The Aggressive Dog - Understanding why? (Part One)

Aggression is one of the main reasons why dogs are destroyed or returned at least 30% of all dogs in rescue centers are due to the impact of aggressive behavior in one way or another. Indeed, it is rare that a dog that was attacked for having a single type of attack, most dogs have more than one of the following types of behavior.

It would be prudent, before embarking on an aggressive program of behavior modification, to avoid any medical reason for that behavior, especially if there is a sudden change in temperament of the dog. His fifty different medical reasons why a dog may be showing aggressive tendencies, ranging from grief to thyroid dysfunction, epilepsy and hypoglycemia in diabetes.

Below is a list of common attacks, and they can occur. These are only a certain total. For reasons of space can be a passing reference.

### 1. Fear / Nervous Aggression (Interdog)

Very often, this behavior has its roots directly to the mother of the puppy. Breeders breed dogs often timid and fearful excuses why you can not see the dam. If you see a litter and his mother was afraid, so do not even think to buy a puppy. This is almost a certainty that the puppies inherit some traits from the mother, through genetics and socialization, the puppies can inherit genetically shyness and time are with the choice to keep your fear and follow suit.

Scientific research has shown that babies born even a strong and stable, which are placed with a dog who is afraid to take some unstable behavior of the dog nervous. Look for this type of problem is the fear when the puppy or adult dog is attacked by Another dog, especially when driving, with no possibility of escape and limit the display of body language subject to the attacker.

The lack of early socialization can also affect this type of behavior, if the pup, especially between seven and sixteen weeks, has not been thoroughly socialized with adults and puppies are still not learning not know "and healthy." Complex body language dogs learn at this age is crucial to their future conduct to approach strange dogs. If they fail to understand or perform the rituals of greeting, are now looked upon with suspicion by the steps of the dog, and conflict may arise

How do you know if you fear?

With nervous and afraid of aggressive dogs, you will see is going to react aggressively to any dog, male or female. Behavior is often more severe if the dog is or is stuck in your head, especially so close to the owner, who maintains the behavior, (albeit unintentionally) to get agitated and nervous when approaching other dogs.

This is manifested by an operation on his head and shoulders. Nervous owners also eject a cloud of adrenaline that the dog recognizes immediately, you may find what is causing the problem. He sees the dog approaching and reacts accordingly. This type of dog is usually a crier, who lunge and bark at the approach of a dog, but generally does not break unless all other options have been exhausted. flight or freezing, and after all, their threat posture the other dog was always too close.

This problem can be diagnosed if someone has confidence around dogs (the dog does not know well), is worn on the head. It will not be the same atmosphere of fear to the holder, therefore, the reaction to approach another dog will be less intense. It 's a good way to find out if your dog suffers fear aggression, such behavior should not be exposed or will be less pronounced. The owner can use a program of desensitization to the dog and themselves.

### 2. Fear / Nervous Aggression (Inter-human)

Again, this may be caused by a lack of early socialization, livestock and sometimes bad, without any treatment at an early age, from a minimum of two weeks. Puppies that are not managed carefully and often the farmer does not have a strong olfactory and tactile relationship with man. This is often the case of puppies and breeding dogs born to large breeders. This treatment at an early age causes a mild stress reaction in the puppy, which benefits from its ability to cope with many situations, including people and dogs at the end of life

Nervous and afraid of an attack is always defensive in nature, it is sometimes linked to the person's sex. If the farmer is a woman, and few people visited or handled the puppies, and the timidity and fear may be worse than men. This particular problem, as interdog hostility, manifests itself mostly with people rather than crowds.

You will discover that the dog barks a lot, but it will be under a table or behind a sofa. The tail was cut and, although it may seem too aggressive, balance and weight of dogs in the back foot not set foot before. This demonstrates that the dog wants to go and that is not the first treaty to bite or attack. Cautious and gradual introduction to the excitement that causes fear with positive reinforcement for calm behavior is the way to overcome this problem if the dog can rarely get a full and complete recovery and will not be life and soul of the park and want to share '.

### 3. The Frustration-Aggression

Research has shown that dogs are not allowed to interact "normally" with people and dogs that were subjected to acts of bad mood and behavior that was overtly aggressive are dogs that are often blocked or restricted from normal interactions (interactions with people, other dogs, and the outside world). The dog develops an intense desire to have access to all these things he wants.

This desire can turn into escape and roaming behavior, agitation, biting and unprovoked attacks. It is often observed in dogs that are left attached to the plans, left in gardens, or near a window where you can see the things they want to interact, but can not show what unprovoked aggression. To some extent, the attack showed that the factor is based on frustration. I have seen dogs attack their owner or another dog in the house because he can not go to the deliverer.

As with most early socialization of aggressive behavior and an understanding of how dogs learn and communicate are essential.