and in charge. The high levels of frustration and dominance that indicate a red zone case are exhibited when an owner is unable to handle his dog, allowing the dog to become the pack leader. Dogs that have an excess of pent-up energy due to lack of exercise can also easily escalate into red zone cases. Red zone dogs are at risk of attacking humans or other dogs or otherwise damaging property.

    Red Zone Aggression with Other Dogs

    • Some red zone cases are triggered by exposure to other dogs. If your dog lunges or barks uncontrollably whenever it sees another dog, you could have a dog headed for the red zone. Establishing your role as pack leader is vital. Cesar warns that, especially if you have a powerful breed of dog, you must respect the dog's need for exercise. By allowing your dog to become fully tired through strenuous exercise, it will expend necessary energy, with none left over for obsessive focus on attacking other dogs. Red zone dogs that focus their attacks on other dogs might also be defending their turf. Again, assert your position as pack leader. Remember, it is your turf not your dog's, and the dog should look to you to control the environment.

    Red Zone Aggression with People

    • Sometimes, dogs enter the red zone in response to people, triggered by the unwanted approach of a stranger or human proximity to food or a special toy. The human owner, in this situation, must assert his role as pack leader and dominant member of the household. This position of leadership is not achieved through emotional outbursts or yelling but, according to Cesar, through maintaining a calm, assertive sense of control with the animal. Cesar utilizes the strategy of claiming any object that seems to send the dog into an aggressive, potential red zone state. This could be a favorite toy, chair or food dish. By claiming the object, the human teaches the animal that everything in the environment belongs to him, and that he, not the dog, is the pack leader.

    Dog Rescue and Red Zone Aggression

    • Cesar Milan has worked with many red zone case dogs and cautions those who would rescue an abused dog to proceed with caution. Dogs that have been mistreated by humans are often very likely to have developed red zone aggression issues in response to the mistreatment. In these cases, Cesar cautions that rehabilitation will be necessary and often requires the assistance of a trained professional. However, he also stresses that rehabilitation of overly aggressive dogs is very possible. Part of Cesar's work has been to educate the public about the potential of successful rehabilitation with red zone cases in order to reduce the number of dogs put to sleep.