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How to Deal with Puppy Aggression
As a dog owner, the most serious behavior you will need to deal with is puppy aggression. But if you take time to learn what causes this behavior, you will be much better prepared to deal with it.
Before we proceed, I would like to suggest something to you…
If you have small children, obtain an expert opinion to find out if it's safe to keep your aggressive puppy around them. Talk to a professional dog trainer or a dog behaviorist.
Oh, almost forgot.
If you put your puppy up for adoption, don't be afraid to scare potential new owners and hide the reason why you are doing this. It may take longer to find a suitable home for your puppy, but when you do find one, new owners will most likely be much better able to handle puppy aggression.
So, how do you recognize puppy aggression?
Symptoms of Puppy Aggression
How do you know if your dog is overly aggressive? Take a look at the following list of dog behaviors …
- Biting
- Snapping
- Growling
- Excessive barking
- Raised fur along the back of the neck and the ridge of the spine
If you can recognize several of the above behaviors, chances are that you have an aggressive puppy or dog.
What Causes Puppy Aggression?
First and foremost, genetics play a major role in dog aggression. Breeds such as Doberman Pinschers, Rottweilers and Pit Bull Terriers are more aggressive than Golden and Labrador Retrievers.
Why?
Because they were bred to be more aggressive!
Another very important factor that influences puppy aggression is an environment.
Factors such as:
- Living conditions and surroundings
- Socialization (more on this later)
- Excessive and physical punishment
- Some frightening experience
…can and will influence puppy aggression.
And finally, just like humans, all dogs are unique and have their own personalities. Some dogs are born more aggressive than others and will use their aggression to maintain that "alpha dog" status within their pack.
That's all fine if all dogs lived in packs, but most dogs live with people. What's more, they not only live with us but they also look at us as members of their pack. An alpha dog will quickly figure out who the "weakest" members of the family are and, using some form of aggression, will try to establish his dominance over them.
Types of Dog Aggression
Dog aggression can be characterized into several categories:
- Defensive (fear, pain)
- Dominant
- Territorial
- Parental
- Gender (male vs. male, female vs. female)
Your dog may exhibit more than one type of aggression, depending on the situation. The symptoms of aggression are also different.
For example, a dominant aggressive dog will stand tall, with his ears up and tail erect. He will stare threateningly and move towards his target. His teeth will be exposed. He will appear confident, with the look that says "I am ready for you".
A defensive aggressive dog, on the other hand, will look quite the opposite.
His ears will lean back and he will avoid direct eye contact. He will lower his head and body. His tail will be between his legs. His whole appearance will tell you that he is scared.
What's interesting is that the same dog can be both, a dominant and defensive aggressive. A friend of mine has a boxer who, when he was young, displayed fearful aggression towards strangers. When alone with my friend, he tried to exert his dominance. Same dog, different situations, different behavior…
Oh, and just because a dog shows signs of fear, don't assume that he is harmless. Defensive aggressive dogs are often "fear biters".
For more information on dealing with puppy aggression, visit training aggressive dogs, growling dog and puppy biting pages.
Do not wait until your dog bites you or someone else.
Be proactive and take steps to prevent puppy aggression from becoming a part of your dog's life. Socialize your puppy while he is still young. Never scream or hit your puppy. And remember, punishing an aggressive puppy is not only useless, it can make your puppy even more aggressive.
And, good luck!
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