Dogs are our best friends, but the problem is that not every dog is a fluffy ray of playful sunshine. Some tend to be rather aggressive, either because of their genetics or the way they were brought up. Whatever the reason, if your dog becomes aggressive, you need to sign it up for some dog aggression training. Luckily for us, most dog aggression is addressable.
Why Your Dog Is Aggressive
Dogs may become aggressive for a variety of reasons. They may be feeling territorial or reactive. They may feel possessive over what they believe is theirs or fearful over something that might harm them. Aggression might appear due to reasons that we might not understand most of them being learned behaviors.
If you rescued a dog from a shelter, then he may have been through trauma that triggers aggressive behavior. Dog aggression could also evolve from medical-related issues and a veterinarian should always be consulted if aggression rises at random.
Dogs might show aggression when other people or dogs approach. Of course, this isn’t appropriate and extensive training is needed in order to correct this aggressive behavior and establish more positive tendencies. This will be quite a difficult task, which is why you might want to get the help of a dog trainer or sign your dog up for some dog boarding training.
The Warning Signs of Dog Aggression
To help with your dog’s training, you first need to determine whether your dog is aggressive or not. Since every dog has the potential for reactivity, you might want to check for a pattern of warning signs. This can include:
- Sudden snapping or growling
- Fur raising
- Quickly wagging tail and their body going rigid
- Visible eye whites
- Yawning or lip licking
- Gaze aversion
- Tail tucking and cowering
Bear in mind that if your dog exhibits these signs, it’s not 100% certain that they will become aggressive. In some cases, it might just be a sign of fear or anxiety. Still, if any of these warning signs become too frequent, then it might be time to schedule dog aggression training phoenix for him.
How to Stop Their Aggression
In order to stop your dog’s aggression, you need to determine whether the problem is environmental or medical. Dogs can be aggressive when they feel pain. So, if your veterinarian rules out any underlying medical problems, you might want to opt for the help of a professional.
Aggression in dogs is quite a serious problem, which is why it is advised that you don’t try to train them on your own. Specialized dog trainers should be able to figure out what the actual problem is and will come up with a plan to manage it. Between dog boarding and training and training at home with you, certain rules will have to be applied.
Dog training is not instant, and time to management is different for every dog. What’s important, however, is that you stick to the plan given by your trainer and show patience – because after all, you are helping your best friend.
