Dog Behavior Problems: Biting & Defending

Aggression

• Various factors can give rise to aggression in dogs. Tackling such behavioral problems is not an easy task at all and may require professional assistance. This calls for commitment from the owner and also involves time and money. Aggression can be in the form growling, biting and/or snapping.

Pain

• In the case of pain-related aggression, the pet does not mean to harm you or be disobedient, but it instinctively reacts with a snap or a growl and lashes its tail at anything that is close by. For instance, if your dog has injured its leg, it will growl and snap at you when you tend to the wound.

Dominance

• The dog assumes the position of a pack leader and attacks anyone who tries to enter its personal space or groom it. Dog owners who do not responsibly train their dogs early on often face such problems and need professional help to overcome this type of aggression.

Fear

• Fear-motivated aggression is a defensive response of the dog when it feels insecure about its safety or is afraid of being harmed. In this case, it bites other dogs or even the pet owner in order to protect itself. If the dog rests its tail between its legs and back and growls or snaps, or hides behind its owner, do not pet it, as these are clear signs of aggression.

Defending Territory

• Dogs are not comfortable if their territory is invaded. Sometimes, this territory goes past its boundaries. For example, if the pet owner takes the dog for a walk and allows it to urine mark liberally, the dog may consider the entire area as its territory and defend it from other dogs.

Protective Aggression

• Dogs tend to defend their food, toys and other things they value, such as people at home, other pets and owners, and be aggressive towards other people, animals or things that they perceive as threats.

Preventing Aggression in Dogs

• In addition to environmental reasons, genetic factors also contribute hugely to aggression. Dog owners know their pet the best and can take several steps to prevent such behavioral problems. Do not breed dogs that are aggressive, as the chances of passing this behavior to the offspring is quite high.

  When your pet is between 4 and 16 weeks of age, allow it to socialize gradually, so that it adapts to the "real world" with people, noises, crowded places, family events and even other animals. Such well-trained puppies are friendlier to people and other animals. Since they develop a positive attitude early on, they are less insecure and not so aggressive or defensive.

  Do not encourage aggressive behavior right from the beginning. Do not play games that induce aggression, such as wrestling or tug-of-war. This makes the dog believe that being aggressive is acceptable. Neutering dogs may help in reducing some types of aggression.

Tackling Dog Behavioral Problems

• Take your dog to a vet and check for any medical problems. Engage a professional trainer to examine the behavior of your pet and take the right course of action to correct it. Do not punish it for defending or barking, as it can result in increased aggressive behavior and the dog may end up retaliating by biting. Attend to the symptoms of behavioral problems during the early stages to prevent them from going out of control.