“Why is my dog showing aggression?” is one of the most common questions pet owners ask when seeking professional help with their dogs. Growling, lunging, nipping, biting, and loud barking can all be signs of aggression in your dog. Your dog may be aggressive towards you, other family members, strangers, or even other dogs for many reasons. Dog aggression can be scary and overwhelming for experienced and novice dog owners alike. If you are struggling with aggressive dog behavior, the first step is to identify the cause.
Reactive vs. Aggressive
It is crucial to note the difference between reactive behavior and aggressive behavior. Reactive behavior can result from genetic predisposition, poor socialization, lack of training and self-control, a traumatic experience, or a combination of these factors. Reactive behavior is when your dog overreacts to a specific situation or incident. These “triggers” can cause your dog to react hostilely or destructively. Fear is the driving force behind this reactivity.
If you notice your dog’s aggressive behavior only occurs around specific stimuli—men with hats, rambunctious kids, or in one particular setting—chances are you are dealing with a reactive dog. Typically, with a reactive dog, training and behavior modification techniques can help ease the anxiety and fear-provoking behavior and discourage an escalation to aggression.
Behavior That Can Be Mistaken for Aggression
Common dog behaviors can sometimes be mistaken for reactivity or aggression. The following behaviors can have underlying causes that are not due to aggression:
Puppies Mouthing/Nipping: Puppies use their mouth to explore the world around them. Because of this, they tend to play, explore and express themselves with their mouth. When playing, puppies can become overstimulated and nip harder than they should. When this happens, it is typically a sign that your puppy needs a break. These moments can also offer valuable training moments during which you can teach your dog to understand acceptable play behavior.
Rough Play: Play fighting is a completely normal aspect of dog-to-dog socialization. As puppies, litter mates teach each other the “rules” and boundaries of play fighting. As your dog grows, it will take these skills learned as a puppy into playful interactions with other full-grown dogs. Play fighting between dogs can get loud and seem intense, but as long as both dogs are having fun and respecting body language, this can be an excellent way for your dog to socialize with other dogs.
Illness or Injury: A sudden change in behavior to snapping or growling can be a sign that your dog is sick or injured. When this happens, you should make an appointment with your vet to determine the cause of the pain or discomfort.
What Does Aggression Look Like?
When determining if your dog is acting aggressively, you must look at all aspects of its behavior. A friendly dog will be relaxed with a wagging tail, relaxed ears, and a soft mouth. A comfortable dog will lean in for pets, roll over for belly rubs, and generally appear at ease.
Signs that your dog could be becoming aggressive will point to anxiety: lip licking, compulsive scratching, sniffing, panting, and tail tucking. When you notice these signs, it does not necessarily mean your dog will become aggressive, but it should alert you that something is causing your dog to feel ill at ease.
The next level of behavior cues shows signs of arousal and could be signs that your dog is getting overstimulated. These include ears forward, eyes alert, mouth tight, body forward and tense, and hackles raised. When you notice these behavior cues, it again does not mean that aggressive behavior is imminent but that you need to pay close attention to your dog and determine the cause of this behavior change.
Signs that a bite or attempted bite is imminent include any of the above behavior, intense, unyielding eye contact, showing whites of eyes, growling, and baring teeth. When these signs occur, you must act quickly to avoid an incident.
Common Causes of Aggressive Behavior
Here are some of the most common causes of aggressive behavior in dogs:
Resource Guarding: Dogs naturally guard things they deem valuable: food, a favorite toy, sleeping spots, and even their people. As descendants of wild animals that had to defend resources to survive, some dogs are more inclined towards this leftover instinct.
Leash Reactivity: Some dogs can feel trapped or nervous on a leash. This can cause them to react more intensely to other triggers than usual. Dogs are also more likely to see new, strange, or overwhelming stimuli on walks outside of their typical environment, which can also cause aggressive reactions.
Fear: Most of the time, your dog’s aggressive behavior will stem from fear. Even actions and situations we consider completely harmless can threaten some dogs. Exposing your dog to many situations and people early on can prevent this behavior from persisting. If this behavior does continue, working with an experienced dog behaviorist can help you identify and correct this behavior.
Curbing aggressive behavior can be challenging for even experienced dog owners, but there is hope for aggressive dogs. All Dogs Unleashed understands the unique challenges owners and their pets face when dogs display aggressive behavior. We can help you develop a plan to build trust between you and your dog and eliminate unwanted, aggressive behavior.