Why Do Dogs Turn on Their Owners?
That’s a bit of a loaded question and not a simple one. Contrary to popular belief dogs rarely turn on their owners for no reason whatsoever.
Before we get into why dogs attack their owners, it’s important to understand the mind of a dog.
Dogs don’t think the way humans do. Dogs operate on instinct while humans operate on reason.
Even though dogs are intelligent creatures, they’re aren’t calculating.
They don’t have a sense of right or wrong. For the most part, dogs are reactive, cause-and-effect creatures.
Training our dogs is a matter of teaching them that the cause of getting treats is obeying commands.
Their reactive minds cause them to do things like chase squirrels and other small animals.
Our dogs are also pack animals, so they understand hierarchy.
However, just as with their wolf ancestors, a dog’s instinct can cause it to act aggressively, even towards his pack leader – his owner.
It’s these powerful instincts that most often cause dog attacks, especially when it comes to attacks on owners.
Can a dog suddenly turn on its owner?However, just as with their wolf ancestors, a dog’s instinct can cause it to act aggressively, even towards his pack leader – his owner. It’s these powerful instincts that most often cause dog attacks, especially when it comes to attacks on owners.
Causes of Dog Attacks to Owners
The question: why do dogs turn on their owners is best answered by breaking it down into different causes.
There are actually quite a lot of reasons that a dog might turn on his owner, and only one of them is one that can happen out of the blue.
That is an important distinction to make because knowing why a dog might turn is the key to avoiding dangerous situations for yourself and your dog.
In reality, almost all owner attacks can be considered accidental.
Although the dog might purposely attack his owner, the reasoning is usually faulty and instinct-driven.
That means that understanding why dogs turn is key to preventing them from turning.
Prey drive is a big reason that some dogs end up attacking their owners.
Dogs are highly intelligent animals, but even more, they are highly instinctual animals.
Prey drive is part of that, especially in breeds that were developed specifically for hunting.
Most people these days aren’t hunters which means that their dogs have no outlet for this behavior. That can lead to tragic occurrences.
For example, a breed with a high prey drive, such as a greyhound, might chase squirrels, other small animals, or even a child who is taunting him up and down a fence line.
It’s in his DNA to do so.
However, sometimes trying to stop him from this action can lead to an accidental bite due to overstimulation.
The dog is chasing a creature or person up and down a fence line and is now in a heightened, prey-driven state.
His owner comes out to bring him back inside so he can calm down.
When the owner grabs his dog’s collar, the dog’s prey drive, already in fifth gear, instructs the dog to turn and bite the hand.
The dog isn’t angry at his owner. He’s not punishing his master.
He is simply reacting to the DNA-engrained instinct that his breeding has produced in his brain.