Stop Dog Aggression

Dogs are instinctively aggressive and we all realize that dogs are capable of seriously injuring people and other animals. This does not mean that dog owners are completely helpless in their ability to stop aggressive dog behavior. An aggressive dog must be given obedience training immediately, before he injures you or someone else.

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Aggressive dogs will most often show aggression towards strangers or family members. Aggressive dog behavior can be caused by many different factors so it should be reacted to in different ways.

Aggression to Strangers

The most common reason for a dog disliking a person or another animal is that he hasn’t been given a chance to get used to them. Getting dogs accustomed to being with people and animals they don’t know is called socialization. Socialization is a key part of obedience training for your dog. You may be wondering how socialization can stop an aggressive dog from attacking the postman or pizza delivery guy. A dog that has been socialized will start to realize that these new adventures can be pleasurable instead of being scary.

Your dog needs to learn this lesson as a young dog. If your dog is often amongst various kinds of people (e.g., children, teenagers, men wearing uniforms, old people, people wearing helmets or carrying umbrellas) in peaceful and enjoyable surroundings, the chances of your dog being being aggressive towards strangers are much less.

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Puppy group training courses (often run by pet stores or at a vet clinic) are an excellent place to socialize your dog in a controlled environment. Your puppy will learn how to relate to strange dogs. These sessions will also make your dog realize that he does not need to be afraid of people he doesn’t know. He should not feel overwhelmed at these sessions - allow his tolerance to build gradually by starting off slowly.

Aggression Towards Family Members

Dog aggression towards human family members is usually for the following reasons:

• Your dog is trying to protect his belongings (food, toys, etc.) from an apparent danger (namely you or your family members). Such overly possessive behavior or resource guarding is not unusual in dogs.

• Dogs being pack animals show dominant behavior according to where they see themselves ranked in the hierarchy of the household. Dogs see the family structure as being no different from a dog pack. A dog that sees himself in a loftier position than his owner will act aggressively.

Resource guarding is certainly an act of dominance - a lower ranked dog would never show aggression towards to a higher ranked member of the pack.

Providing consistent dog training is the best way to stop aggressive dog problems, which will make your dog understand that you are the boss or “alpha dog”. This fact may be emphasized with rewards such as praise and treats when he complies with a command, and by imposing “time out” when he misbehaves.

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