Warning Signs for Hostility in Dogs

Dogs are, the saying goes, man's best friend, but aggressive dogs can be an emotional strain and a physical hazard to pet owners and others. In order to deal with the problem, it's important to pick up on warning signs that indicate the presence of hostility in a dog. Such signs manifest themselves in a variety of ways.

  1. Dominant-Aggressive Behavior

    • Dogs exhibiting this type of behavior can be recognized as being "macho" and confrontational. Typical actions or gestures include perked-up ears, taut muscles, and frantically wagging tails. Dominant-aggressive signs may also include low, menacing growls and confrontational stares. Hostility may manifest in physical contact, such as jumping on people or placing a paw on other dogs.

    Defensive-Aggressive Behavior

    • While the term sounds paradoxical, defensive-aggressiveness in a dog also carries warning signs for hostile behavior. Its gestures are more submissive; such a dog avoids making eye contact and tends to tuck its ears flat against its head and its tail between its legs. It is resistant and sometimes hostile to human contact (including friendly or affectionate touching). Such emotional warning signs indicate the presence of tension or ill-adjustment that may cause the dog to react in an impulsive or violent way.

    Food-Related Signs

    • A dog's behavior in the presence of food can provide hints about potential hostility. Look for signals of unusual possessiveness over food, such as growling, barking, or snapping if you attempt to take food or a food dish away. Observe the dog's eating habits in the presence of other dogs. Signs of food aggression may suggest a hostile tendency in the animal.

    Redirected Aggression Signs

    • Redirected aggression involves thwarted hostility that is redirected into some other outlet. For example, a dog on a leash that is provoked into unrealized confrontation with a passing dog on the street may carry over its aggression with a neighboring dog once back home.