Training Tips for Aggressive Dogs
Tips for an aggressive dog
Those who share life with a dog know how worrying it is to observe aggression in him. Until recently, training techniques claimed that the only way to "dominate" a dog was to subdue it. Fortunately, this has changed for the good of the dogs and the owners.
In many situations we can observe "aggressive" (or reactive) dogs, and the truth rarely has to do with dominance, we are used to reading that for a dog to respect us and we can teach it, we must be "the dominant". The truth is that you don't have to dominate any dog to make it listen to us. The key is communication.
First of all, we must bear in mind that dogs are of a totally different species from us and have a different way of seeing the world. In this AnimalWised article, we will explain everything you need to know about canine aggression and we will give you the best tips for an aggressive dog.
Why are dogs aggressive?
Dogs can be aggressive towards people, other dogs, or the environment on various occasions. Especially if they haven't learned to inhibit their bite, they may be more predisposed to bite. The most common situations occur when we invade something that the dog considers "his" or especially to his liking.
The dog may bite to protect its territory (bed, cushions, resting place) or to protect its food. This is called resource protection. However, the dog can also bite if it is assaulted or handled incorrectly. In this case, it would be a natural defense of the dog.
On the other hand, dogs can also be aggressive towards others of the same species: fear, insecurity, or females in heat can cause a negative reaction in your dog, which response with hostility.
All these reactions can occur in people or dogs, it will depend on the dog and the education received so far. Below we will detail some of the most common problems and we will give you useful tips to prevent an attack or know how to act before it.
Aggression towards people
Resource protection
Resource protection often appears related to the dog's bed, food, or toys. The dog tends to show a hostile attitude when we approach one of these objects, growling to alert and biting if we overshoot.
This type of behavior is difficult to modify once it is ingrained in the dog. The ideal in these cases is to work so that the dog understands that we are not trying to take away his most precious objects using positive reinforcement.
In order for our dog to stop behaving aggressively when his possessions are close, you must:
- The system with food is the easiest to work with: the dog usually protects his resources for fear that we will take them away, for that reason we will offer him sweets or snacks directly from the hand (we can also throw them on the ground) and we will feed him once or twice a day in which the dog witnesses that we are the one who offers the food. You can, for example, approach her feed bowl when she is eating with a small extra amount of food. In this way, the dog understands that it is you who provides the food and stops acting in this way.
- To deal with the other objects we have to apply another technique. In this case, we must maintain a relaxed and respectful attitude towards the animal. We should not force him to offer us his favorite toy if he does not want it, rather we must encourage him to offer it to us (or at least let go of it). To solve this situation we need a much more appetizing food than the dog's need to protect a certain resource. The bits of frankfurt usually work wonders.
For this, we are going to approach the dog when he is with his toy or in his bed. Let him sniff the frankfurter and when he lets go of the toy or allows us to approach his bed, offer it to him. We will then withdraw or return the toy to you. What are we doing? We are communicating with the dog indicating that it should be calm and relaxed and that we are not trying to take anything away from it. Returning the toy helps you understand that we are not trying to take anything away from you.
The ideal in the protection of resources is to be patient and try not to dominate our dog. Precisely this type of behavior encourages a hostile and aggressive attitude in our best friend, let's avoid it.
Redirected aggression
Redirected aggressiveness usually occurs when the dog, faced with stress or a moment of significant fear, tries to bite the stimulus causing the situation. Unable to do so, it unconsciously bites what is around it, probably your leg.
This type of activity is more common than one might think and is directly related to animal welfare. Promoting a dignified and quality life for our best friend is essential to avoid these situations. On the other hand, when dealing with dogs with serious emotional problems, we recommend drastically reducing their exposure to fear and trying to promote tranquility.
Aggression out of fear
If we attack or manipulate our dog incorrectly, it is totally understandable that the animal is irritated and even scared. However, that it bites directly, it is clear evidence that the animal has not been educated in the inhibition of the bite, and therefore it is an aspect that we must work on. Maintaining a positive, respectful attitude and understanding our dog's personality is essential. For this, we recommend going to a canine educator who will give us the appropriate guidelines for our case.
On the other hand, there is a fear of dogs that have not been properly socialized. The main problem is that in their puppy stage they did not get fully used to contact people. This is when fear and displays of aggressiveness arise. It is a behavior that must be treated by an ethologist. This type of situation can be very serious, we must make sure that our dog is safe and that other people are as well. The use of a muzzle if necessary on the walks is recommended.
Aggression towards objects and/or surroundings
In its first months of life, the dog begins its socialization process. In this stage, the puppy learns to identify the objects and places that it will find in its day to day: furniture, parks, bicycles, cars ... Teaching it to know these elements is essential so that in the future it does not suffer fear.
However, whether due to poor socialization or other causes, the dog may begin to generate fear of certain objects. This can happen in very old animals or in dogs suffering from mental problems.
To solve this situation, it would be ideal to contact an ethologist or a canine educator who could provide guidelines for our particular case. However, there are some tips to make it more bearable:
- Try to avoid fearful stimuli as much as possible for at least 5-10 days. We will try to alleviate the stress and anxiety of the dog.
- To do this, walk with your dog at the quietest hours of the day and go to parks or gardens that provide a new environment to investigate. This will promote relaxation.
- Provide constant care and affection. Finding a best friend in you will be very positive for the dog.
- Begins to get close to objects or places that scare you. Whenever he is calm, reward him.
- Follow this process gradually and without any pressure. You must allow the dog to feel comfortable or not. Stay away if you see that he is very afraid.
- Practice your dog's call (or other obedience commands) whenever you are close to his fear so that he is distracted and thus more comfortable.
The tips mentioned above are a small guide to promote relaxation and well-being in our animal. This will help your perception of the environment to be more positive. However, do not forget that the key to this process is to know what their fear is and to work daily with rewards and obedience and a positive attitude. Dogs with these ingrained behaviors can take a long time to recover, and some never will. If you have doubts to identify its cause or do not know how to apply these tricks, do not hesitate to go to a professional. Only he will give you unique advice for your case and consequently the behavior of your dog.
Aggression towards other dogs
Disease
There are many causes that can lead to aggressive behavior, but before considering other causes, we must observe our dog and assess whether it suffers from any type of disease. Physical pain and even stress can cause a totally sociable dog to change its character into a hostile dog. Go to the vet to rule out any problems.
Resource protection
As happens between the dog and human relationship, the dog with a possessive behavior with toys, can be aggressive with other dogs when he thinks that his possessions are taken away from him. We must try to avoid competitive situations so that conflicts cannot arise between dogs. Bringing several balls to the park or playing only in private can go a long way.
Working one dog's resource protection with others is complicated and should be done by a professional. We can encourage the dog's natural behavior by rewarding the attitudes that we like.
Aggression out of fear
Aggression or asocial behavior usually always has a cause, in this case, we can speak of fear if we are dealing with a dog that has not been socialized, abused, or has been a victim of sparring, for example.
If we have not taught our dog from a puppy what the outside world is like, he will probably suffer from fear. It also happens with abused dogs that have had traumatic experiences in their life.
Many people who have a fearful adopted dog go through this situation. We must try to make the dog feel comfortable and calm, relieving his stress levels, and we are never going to force him to interact if he does not want to. Rewarding social behaviors even if it's simply staying close to another dog without barking can go a long way. Going to a professional ethologist for appropriate guidelines for our case will be very useful.
Aggression due to hormonal factors
The dogs in heat and excess males are a very dangerous team that can certainly end up in fight if need be. However, this is not the only hormonal factor that can cause our dog to become aggressive: conflicts between dogs of the same, and different-sex can occur for many different causes. Discover in AnimalWised the advantages of sterilizing a dog.
Territorial defense
Dogs are animals of habit and territory. It has probably happened to you some time: you meet your dog in the pee-dog and that it barks non-stop at all the dogs that are outside it. It is totally normal. Dogs have a strong territorial instinct, especially those that are not neutered and also suffer from fear or other problems.
This type of behavior is very difficult to deal with since, once acquired, it is usually very difficult to avoid. On the one hand, there are dogs that when they are in the same enclosure (although until 5 minutes ago they barked) get along well, others do not. This second group should be treated with patience, positive reinforcement, and ideally by a professional as well.
Maternity aggressiveness
New mothers often develop hostile behavior after giving birth, especially if their cubs are nearby. Avoid this type of situation.
Other
There are countless causes that could explain the aggressiveness of a dog, here we leave you with some more:
- Learned behaviors: Some dogs cannot avoid being aggressive if it is a behavior that they have been taught from their earliest childhood. This type of learning is the most difficult to eradicate of all, however, with patience and affection, reinforcing the behaviors that we like and promoting animal welfare, it can be done. Consult with the specialist.
- By play: Some people startle when their dogs, playing, show their teeth, and have behaviors of "fighting" with each other. Remember that the dog is a social animal and that growling is part of its natural communication. Be attentive to their actions to avoid a fight but don't worry excessively.
- Predatory: When a dog tries to hunt another dog we must seriously go to the specialist. It usually occurs in cases of famine or deeply rooted learned behaviors. Put a muzzle on your dog and make sure you take the relevant safety measures. As we have suggested before, it is vitally important that you go to a professional, this type of behavior can lead to much more serious behavior.
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