Canine aggression can occur for a variety of reasons. We’ll discuss some common causes of canine aggression in this post along with some steps to get the aggressive behavior under control.
But understanding why it’s happening (from the dog’s perspective!) is crucial if you want to correct aggressive canine behavior.
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What’s Canine Aggression About?
Watch as Professional Dog Trainer and Behavioral Specialist, Doggy Dan, explains exactly what happens in your dog’s brain when they get aggressive. You’ll likely be as shocked by this as I was!
Canine Aggression
In this post, we’ll cover:
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- Types of Canine Aggression
- Canine Aggression Treatment
- Canine Aggression Training
- Canine Aggression Toward Other Dogs
- Canine Ladder of Aggression
5 Common Types of Canine Aggression
As I said, there are several reasons for canine aggression. Five of the most common are:
1. One of the most common types of canine aggression is fear based. Even though a dog looks totally ferocious and mean, it’s most likely the aggressive behavior is coming from some sort of fear.
According to a Recent research in the journal Scientific Reports, highly fearful dogs are more than five times more likely to exhibit aggressive behavior than dogs who are not fearful.
2. Resource guarding is another reason for canine aggression. The dog feels like they have to protect their food, toys or other things they value.
3. Dogs will get aggressive to protect what they perceive as their “territory.” This may include the house, the yard or their owners and family members.
4. Aggression can happen when a dog is in pain. If your dog is behaving aggressively, especially if it’s sudden, make sure the dog hasn’t been injured and isn’t experiencing pain.
5. Other causes are redirected, social or stress-induced aggression, all of which basically boil down to the dog not being able to handle what’s happening.
The bottom line with canine aggression is that it’s born out of the dog feeling unsafe or threatened in some way. They want something, or someone, or a situation, to go away. So much so, that they feel they actually have to get aggressive to achieve that.
Be careful with canine aggression, of course. But also try to have compassion for the fact that the dog thinks they have to go to that extent.
Canine Aggression Treatment
Can canine aggression be cured?
Yes. According to Doggy Dan, all dogs can be successfully trained for aggression, along with any other dog behavior issue. Regardless of why your dog is being aggressive, the same rules apply when it comes to canine training.
Kind, effective, appropriate dog training specifically for canine aggression is your best bet to get it solved. I recommend Doggy Dan’s training program called, The Dog Calming Code. I’ll tell you more about it in this post.
Other ways to treat canine aggression include identifying triggers. In other words, see if there’s a pattern of who or what starts the aggressive behavior. You can help your dog to be less sensitive to their triggers by slowly and gradually exposing them to the trigger in a controlled situation, while also finding ways to make that very same situation a positive experience for them.
Canine Aggression Training
Doggy Dan recently created a dog training program called, The Dog Calming Code. It’s an inexpensive, easy-to-follow, extremely effective training method specifically for canine aggression.
The training consists of a two-hour video where Doggy Dan helps you to understand canine aggression and exactly how to solve it.
He also includes 5 easy exercises you can do with your dog on a daily basis to build trust, help your dog to be less fearful, and basically get your dog to accept that you are in charge, and they don’t have to be!
Watch my video explaining the importance of training an aggressive canine and how The Dog Calming Code works:
Watch My Video: Dog Training for Aggressive Dogs
You can read my review of The Dog Calming Code, or use this link to check it out and receive 50% off:
Canine Aggression Toward Other Dogs
Doggy Dan has a fantastic, free tutorial on how to stop canine aggression toward other dogs called, Dog-on-Dog Aggression Solved: Transforming Two Dogs Who Tried to Kill Each Other!
You might find this helpful if you’re struggling with canine aggression toward other dogs.
Canine Ladder of Aggression
The canine ladder of aggression is a concept used to understand and interpret the escalating behaviors dogs might display when they feel threatened or stressed.
This concept helps dog owners to recognize the early signs of canine aggression to prevent escalation to more serious aggressive behaviors.
The ladder includes a range of behaviors, starting with mild, subtle signs of stress and moving towards overt aggression.
Here’s a typical progression on the ladder 1 being the more subtle signs to 11 being the more serious signs (provided by Pupford.com).
1. Yawning, blinking, nose licking: These are initial signs of mild discomfort or stress.
2. Turning head away: The dog is trying to avoid the stressor.
3. Turning body away, sitting, pawing: More pronounced avoidance behaviors.
4. Walking away: The dog is attempting to remove itself from the stressful situation.
5. Creeping, ears back: The dog is showing more clear signs of anxiety and discomfort.
6. Standing crouched, tail tucked under: The dog is becoming more visibly stressed.
7. Lying down, leg up: A sign of submission but also increasing stress.
8. Stiffening up, staring: The dog is getting more tense and focused on the stressor.
9. Growling: A clear warning signal that the dog is highly uncomfortable and potentially ready to escalate.
10. Snapping: A quick bite or snap as a more direct warning.
11. Biting: The final and most severe form of aggression.
For more information about the canine ladder of aggression, visit Pupford.com.
For More Information About Canine Aggression
If you’d like to have a better understanding of what causes canine aggression, and how it can be controlled, check out these posts (each include a video):
How to Stop Dog Aggression “Why Your Dog Thinks It’s Necessary”
How to Stop a Dog from Being Aggressive “Why It’s Happening”
Common Misconceptions About Dog Aggression
Also check out this post from the AKC (American Kennel Club) called, Aggression in Dogs: Signs, Symptoms, Treatments. In that post, they cover:
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- What is Canine Aggression?
- When to Get Help with Canine Aggression
- What Causes Canine Aggression?
- Recognizing Early Warning Signs of Canine Aggression
- How Do You Treat Aggression in Dogs?
Who is Doggy Dan?
Doggy Dan is a Professional Dog Trainer and Behavioral Specialist, and the creator of the dog training website, TheOnlineDogTrainer.com.
He’s been my #1 recommendation for dog training for more almost 10 years because the training is kind, effective and affordable.
Your can read more about Doggy Dan’s experience and credentials here. You can also attend his free dog reactivity webinar here.
You can read my full review of The Online Dog Trainer.com here.
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Thank you for visiting my website. Canine aggression can be serious! I hope the information I’ve provided will help you get your dog’s aggressive behavior under control.
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