Why Are dogs Aggressive?

Dogs have developed an instinctual aggressive-it is a part of their very nature. Dogs are pack animals that have evolved with aggression in order to be able to hunt down their prey and defend themselves and their pack against predators. Although in the course of their evolution aggressive behavior in dogs was necessary to their very survival, in today’s society our dogs need to control their aggression. Once you know the cause for your dog’s type of aggression problem, you can pick the right method to correct the problem.

Here is a list of the 6 most common reasons for dog aggression.

• Dominance Aggression: When 2 dogs first meet they have a little ritual to establish who is the dominant dog, and conversely, who is the submissive dog. Because dogs live in a pack society, it is necessary for them to establish a pecking order, so that every dog knows his place in the pack. Usually, two dogs go through this process without aggression problems. Displays of dominance normally only lead to dog fights when one of the dogs refuses to become submissive to the other dog.

• Fear Aggression: The next type of aggression, fear aggression is caused by very different reasons than dominance aggression. An extremely agitated dog suffering from fear aggression may lunge and snap at anything close by when it is in this state. One example would be of a dog who has suffered previous abuse by a human will sometimes show his fear aggression by being afraid of certain people. This type of aggression is easily recognizable-the  fearful dog will display a cringing, slinking body language that includes tucking its tail up between the legs and up against its stomach. Be sure not to try to offer comfort to a dog in the throes of fear aggression, because they sometimes lash out and bite anything nearby-like your hand.

• Territorial Aggression: Territorial aggression is a very common form of aggressive behavior. This type of aggression originated when dogs needed to defend their families and their dens from predators-nowadays they want to protect your family and home instead. You must be sure your dog’s territorial instincts don’t get overly engaged or he may end up attacking a passerby or another dog. Be aware of territorial aggression problems, and correct them as soon as you notice them with your pet dog. The dog must learn to know to not let the barking turn into violence.

• Redirected Aggression: You have probably seen examples of this type of aggression before, and confused it with another type of aggression..  For instance, somebody may be walking down the alley on the other side of your fence, and is doing something that is agitating your dogs-as sometimes happens-your dogs may become so over-excited that they turn on each other for a moment. It is similar to when sharks go nuts in a frenzy. Even thought the dogs were not usually enemies, the aggression got the better of them and they ended up going at each other.

• Predatory Aggression: Predatory aggression is a natural instinct that all dogs have to some degree-they are born with it. You probably see examples of predatory aggression almost every day. When you see your dog chasing a cat or a bird you are seeing signs of predatory aggression. Often you’ll see a dog chase something without being serious about hurting it. On the other hand, sometimes they are very serious, so this too is a problem that needs to be corrected.

• Medical Reasons Causing Aggression: Female dogs that are either pregnant or have just recently given birth and are taking care of their puppies are often much more aggressive than usual. There may be times your dog is feeling bad from an injury or illness, something like this could cause him to act aggressively.It is a good idea to check with your vet if you think your dog may have some condition that is affecting his behavior and causing his aggression. One other category that comes to mind is when a dog is just goofy-some dogs are just not right in the head. Unfortunately, just like some people I have met, that is just how it is with them.

By learning to understand the different reasons for dog aggression you can more easily pick the best way to correct your dog’s problem and be sure to have the well behaved pet you really want.

Please click here to read more articles about dog aggression and solving other dog behavior problems at: BehaveDoggy.com.

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