Dog Aggression - Behavior All Owners Need To Be Aware Of

Article Title: Dog Aggression - Behavior All Owners Need To Be
Aware Of
Author: Colin Pederson

Aggression in dogs can be found in a variety of different
behaviors and personality traits. Most dog owners only focus on
the common aggressive dog behaviors such as barking, biting,
growling etc... But it vital that you get to know your dog,
that you can distinguish all types of dog aggression.
Aggression and dominant behavior are natural instinct for pack
animals such as dogs, they play an important role in the
survival of wild dogs, giving each member of the pack a place
in the hierarchy, using aggression to defend against predators,
to hunt, and to assert dominance.

The level of aggression your dog demonstrates is determined by
how much of a threat the individual or animal is seen to be. We
class these as low and high level aggression. Low level
aggression is the everyday aggression most dogs display. This
is generally passive aggression, giving the other dog or person
a warning that your dog is aggressive and in control of the
situation. Low level aggressive behaviors include

1. Growling
2. Ignoring owners commands
3. Pushing and leaning into people
4. Jumping up on people or animals to intimidate
5. Aggressive stance

You will notice your dog displaying this lower level aggression
when he or she begins to feel threatened. A common time to
observe your dog in 'low level aggressive' mode is when he or
she is introduced to another dog for the first time. Both dogs
will take a stiff stance, observing and keeping their head up,
tails up, and ears pointed. This is intended to make themselves
appear dominant, and to look as tall as possible. After getting
a good observation of the other dog and getting comfortable
with the situation, one dog will generally back away, and you
will notice the aggression begins to die, and the two dogs will
start to become familiar with each other. Generally speaking, a
spayed female will usually be the first to back down, followed
by a neutered male, then an intact female, and last to back
down will be an intact male. The build and stature of a dog is
often irrelevant when it comes to introductions and this first
aggressive encounter. The exception to this hierarchy is in
instances when neither dog backs down, the aggression then
builds as the battle for dominance begins. This will often lead
to an extremely loud vocal display and often physical
interaction.

When dogs meet a human for the first time, aggression will be
shown through jumping up, pushing or leaning until the person
becomes unstable and looses their footing, or growling with an
intense stare. With smaller dogs and young puppies this
behavior can often be portrayed as cute behavior and go
un-noticed. Failure to identify and deal with this behavior can
lead to more serious when the puppy has grown to be a larger
dog, it can become dangerous and difficult to train. Whether
your dog is a new/small puppy or a larger dog, it is important
to deal with these aggression issues as early as possible, so
your dog's 'low level aggression' doesn't become a problem in
years to come.

If your dogs passive (low level) aggressive behavior is
ineffective, it will escalate to higher levels of aggression in
an attempt to recover dominance. Higher level dog aggression
includes:

1. Snarling and snapping viciously
2. Biting
3. Jumping up and barking in an aggressive manner
4. Nipping at heels or legs
5. Staring and displaying teeth

Higher level aggressive behavior means business, your dog is
still feeling threatened or non-dominant and your dog will move
on to actual physical aggression, fighting, biting or attempting
to bite. This is where things get serious and potentially
dangerous. If you notice your dog's behavior escalating to high
aggression levels, you must look into behavior modification
training immediately. It is your responsibility to keep the
public, other dogs, children and visitors to your home safe by
isolating or sufficiently restraining your dog.

Aggression is a natural instinct for dogs, and it is essential
that the owner is in control of the dog's aggression. Through
early socialization and a firm understanding of the dog-owner
relationship, your dog should not show aggressive behavior. If
aggression does become a problem it is important to deal with
the issue immediately. Re-training using positive methods works
much better than punishment, but often professional assistance
is needed.

Neutering a dog will control the hormonal causes of aggression,
but not all aggression is hormonally caused. Spaying and
neutering dogs does not guarantee that they will be docile, and
breeds that are bred as watch dogs or herding animals will need
specific training on being non-aggressive. Some dogs are not
good with other animals or dogs, just like some breeds are less
tolerant of children. It is important to understand the natural
aggressive tendencies of the breed of dog that you are
considering obtaining to make sure you get a good match for you
and your family.

About The Author: Colin Pederson is a self-confessed 'Dog
Fanatic' residing in California with his wife and black Lab
Casey. Colin runs 'Dog Obedience Advice,' offering free advice
on dealing with http://dogobedienceadvice.com/dog_aggression,
and other issues all dog owners face.

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