Why Does My Dog Show Aggression?

There are a number of reasons families search for a dog trainer, whether they want their dog to listen more or learn commands such as sit or come. The real and not uncommon purpose is that their dog has become aggressive or they adopted a dog that is aggressive. Many times families say they had their dog for years and out of now where their beloved pet no longer likes people outside of the family circle.

There are five possible reasons for that aggression.

Firstly, what is the definition of dog aggression?   Aggression is defined as the threat of harm to another individual involving snarling, growling, snapping, biting, barking, and/or lunging. Understanding the contributing factors in aggression can often help in the treatment of aggression.

1. Illness

There are a number of illnesses that can occur to your dog. Families that have possessed their furry friends for many years ask why their dog out of nowhere is acting differently. Suddenly a dog that has never shown any signs of aggression begins growling, snapping, or biting. It may be caused by a disease or illness. Diseases such as thyroid disease or cancers such as brain tumors and rabies can be the cause. The best course of action is to take your pet to the veterinarian to determine if illness is the cause root to the aggression.

2. Establishing Dominance

Dogs are pack animals and dominance is a key factor in that world. When an owner does not show leadership and establishes themselves as a pack leader, new bad habits can form. It only takes two to create a pack – the dog and the owner. The dog will establish dominance through growling, snapping, or biting when they feel that their dominance is being challenged. This course of action would require you to seek a professional dog trainer.

3. Fear

Another cause that is making your dog growl or snap is fear aggression. In this type of behavior, the dog has two actions: flight or fight. The dog will run away and hide from whatever is causing the fear, but when they have no other choice, they will bite. This will happen when the dog is trapped in a corner or if the dog is in so much in fear it feels like they are being cornerned. Moving too close or being in the way of the dog during the flight mode could cause a fear bite. This course of action would require you to seek a professional dog trainer.

4. Possession Aggression

This next aggression occurs when a dog gets possessive of food, a toy, a bed, your yard, or some other object. The most common signs of this behavior are if a human or another dog gets too close to one of the mentioned objects they will growl or even snap towards whoever is approaching. The behavior can be shown towards a stranger or a family member who does not live in the house. The dog determines possession of the house and warns the person coming in not to. The level of possession aggression can vary on the object. For example, someone can sit next to the dog with a rubber bone in their mouth, but an aggressive sign would follow if it were food. This course of action would require you to seek a professional dog trainer.

5. Frustration

The last type of aggression is frustration and this comes from a dog that is tied up all day to a post or tree. After being in this position and wanting to get something such as a running squirrel or any animal that might be about, the dog will take it out on the owner because they need to release it and the owner is the closest to them. A lot of the times they are also behind a chained fence or even in the house and some breeds need to release their energy, so they will show aggression when they are not allowed to do so. Structured exercises such as daily walks can do wonders for the physical and mental health of the dog.