The Truth About Dog Aggression

Is your dog aggressive toward other dogs? Have you decided that the aggression is tied to the dog’s breed, or that it’s simply part of their personality? Often, there’s a whole lot more going on below the surface. This post will discuss the truth behind why some dogs might be aggressive.

Seemingly overnight, some dogs may start barking or growling when other people or animals are around. The aggression may seem sudden. There’s no one-size-fits-all reason for aggression. It may be linked to a traumatic event, like an attack from another animal. It could be the result of unmet instinctual needs involving play and exploration. It’s important to rule these things out—and address them if they seem relevant.

Here’s another thing to keep in mind: If your dog is barking or reacting to other dogs behind a barrier—behind a fence or a window—that doesn’t necessarily mean the dog is dog-aggressive.  It might mean that the dog is dog-reactive or reacting to what they believe to be a potential threat. It could even mean that the dog is barrier-aggressive. This, too, is an important thing to rule out.

Ultimately, if the aggression doesn’t only come out when there’s a barrier, there is likely a deeper issue at play.

Human Influence

If your dog exhibits a certain behavior after a while, and nothing big happened to trigger the change, the problem might be in your behavior. If it seems as though your influence of ownership and human interaction is starting to create a dog with bad behaviors, that’s when you really want to dive into your relationship with your pet.We know it’s a tough pill to swallow, but nine times out of 10, the way dogs act is directly linked to the way their owners interact with them.  It could be that you are giving your dog affection when they behave in a negative way. It could also be that you aren’t teaching your dog to stop behaving in a negative way. If you ignore growling or act in a confusing or inconsistent way, your dog won’t know that certain behaviors aren’t okay.

Research - Study - Learn

Conduct research to better understand their pet’s behavior. Videos are a great place to start. Because at the end of the day, if you’re not improving your dog ownership skills—your dog handling and your dog communication skills—there’s no way your dog is going to improve their behavior. Too often the truth: Your dog is behaving the way they behave because of the way you behave when you are around them. Luckily for you, changing your behavior for the better is completely within your power. And both you and your dog will benefit. We hope this helps you gain a better understanding of dog aggression, what it means, and how you can solve it.

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