Dogs are aggressive for many reasons and in many different ways. Causes of aggression can include fear, pain, a medical condition, genetics, abuse and more. The first step toward addressing a dog's aggression is to determine what type of aggression the pet is exhibiting and attempting to determine what factors may be influencing the dog's behavior. Don't give up on rehabilitating your dog. Most aggression problems can be addressed with medical intervention, behavior modification, training or pharmaceutical intervention.
-
Medical Issues
-
The first step in identifying and treating aggression in your dog is a visit to your veterinarian to rule out the possibility that a medical issue is causing your dog's behavior. Medical issues that can cause aggression include brain chemistry imbalance, hypothyroidism, distemper, hypoglycemia, epilepsy, brain tumors and various injuries and pains.
If other medical issues are ruled out and your dog is intact, your next step is to spay/neuter. Dogs that aren't altered are proven to be more aggressive than pets who are fixed.
Types
-
There are many types of aggression, and understanding what type of aggression your dog is exhibiting is an important step in solving the problem.The three major types of aggression, once medical issues are ruled out, are dominance-based aggression, fear-based aggression and territorial-based aggression.
Dominance
-
Dominantly aggressive dogs are confident. They carry their tails high and often have their hackles up. They stare and expose their teeth. They demand attention, demand to go outside and demand to eat. Dogs with dominance aggression usually will not obey commands.
Fear
-
Fear-motivated aggression occurs in dogs who are in danger or perceive they are in danger. Often, these dogs will seek to run away from a threat but will become aggressive if cornered.
Territory
-
Protective and territorial aggression involve the dog perceiving that he is protecting something he values, such as his person, territory or an object---such as toys, food or a bone.
Help
-
Aggression is a serious issue and an aspect of misbehavior you do not want to treat lightly. It is best to work with a reputable trainer or behaviorist in correcting the problem; however, be cautious of those trainers who use harsh methods. Dogs are not rehabilitated by pain or fear. Punishing an aggressive dog usually makes the behavior worse.
Puppies
-
If you have a puppy, you can most likely prevent any future aggression problems with what you do now. Puppies must be socialized. The most critical stages are from 3 weeks of age to 14 weeks of age. Between the ages of 8 and 10 weeks, puppies go through what is often referred to as the "fearful period." During this time, behaviors and experiences are imprinting upon the puppy that will influence them for a lifetime. It's critically important that they be gently handled by children, adults, men and women. They should not be harshly disciplined during this time. It's important that socialization efforts continue until the dog is 14 months old to ensure a well-behaved, well-adjusted adult animal.
-