You may have noticed cases of your dog suddenly showing signs of aggression or rather becoming aggressive and threatening to bite. Such nasty behaviors and signs of aggression by your dog may be frustrating. Well, if you have no idea why your dog gets aggressive all over a sudden and growls around, this article is tailored for you. When handling dog aggression, it is very critical to evaluate the reason why your dog gets aggressive and the root cause of this. Having known the cause of aggression, it places you in a better position to combat and rectify this nasty behavior. Let’s walk you through some of the commonest causes of aggression in dogs.
Sickness
Some ailments cause dogs to become aggressive. If you have recently noted your dog changing behavior all of a sudden, then this is a key indicator that it has a serious illness. It may desist from horsing around with friends. If it is developing a quick temper and begins to lash out, this means your dog is becoming aggressive due possible illness.
Frustration
Frustration in dogs is sometimes called redirected aggression. It often stems from a dog not being able to get something they want. Your dog will then exhibit frustration in other ways. They may go to the extent of releasing these frustrations at the expense of humans or commonly the pets around it.
Protective
The point here is far much different from desirable protection that our dogs give us and our families. Rather, it is when the dog becomes extra-vigilant and dangerous on a particular territory. In situations where it is becoming a threat around when it used to be in a normal state, it indicates that your dog is getting aggressive.
Leash Aggression
Your dog may be in normal situations, being friendly and approachable. If it starts barking and snapping at practically everything in sight, it means it is getting aggressive. Leash aggression is often targeted by other dogs. It stems from cases where your dog is restrained by their leash and is not able to react or defend from perceived threat.
Social Aggression
Where dogs coexist in groups, they tend to naturally develop hierarchy for the pack. These include first eating habits, or being the lead on napping. Where lower pack members disrupt this unique order of coexistence, the leading team will try to restore order by displaying aggression either by snapping or growling.
Anxiety
Anxiety in dogs often results from changes in the environment they are exposed to. In retaliation and response, they exhibit aggression. Furthermore, anxiety in dogs might be caused by the entry of a new member of the crew or when relocating to a new home, and sometimes a new member of the human family.
Guarding Resources
Dogs are naturally aggressive in possessing the things they love or “own”. They tend to defend their resources and territorial "ownership" by exhibiting signs of aggression such as snapping or growling. It goes without saying that aggressive dogs may at times snap back at others or growl to defend their resources. Such cases have to be checked since it can grow gradually and escalate to extreme physical attacks.
Fear
Fear is the most common reason why dogs exhibit signs of aggression. For instance, if a new dog comes to their territories, they are gripped by fear and they respond through vicious attacks. Lack of proper socialization and negative experiences in the past are known to cause aggression in dogs. If they feel in danger, a dog will exhibit signs of aggression in an attempt to defend themselves.
In conclusion, It is important to know the causes of aggression in dogs before seeking solutions to combat. Our pets should be in healthy conditions and harmony. One should always note that dogs naturally get aggressive. This is their response to unwanted conditions and threats.
Martina Smith has always loved animals, especially when she got her own dogs. She really enjoys learning more about dogs in general, enjoys sharing what she has learned and continues to learn, and she helps run a website that promotes Dog Training Equipment browse their selection now!
Article by: Martina Smith June 8, 2020