{"id":377,"date":"2011-04-20T19:48:26","date_gmt":"2011-04-21T01:48:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sitmeanssit.com\/dog-training-mu\/austin-dog-training\/?p=377"},"modified":"2025-02-25T12:32:46","modified_gmt":"2025-02-25T18:32:46","slug":"how-to-tell-if-a-dog-is-being-agressive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sitmeanssit.com\/dog-training-mu\/madison-dog-training\/uncategorized\/how-to-tell-if-a-dog-is-being-agressive\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Tell if a Dog is Being Aggressive"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Aggressive<\/a>Our team has clients<\/a> all the time who ask me if their dog is being aggressive; assume some dominate behavior is “cute”; or think their dog is being aggressive when playing with other dogs when he is not being aggressive and is just playing. Any dog has the potential to be aggressive. Genetics, personality, socialization, home environment, obedience training, and the current situation all attribute or dissuade from aggressive behaviors. Please note it is very important not<\/em> to subscribe to breed stereotypes (see Pit Bull article<\/a>) as “aggressive” breeds can be (and usually are) very sweet and “sweet” breeds can be aggressive.<\/p>\n

It can be very difficult and complicated to diagnose aggression! This article is just meant as a basic introduction. I strongly encourage anyone that has a dog that shows signs of aggression – or if you just don’t know – to contact a professional. There are many nuances that just cannot be adequately discussed in any single article.<\/em><\/p>\n

Part of the complexity lies in the fact there are several different types of dog aggression (territorial, fear, food, dominate, predatory, sexual, etc) and some normal socialization can look aggressive (some growling, biting, jumping, barking, etc). Frequent socialization and training can attribute greatly to limiting or eliminating aggression. However, noticing the signs of aggression is very important. Dominance, assertiveness and fear (defense) can all lead to aggression and are the most obvious and potentially dangerous types of aggression.<\/p>\n

Note: Other aggressive dog behaviors, including territorial aggression, predatory aggression and sexual aggression should not be ignored and also need to be addressed. Additionally food\/toy aggression can be very dangerous especially for children and must be attended to.<\/em>
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Some Signs of Dominant Aggression
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First of all, if you think your dog might be aggressive, do not “test” your dog at a dog park where you don’t know the other dogs and the other dogs and owners don’t know your dog. If he is aggressive, not only do you risk hurting your dog, yourself, someone else, or another dog, you also risk a lawsuit. Call a professional and work with them to test, and if necessary, address any aggressive behaviors.<\/p>\n

Signs of dominant behavior include blocking people’s\/dog’s path; barging through doors; demanding attention; protecting of sleep area; stopping eating when approached; mounting legs or other dogs; approaching another dog from the side and putting his head on the other dogs back\/shoulder; inserting himself between you and another person or dog (e.g. when you and your significant other hug); and lunging at people. Any one item may not turn into a big deal, but should be monitored. If you are comfortable, you should discourage dominant behavior with training and diversions so your dog will look to you for direction.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, intact males are most likely to be dominant aggressive. If you are not going to breed your dog, get him or her fixed!<\/em> Not only to help reduce the likelihood of dominant behaviors, but to also keep the unwanted pet population down.<\/p>\n

Recognize when dominant behavior crosses the line to aggression as dominant-aggressive dogs are dangerous. The signs of a dominant and aggressive<\/strong> dog include staring; excessive low-range barking; snarling; growling and snapping; standing tall; holding ears erect; and\/or carrying tail high and moving it stiffly from side to side. However, beware, often a dominant aggressive dog will give no sign before biting<\/strong>. Remember that a dominant-aggressive dog is likely to attack; retreat without running.<\/p>\n

Some Signs of Fear Aggression<\/h3>\n

Familiarize yourself with the characteristics of a defensive-aggressive dog, which are more ambivalent and difficult to predict. A defensive dog will display submissive body language. Look for ears held back; avoidance of eye contact; lowered head and body; tail tucked between legs; and submissive urination. Be aware that defensive-aggressive dogs dislike being touched and will bite out of fear.<\/p>\n

Only train with an aggressive dog under the guidance of a professional trainer and remember that staring down an aggressive dog, punishing, attempting to remove food or a toy, and touching or grabbing the dog or its collar can result in a dog attack.<\/p>\n

Dog to Dog Aggression<\/h3>\n

There is people aggression (dog aggression towards people) and dog to dog agression. I want to talk a little about dog to dog aggression. Some signs of dog to dog aggression include:<\/p>\n