How to Treat Aggressive Dog Behavior

Aggressive dogs are trying to communicate something.

Aggressive behaviors in dogs are typically not accepted by most owners. Examples of aggressive behavior that your dog might be displaying include baring his teeth, growling or snarling at people or other animals, snapping, biting or even attacking. Your dog uses these behaviors to communicate with the world around it and probably doesn't realize that it's doing something wrong. There are ways to help teach your dog the proper behaviors and ways to communicate that are acceptable.

Instructions

1. Bring your dog to your veterinarian. You need to make sure there's not an underlying medical issue that's causing your dog's aggressive behavior.

2. Get your dog spayed or neutered. This can help treat certain types of aggression, including dominance, territorial and protective aggression.

3. Avoid restraining your dog in any way, including hugging. If your dog is suffering from dominance aggression, this could cause an aggressive reaction. Also, try not to reach over your dog's head or for its collar.

4. Do not tie your dog up in the yard for long periods of time. Giving your dog such a limited amount of space can heighten its protective, territorial and possessive aggression. It may become aggressive toward any person or animal that enters the small space you've given it.

5. Seek help from an animal behaviorist. The Humane Society recommends getting professional help if you have an aggressive dog because the possible consequences of your dog's aggression are very serious. The animal behaviorist will practice behavior modification with your dog to help treat its aggression. This type of training should not be attempted unless you're being guided by an experienced professional.

Tips & Warnings

• Protect other people and animals until you can get professional help. This might involve supervising or confining your dog for a short period of time. You might also need to remove items that a dog is possessive of. Put a cage-type muzzle on your dog as a temporary precaution when taking it in public until you can get help. But remember that some dogs can get these off.

• Punishing your dog, yelling at it and especially physically harming it will reinforce its aggressive behavior and make it worse, not better.

References

• The Humane Society: Dog Aggression