Why is my dog aggressive
As a behaviourist, I spend a lot of time with ‘aggressive’ dogs. At the extremes, some clients will tell me that their dog is aggressive if the dog grumbles or curls a lip. Others will describe their dog as playful and overly boisterous when it has bitten and drawn blood. These, and a range of escalating behaviours in between, all form part of a complex set of behaviours used to deal with situations that the dog finds stressful. We can refer to them all as aggressive in some measure.
So what is aggression, why do some dogs behave more aggressively than others and what can we do about it?
What is aggression?
Aggression is communication. It is a normal part of a dog’s vocabulary. It is a necessary element of the way animals behave, and an expression of how a dog feels. It’s not a sudden onset behaviour, although it may seem that way sometimes. Instead, it includes a variety of actions and choices that help dogs to keep themselves safe and to deal with the world they live in. It is used to communicate a message.
In most situations, a dog is likely to do what they can to avoid a difficult situation, perhaps by moving away or showing through their body language, that they are not happy. It’s when this behaviour changes from avoidance to actively dealing with an issue that we may start to see it as aggression.
Dogs use body language more than any other form of communication to show how they feel and what they intend. If a dog finds themselves in what they feel is a threatening situation they can use non-aggressive signals to diffuse the problem. If these don’t work, they are then more likely to escalate their behaviour to something more threatening and aggressive.
Threat reduction signals show how uncomfortable a dog is feeling. They may yawn, lick their lips, crouch down, turn their head away, drop their ears and tail and even roll onto their backs. They are making it clear that they want something to stop.
If the problem doesn’t go away, they might start to escalate their behaviour by raising their hackles, baring their teeth, growling, snarling and maybe snapping. Ultimately, they may bite if they feel they have to.
Unfortunately, not all dogs make this hierarchy of behaviour obvious. Some may panic and rush straight to aggression, others may be trying to show how they feel but have difficulty because of the way we have bred them. A short or immobile tail can’t show anxiety. Ears that always droop don’t go down and back effectively, and so on. Some dogs may feel that the danger in front of them is so threatening that they just don’t have time for signalling and instead go straight to attack. Apparently unpredictable bites are usually from dogs like this, who have decided to miss out the lower levels of communication.
Why can dogs behave aggressively?
When dogs show aggression, it’s always in response to something they consider a threat. Maybe something they value is being taken away, or they are worried that they might be hurt. Sometimes they are anxious or in an unfamiliar situation. All dogs are capable of showing aggression, but individual dogs vary in how they respond. Characteristics also vary between breeds. Some breeds have been bred to tend more towards aggression and can show aggression in more extreme ways than others. Even so, there is no breed that is inherently
aggressive. It is the way we bring our dogs up that will determine the way they behave as they mature.
If dogs suffer negative experiences when they are young or don’t have enough positive experiences to feel comfortable in our human world, they can learn that aggression works to resolve conflict. Once they have learned this, aggression can become the dog’s first choice of how to solve issues.
What can you do?
Sadly, this kind of behaviour tends to get worse if not dealt with correctly. If a dog resorts to an aggressive threat, it is very likely that the other party will back down or even go away. This will bring the dog a massive sense of relief, with all the positive hormones that go with that, so they are more likely to try the same tactic the next time. Aggressive behaviour or even the risk of it, is not something any dog owner wants to have to deal with.
If your dog shows signs of aggression, no matter how young, the best thing you can do is be vigilant and prepared.
As soon as you can, find out why your dog is behaving this way.
Learn your dog’s body language and watch what they are doing. Common causes of aggression include pain or a medical condition, fear, anxiety, resource guarding (protecting food, toys, other objects or locations), territorial instincts, the memory of past trauma, lack of socialisation, or redirected aggression.
Do what you can to manage the situation.
For example, if your dog becomes aggressive over a favourite toy, replace it with another of lower value to the dog. If the aggression is directed at an individual, keep the dog away from that person for the time being.
Take the dog to your vet for a thorough check to eliminate pain or illness.
Never punish a dog for aggressive behaviour. Punishment will make your dog feel even more threatened and inclined to be aggressive.
Seek help and support as soon as you can from a qualified canine behaviour counsellor who uses positive training methods.
Your dog learned to use aggressive behaviours to deal with problems and can learn new, calm behaviours to replace them, with patience, knowledge and consistency. Positive behaviour modification is about changing the way your dog feels in order to change their behaviour, not simply subduing it. It can take time but the rewards for both you and your dog are huge!
