Dog Advice – Aggression

Dog Advice – Aggression

An over aggressive dog is a nightmare not only for the owner but neighbour and visitors also.They can be various causes for it. An intelligent dog owners and trainer tries to handle the situation calmly and patiently.

Factors influencing Aggression
Genes - factors play a major role in aggression.
Protective breeds such as Dobermans & Rottweilers are expected to be more aggressive than Labradors. Inbreeding can create unstable temperaments, and hormones can contribute to aggressive tendencies in intact male dogs, females in heat or in a false pregnancy, and females nursing puppies.
Environment - living conditions, lack of socialization, excessive punishment, being attacked or frightened by an aggressive dog, being spoiled or given too much unwarranted praise by owners, being isolated from human contact or being exposed to frequent teasing by children or aggravation by joggers --can also influence aggression.

Signs of Aggression
• Excessive barking
• Over protectiveness of possessions & Food Fearfulness in new situations or around strangers
• Attempts to mount people's legs
• Snapping and snarling when petted, groomed, or lifted
• Frequent attempts to chase moving objects such as bicycles, skateboards, cars and trucks
• Escapes from homes

Avoiding Aggression
• Dogs should be routinely exposed to people.
• They should live in the home, with their family.
• They should be frequently taken on walks, starting from the time they are puppies, and exposed to people in all types of situations.
• They must learn obedience training, which makes them less likely to get out of hand.

Treating Aggression
• Treating aggressive behaviour is best handled by a professional animal behaviourist or a very experienced, reputable animal trainer.
• Treatment consists of listing all the things that trigger aggressive behaviour and preventing these situations from developing. For example, if the dog growls when you try to remove it from the couch, don't allow it to get on the couch.
• All other family members must totally ignore the dog no play, food, or affection. The dog must look on that one person as its sole provider of everything.
• The dog must be rewarded for any signs of submissive behaviour such as ears back, looking away (avoiding eye contact), rolling over, licking, crouching, or lowering the head when being reached for.

Links –
http://www.care2.com/channels/solutions/pets/1206
http://www.leerburg.com/dog-agg.htm