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Dog Aggression

Aggression in dogs is a behavioural problem that must be dealt with. Understanding growth phases in your dog and the factors that trigger the development of aggressive behaviour can help prevent and control this issue.

Factors influencing aggression:

• Medical causes: An injury, disease or congenital defect needs medical treatment first, before you try to rectify the problem of aggression.
• Other conditions that can cause unusual behaviour are problems with teeth, eyesight or joint pain. Disease such as epilepsy, hypothyroidism, brain tumours, encephelatis also aggravate this problem.
• Genetic and hereditary factors If the temperament problem is genetic in nature, the treatment would then concentrate on the "management" of the behaviour rather than an absolute cure.
• Environment: Living conditions, lack of socialization, severe punishments, being spoilt or given too much unwarranted praise - can also influence aggression.

Types of Aggression:

• Dominance Aggression or owner-directed: Indications: growling, snarling, snapping or biting directed primarily at family members or people with whom the dog is familiar. The dog usually has conflicts with who the dog regards being most closely ranked to him. It is both inherited and learnt.
• Fear Aggression: It is a defensive reaction and occurs when a dog believes he is in danger of being harmed. Behaviors may include escape attempts, changes in pitch and volume of vocalization, snapping and biting if threat continues.
• Protective or Territorial Aggression: Territorial aggression is related to defense of territory which may extend well past the boundaries of your house. Protective aggression is directed at people or animals whom a dog perceives as a threat to his family. Dogs become possessively aggressive when defending their food, toys, or other valued objects.
• Redirected Aggression: Dogs may redirect aggression if interrupted in another aggression (i.e. dog-on-dog aggression). The dog may turn and threaten or bite the closest person or animal, who are often not involved.
• Intra- sexual: male - to- male, or female - to female.

A dog may have a combination of different types of aggression and may not be easily categorized.

Preventing and treating aggression:

Generally the methods to treat aggression are:

1. Avoid situations that provoke the aggression: Never allow any dog to achieve dominant status over any adult or child. Match the right breed and puppy to the right owner eg. the Chihuahua do not like boisterous, rowdy owners.
2. Training: behaviour modification and early socialization. Puppies should be handled gently. They should not be allowed to chase children, jump on people, or growl for any reason. They should not be a part of rough, aggressive play such as hand-fighting, wrestling, or tug-of-war games.
3. Pharmacological intervention (use of behavior altering drugs)
4. Surgical intervention (usually castration of the male dog):
Spay or neuter your dog. Intact dogs are more likely to display dominance, territorial, and protective aggressive behavior.
5. Check with your veterinarian to rule out medical causes for the aggressive behavior.

A word of caution:

Punishment won't help and, in fact, may make the problem worse. If aggression is motivated by fear, punishment will make the dog more fearful, and aggressive. Attempting to punish a dominantly aggressive dog may likely to result in a bite or a severe attack.

Use training techniques that work, without having to resort to punishment...

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