Before you can tame an aggressive dog you must determine from where his aggressiveness comes from. Aggression has served the canine population well. Dogs in the wild use aggression for hunting, defending themselves as well as protecting their resources such as their den, mate and food. Though selective breeding, humans have significantly reduce the amount of aggression our dogs have today, but the fact is: there is still a bit of aggression in every dog.
Counteracting fundamental instincts can be very difficult. But as dog owners it is a must that we learn to control our dog’s aggressiveness for the well being of all of us. There are many technique we can use to avoid having dog aggression show it’s sharp teeth in the first place. Even if there wasn’t steps in preventing dog aggression there are things we can do to recognize and deal with it effectively.
Here are the two most common forms of dog aggression.
-Aggression towards strangers -Aggression towards family members.
For some of you out there you may just want me to get on with it and tell you how to deal with or stop dog aggression. Well, the two common types of dog aggression have two different ways of dealing with them. So, by identifying the type of aggression your dealing with will direct you to the proper way to handle it.
Aggression towards strangers or other animals.
If you are having problems with your dog’s aggression with strangers, all you need to do is socialize. Dog like people can get scared in unfamiliar situations. With some time spent in a save comfortable atmosphere your dog can be introduced to more people and places, which builds confidence. Once your dog becomes comfortable with meeting new people the aggression should subside. It’s up to you to socialize your dog and expose him to as much as possible.
Dog aggression towards a family member.
This type of aggression is totally different from stranger aggression. With aggression toward a family member your dog is trying to protect his perceive rank in the social order of this pack (your family). Asserting dominance or aggression upon someone or something he thinks is a lesser animal is how dog’s establish themselves in the hierarchy of the pack. Basic and consistent obedience training, plus a quick brush up on alpha dog techniques should take care of this problem fairly quickly. Do not procrastinate, the longer this type of aggression is allowed to continue the harder it will be to correct.
Want to find out more about dog behavior, then visit Matt Closson’s site on how to choose the best dog training guide for your needs.
