Dog aggression towards humans

This article introduces you to the preventive and educational measures you can take to prevent your dog or puppy from developing aggressive tendencies towards humans. Dog owners who have already shown dangerous behavior towards humans should seek immediate professional help. With the guidance of an experienced pet behavior expert, most of these problems can be overcome with patience and care. Rarely is a dog unreasonably aggressive towards humans. In the vast majority of cases, aggression is simply a response to a stressful situation. The main reasons for aggressive behavior are the following:

Aggression by Fear

Lack of socialization can result in a dog's fear of strangers or types of people (old, young, men, women, etc.) he has never encountered before. Such an acquaintance can therefore cause him anxiety and if he finds himself in a situation from which he can not escape, he may resort to violence. If your dog finds through experience that aggression solves a stressful situation, the success of this strategy is enhanced for him. Suggestions for avoiding this type of aggression are:

Spend time socializing your dog with as many types of people as possible.

· When introducing your dog to strangers, free him from the leash so that he can "explore" the new acquaintance for as long as he wants. Offer treats and compliments to your dog during such experiences.

· Avoid situations in which your dog may feel trapped without a way to escape.

· Supervise your dog when recommending him and for as long as he plays with young children. Make sure the children do not tease or torture your dog.

· Aggression for Territorial reasons

Descendants of wolves, dogs often maintain a strong instinct to defend the area they consider their own. Aggression for territorial reasons often manifests as aggression towards humans as we are the beings who are most likely to invade what the dog perceives as his own area. The dog will show aggressive tendencies if he feels threatened by the one who "violates his property". In such a case, the primary purpose of the dog is to chase the threat by chasing it away.

As with fear aggression, the main precautionary measure for this type of aggression is to fully socialize the dog and train him to accept people visiting his area as a positive and enjoyable experience. There are some helpful techniques you can use to avoid aggression for territorial reasons. You can find them in our article "Why does my dog ​​hate the postman?".

Aggression for Dominance

In the wild, wolves operate in a strict hierarchical order in which all members belong to a hierarchy and have the appropriate prestige. Belonging to a high-ranking member of the tribe implies advantages in terms of food and food priority, better sleeping places and opportunities for mating. This social class generally ensures harmony within the herd, until of course a member wants to "go up a class"!

Our pet dog retains a lot of this natural instinct and most cases of problems at home can often be attributed to the instability of the hierarchy. Remember that your dog considers himself a member of the same herd as the rest of your family. If he realizes that another member is weaker than himself, he will display aggressive behavior as a means of regaining control and improving his position in the hierarchy. It is essential that your dog learns to be content with being the lowest-ranking member of the herd. There are many tips on how to achieve this in a positive way. Read our article "How to become a herd leader".

Aggression to claim food

Aggression to claim food occurs when a dog feels the need to resort to aggression to protect a vital food source. If a dog or puppy has been deprived of food at some point in his life or has been forced to quarrel to claim food from shared bowls for example, he may be prone to this kind of aggression. Here are some tips to avoid this:

Teach your dog that having people close to his food is a good thing.

Teach your dog that having people close to his food is a good thing. Try to approach your dog's food whatever he eats and leave some "exciting" delicacies near his bowl. Also, when your dog chews a bone, for example, remove it by luring it with an even tastier snack and then let it return to its bone. Your dog will soon realize that you are not there to deprive him of his food but to offer him even more enjoyable delicacies to eat.

Never respond to aggression by claiming food with aggression on your part, as this would teach your dog that he needs to become even more aggressive in order to get his message across.

Aggression brought about by Pain

When a dog is in a difficult situation we may inadvertently cause him more pain by moving him or trying to help him. It is not uncommon for a dog to bite in such cases, so we need to be very careful when treating a dog that is suffering from an illness or injury.

This article should be considered a basic introduction to a complex topic. Fortunately, this is an area that is much more understandable today than it was about 20 or 30 years ago. There are now several authors whose books address this topic.

Finally, we warn you! Dog aggression against humans is very serious, especially if it involves injuring a person, because of the high probability of legal action which can have serious consequences for you and your dog. If your dog is showing severe aggression or has already caused an injury, informing yourself and dealing with this problem by simply reading a relevant book can not be a substitute for immediate professional help.