Reasons for Aggressive Behavior in Dogs
A lot of people have already seen the symptoms of aggression amongst dogs like, bared teeth, growling and biting, yet most of the time people do not comprehend the reasons for aggressive behavior in dogs. Knowing the underlying reasons for this violent behavior is the first step to learning to apply them to your beloved pet. A well-bred dog is often a more cheerful dog, so understanding the origination of this violent behavior in dogs is essential to you as well as your dog.
Dominance Aggression
One good reason for violent behavior in dogs is that they need to establish supremacy. This manner can be seen towards humans, but is more commonly observed against other dogs or animals. Canines are pack animals, and there is a definite hierarchy within that pack. Most of the times dogs assume of the people in their family as their pack, and they will try to believe themselves as alpha dog, so aggression may arise when there are many people or pets around.
Territorial Aggression
Another reason for aggression in dogs apart from dominance is their territorial nature. Dogs can be very protective and possessive of their property. Since dogs assume their home and family as ownership, they will protect and defend them at all cost even to the point of extending well past their boundaries. Extremely violent behavior can happen when their area or property is threatened.
Fright Aggression
Aggression due to fear is another defensive reaction from dogs who feel that they are in danger of being harmed. A frightened dog will fight and strike back because he wants to protect himself from the incoming threat or danger. Fear should not be neglected as this may be one of the probable causes of dog aggression that is usually mistaken for direct aggressiveness. It is usually characterized by growling, with the dog’s ears pulled back and its tail between its legs.
Predatory Nature
Although most of the dogs may be afraid, other dogs have burly instincts, so predatory character is another aspect for aggression. Certain dogs enjoy hunting and chasing. Cats, smaller dogs, or little kids can be mistaken by dog as food.
Redirected Aggression
A behavior that most of us may not always understand is redirected aggression. This happens when a dog lashes out on other dogs or its owner instead of lashing out on the trespasser or attacker. A dog may redirect his aggression onto someone else because he is prevented from attacking the actual object or the cause of fear.
Medical Reasons for Aggression
Although aggression is usually something behavioral, there might be medical reasons behind it. Normally dogs can be trained to not be aggressive if it is something behavioral, but if it is because of a medical condition then it needs to be treated properly and professionally. Pregnant or nursing female dogs tend to be violent because of maternal protectiveness, and this violent behavior can be addressed by training them as early as when they are still puppies.
In most cases, the severity of aggressive behavior can be reduced but not completely eliminated. The first step to prevent dog aggression is to be aware of and to understand the reasons for these types of behavior so that it can be controlled and prevented in the future. There are training methods to treat and restrain different types of aggression. Knowing what triggers aggressive behavior can determine what training method is most effective.