What Not to Do When Faced with Sudden Dog Aggression
A common misconception about aggression is that our dogs are actually trying to dominate us. This then leads people to attempt to gain the upper hand by using force, intimidation, and punishment.
But here’s the thing:
Ultimately, you want to avoid punishment or corrections if your dog is acting aggressively. Instead, try some of the strategies discussed earlier.
Symptoms of Aggression Toward Familiar People in Dogs
Aggression is on such a wide spectrum of behaviors, and that is why it is so important to keep a documentation of any regular “times” or “triggers” that are leading to any negative change in behavior of the dog. Symptoms can include:
Types
There are many types of aggression in dogs and it can occur in many different situations. Types include:
People Who Live With You
It can be very disappointing to bring home a new dog and find that the dog doesn’t like your spouse, housemate, or other person living in your home. Moving to a new environment is always stressful, but for some dogs, it’s traumatic. Each person is a new and frightening experience for a dog that has not learned to trust. If this happens, it’s important that this person essentially ignore the dog, not look at him, not reach out to him, etc. That person, however, can be the source of many good things. He could, for example, drop treats when standing up, moving, or being approached by the dog. The person should not toss the treats, since this involves a hand moving toward the dog. People can’t force a dog to trust them, but they CAN show the dog gradually over time that they are safe.
If your dog doesn’t like your child, that’s a more serious issue. If he is reacting to something your child does, like picking up or falling on your dog, that’s one thing. Help your dog escape to a safe place. (See our handout on children & dogs.) But if your child is too young to understand or if your dog just doesn’t like children, this is the wrong home for your dog, and the best thing for your family and your dog, as heartbreaking as it is, is to return him to the shelter or rescue where you got your dog, so he can go to an appropriate home, without children.