Aggression & Anxiety in Dogs
Anxious or aggressive dogs are typically a product of their environment. Anxious dogs are insecure about their surroundings. Aggressive dogs how learned that aggression can make them feel in control. Retraining a dog with either behavior problem can be a long process that should focus on positive interaction. Creating a happy home life for these dogs will often help their overall attitude and make training faster and easier. In extreme cases of behavior issues, consult a professional trainer to evaluate and help formulate a plan for your dog.
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Cause
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Dogs that are not properly socialized when they are young often develop behavior problems such as anxiety or aggression. These dogs are often left in a yard or tied up where they can only view what is going on but never participate. When this happens they do not know how to deal with certain types of stimulation as they have never had the opportunity before. Dogs that are beaten or neglected tend to develop these problems in a more severe way. They have not been treated fairly and become distrustful of their surroundings.
Anxiety
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Anxiety for the most part comes from a lack of self-confidence in the dog. A dog that has been in limited environments will often feel uncomfortable when taken new places. The dog isn't sure how to deal with the new stimuli and becomes hyper-sensitive to potential dangers. The dog sees everything as a potential danger though and can react inappropriately. A dog overly attached to his owner can also suffer separation anxiety as he sees the owner as his source of safety.
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Aggression
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A dog that is nervous in his environment can act out aggressively when he begins to feel overwhelmed. These dogs will usually first try to escape before becoming aggressive. When the dog cannot get away from what is frightening him, he will often try biting. Once the dog has found some success in controlling his environment through aggression, he will become aggressive more easily as he feels safer "on the attack." Dogs allowed to become very aggressive can be hard to retrain and are a safety issue for anyone in contact with them.
Training
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When retraining an anxious or aggressive dog, it is often best to find positive ways of building his self-confidence as opposed to dealing directly with the troublesome behavior. A dog that feels comfortable in his environment will naturally become less anxious and aggressive. This can be done with the use of play and basic training with a praise or food reward.
New enviornment
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Along with training, providing a dog with a healthy living environment can lower aggression and anxiety. Dogs allowed to roam free in a yard are often more confident than dogs who are tied up all day, according to Cesar Milan in his book, Caesar's Way. Providing clean fresh food and water along with a clean and comfortable place to sleep makes the dog feel cared for. Access to toys allows the dog to feel he has some things that are his.
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