What Kinds of Things Commonly Trigger Aggression Towards People?
Aggression rarely just happens. Something your dog is feeling, or something in his environment triggers that fight or flight response.
Depending on your dog and his unique situation, triggers could vary greatly.
Some of the more common triggers I see include:
There are so many scenarios and different triggers, and each one could have a different root cause.
My dog, Juno, is “people selective”. This means she likes certain people and dislikes others.
The people she dislikes either look unusual to her, are doing something unusual, or they try to approach her.
Her resulting reaction stems from general anxiety and fearfulness of unusual or novel stimulus. Because I am aware of her specific triggers, I can better control her environment, and we can work on positive and controlled socialization.
I suggest making a list of all of your dog’s triggers. I also have people keep a journal. Sometimes we don’t know what the trigger is (or all of them) until we start logging the situations as they happen. But by journaling, you may start to see a pattern emerge.
Possessive aggression is one of the most common forms of canine aggression that pet owners experience. Possessiveness, or resource guarding, involves a dog guarding a specific object they claim as their own and becoming aggressive when anyone approaches it. This aggression can happen when an owner tries to take this object away or even when a person or animal approaches the area.
A new medical condition can be extremely stressful for a dog to handle. Medical conditions can trigger sudden canine aggression, especially if it leads to changes in daily routine. Not only can the onset of new symptoms lead to heightened anxiety, but a change in their structure can further aggravate a stressed-out pup. A change in routine can involve new daily medications, more trips to the vet, and any decline in their overall health.
Many dogs thrive in a structured environment. Our canine companions find comfort in a general routine, leading to stress if there are any sudden changes in their life. A stressed-out dog is more likely to snap in certain situations, opening up the door for behavioral changes. Major shifts at home can cause a dog to react in ways it wouldn’t have before and may even display aggressive behavior as a result.
Canine aggression should always be taken seriously. Even the sweetest of dogs can accidentally harm us. You’ll need to seek professional training in situations involving aggressive behavior. Professional dog trainers are also skilled in identifying potential triggers in your home. This will help make it easier to get to the root of the behavior.
Before diving into the most common causes of sudden aggression, let’s first discuss the types of canine aggression you may see in your furry friend. Multiple examples of aggressive behavior can stem from these categories, making it important to understand the fundamentals.
But, don’t fret. When dealing with dog aggression, one of the best things you can do is quickly identify the cause of aggression. Knowing the source of aggression will help you find the best options for correcting their behavior. So now, let’s take a look at some common causes of aggression in dogs.
Is your dog is friendly and approachable most of the time? Does your dog start barking, lunging, or snapping at everything in sight as soon as you put on their leash? If so, your dog is leash-aggressive. Leash aggression is usually directed at other dogs and is known to stem from your dog feeling too restrained by their leash.
Fear is the most common reason for dogs to behave aggressively toward other dogs. Fear-based behavior often occurs through a lack of proper socialization, past negative experiences with other dogs, or abuse at the hands of previous owners. Usually, a dog will only exhibit aggressive fear-based behavior if they feel in danger and need to defend themselves.
You may have recently seen a dog show aggression by growling or even trying to bite. And, what lead you here might be the frustrating fact that it was your dog displaying these nasty behaviors. Lets say you own a corgi pitbull mix, a blend of two stereotyped aggressive dogs. You might immediately conclude that it must be because of the breed. But the truth is, it has little to do with the breed of the dog because any dog can become aggressive. It brings us back to the question, “Whats causing their aggression?”
Dogs exhibiting resource guarding are aggressively possessive of the things they most cherish – like their favorite toy, treat, or even human. Dogs that are resource aggressive may lunge and at times snap at other dogs for getting too close to their bed, favorite chew toy, or dog mom/dad. If your dog shows these signs, please consult your vet as left unchecked, resource aggression can escalate to severe physical attacks.
14 Signs Your Dog Doesn’t Love You (Even if You Think They Do)
I deal with a lot of red zone dog behavior cases, and I often hear people incorrectly blaming the breed. Any breed can cause trouble. The difference between an aggressive Chihuahua and an aggressive pit bull is that the bigger breeds can cause proportionately bigger damage.
It is important to recognize the power of a strong breed, like the pit bull, the Cane Corso, and the Mastiff. These dogs are very powerful and, if they are unbalanced, they can cause serious injury. Remember, these dogs don’t dream of being in the news when they grow up. Bad dog behavior and dog problems are not premeditated. Bad things happen when powerful breeds (or mixes of powerful breeds) live with humans who like the breed but don’t understand and fulfill the animal in the dog. Many people consider the look or popularity of a breed before thinking about whether the dog works for their lifestyle. This is a recipe for disaster.
To control a powerful breed of dog, you need to become the dog’s pack leader and establish rules, boundaries, and limitations. You need to fulfill the dog as Nature intended the dog to be fulfilled. If you are considering adopting a powerful breed, make sure you are willing and able to take on the responsibility.
For many fear-aggressive dogs, it is a lack of adequate dog exercise that is the root of the dog problem behavior. Dog exercise burns the dog’s excess energy and helps maintain the dog’s healthy state of mind. This is important because, in order to talk to the mind, you need to remove the energy from the body.
With dog on dog aggression, your dogs are asking you to step up as the pack leader. Animals select pack leaders because they instinctually know who is strong and who can best lead them. An animal pack leader is concerned for the pack, not for himself. His natural instincts are protection and direction for the entire pack. It’s an unselfish role and an instinctual role. And in return, the pack completely trusts the pack leader. You need to earn your dogs’ trust, loyalty, and respect before the dogs will look to you as their leader and you do this by giving them rules, boundaries, and limitations.
Once your dogs see you as their pack leader, the dog on dog aggression will stop as they stop fighting for dominance because you will be their calm-assertive pack leader.
It is important to understand that red zone dogs are usually frustrated dogs. To control a powerful breed, you need to master the position of pack leader. The sheer size and strength of a pit bull, Mastiff, Cane Corso, Rottweiler, or any other large dog can quickly transform a frustrated and dominant animal into a serious threat. You must gain control of the situation and dog behavior before it escalates.
When dealing with red zone dogs, I start by working with the owners, explaining how to establish themselves as the pack leader and to understand the animal in their dog. This is a crucial part of rehabilitating your dog and overcoming dog problems: changing your behavior. If you revert to your old ways, so will your dog.
How have you changed your behavior to rehabilitate your dog? Tell it all in the comments below.