Tag Archives: dog aggression

Meeting the Neighbor Dogs: Part 2

A month or two ago I wrote about how the neighbor’s dog began visiting our yard during the day.  I thought maybe interacting with him could help Chihiro calm down about other dogs.  Unfortunately, I think the opposite has happened. I really should have known better.  Chihiro has been wary of other dogs ever since getting attacked by one (even though she won the fight, because the dog that started it was a little Puggle), so when teaching her to feel comfortable again around other dogs, I should take her to neutral territory with dogs I know and trust. For … Continue reading →

Aggression in Multiple Dog Households

Here at the pets blog we’ve published many articles on dog aggression. It seems like one can never have too much advice on how to handle it; anyone who’s seen dogs fighting, and not in the playful way, knows how upsetting it can be. Today I’m going to focus on how to handle aggression between dogs in a multiple canine living situation. If you’ve already one dog and you want more, you need to be ready for the possibility of the rare or occasional spat between them. If at all possible, introduce the dogs before adopting your second, to make … Continue reading →

How Not to Approach a Strange Dog

My two dogs have very different personalities. Moose (my eight year old shepherd mix) is very easygoing. He loves just about everyone, and would happily follow a stranger home if he thought there would be snacks or petting or both. Lally (my seven year old boxer/shar-pei mix) is far more skittish. She’s easily startled by things like sudden noises and quick movement. When we’re out walking, I have to keep a careful eye out for things that might frighten Lally. When she gets scared, she can exhibit signs of fear aggression, including growling, barking, and lunging. I saw trouble coming … Continue reading →

Aggression at Home: Guarding

When a dog threatens a family member at home, it may mean that the dog does not want to be handled in a particular way or that he is guarding something. Some dogs can feel possessive over certain objects — a toy, a food bowl, or just about anything. My friend’s dog Merlin will grab an abandoned sock and carry it around, but will not let anyone take it from her. Try to grab her sock, and you’ll be rewarded with a growl. You can help reduce possession aggression over time. If you can start young, you may be able … Continue reading →

Aggression at Home: Handling

Being a canine good citizen starts at home. So if your dog growls at or snaps at a family member, it will help you to figure out why. Many dogs threaten family members for two reasons: the dog may be guarding something or may not want to be handled in a particular way. For example, my dog Miko always growled at a particular friend of mine. She would try to pet him, and he would growl every time. The problem was that she was trying to pet Miko on the top of his head — and he didn’t like that. … Continue reading →

How To Have People Approach Your Dog

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As a responsible dog owner, you will need to educate people about the correct way to approach your dog. These five steps will help friends, family, and strangers get to know your dog safely and appropriately. Ask before you touch. Ask the owner if you can pet their dog. If the dog is unsupervised, think twice about approaching. Ask the dog if he wants to be touched. Offer your hand for sniffing. If the dog doesn’t come forward to check you out, don’t pursue him. Move slowly and be gentle when you pet the dog. Pet the dog on the … Continue reading →

If A Dog Is Aggressive Towards You

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Thousands of dog bites are reported each year; just as many may go unreported. If a dog is acting aggressively towards you, here’s what you can do to protect yourself from a bite. Different things can make a dog bite: fear, food guarding, neglect, abuse, or a simple lack of training and socialization. Watch for various signs of aggression, like growling and snarling, snapping, flattened ears, bared teeth, or barking. If a dog is threatening you: Stay still. Moving objects and limbs can activate the prey instinct — a dog is naturally wired to chase things in motion. Stay calm. … Continue reading →

Recognizing Signs of Aggression

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You may not want to believe that your dog can be aggressive. It can be a hard thing to recognize — we often try to assign human motivations to animal behaviors. We try to reason with our pets: “It’s only the mailman; you don’t have to bark at him.” But our dogs don’t think like people. They think like dogs. Aggression is not a breed problem. It can exist in any dog, any breed, at any time. Signs of aggression can include: Growling Snarling Baring teeth/curling lips Mounting people or other animals Lunging Snapping Blocking your path Aggressive barking Biting … Continue reading →

Types of Dog Aggression

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All aggression is not alike! There are different kinds of aggression, and different situations where you may encounter an aggressive dog — or see your own dog exhibit strange behaviors. Dog-Dog Aggression — can be set off by a variety of things. If a dog feels that he needs to protect food, resources, or his two-legged family. An undersocialized dog may not know how to behave around other dogs, leading to possible aggression on both sides. Some dogs find it fun to bully other dogs, or try to herd them. Some dogs don’t know how to temper their bites — … Continue reading →

Dog Aggression

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In light of the recent incident at the dog park, I thought it would be a good time to talk about dog aggression. Aggression isn’t just a random behavior; it is a defense mechanism, a competitive instinct, and a hunting behavior. Domestication and breeding have toned down many aggressive responses in dogs, but they still exist. Aggressive behaviors can include: Barking at other animals or humans Herding Food guarding Fence fighting — when a dog cannot get to an animal on the other side of the fence or window, he may turn on other pets Growling and snarling Snapping and … Continue reading →