Aggressive behavior in a dog can be frustrating and terrifying, for both the dog owner and anyone else who happens to cross paths with the dog. If you can't control the behavior of your aggressive dog, you may end up in a lawsuit if your dog hurts another dog or even a person. If you have an aggressive dog, you need to take steps to change that dog's behavior immediately.
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Determine the Cause
Try to figure out why your dog is acting aggressively. For many dogs, the need to dominate is the trigger for aggression. The cause of this is a failure to properly socialize the dog at a young age. Never allow your dog to dominate any person, even a child. If dogs do not learn at a young age that they are submissive to people, they may become aggressive. Other dogs are very protective of their owners or territories and may only get aggressive when faced with another dog. Finally, dogs who are abused can show aggression out of fear. If you can determine the cause before you start training, you can narrow down what you need to do in order to change the aggressive behavior.
Obedience Training
Enroll the dog in obedience training. While you can easily train most aggressive puppies with the use of treats and socialization, you should seek the help of a professional to train older dogs. Many aggressive dogs do very well with some intensive, professional training. In addition to teaching you how to control your dog's behavior, you will also learn why your dog is acting out and how to avoid triggering that behavior. Generally, the older the dog is the harder it is to change aggressive behavior.
Other Treatments
Some aggressive dogs can be helped by someone who is knowledgeable and dedicated. If you do not feel that you can handle your aggressive dog, you might need to find a new home for your dog. Make sure the potential owner has experience handling aggressive dogs and will get the dog the proper training to fix the problem. If you choose to take your dog to a shelter, you must let the shelter know that the dog has shown aggressive behavior. For dogs that have bitten a person or other animal and are still very aggressive, humane euthanasia might be the only option.
