Dog Aggression

Aggression in dogs is a scary thing. It's literally the most serious behavioral problem owners deal with. Aggression is most likely to become a serious behavior in most dogs between the ages of 1.5 - 3 years if not raised properly.

Here are some things that contribute to your dog showing aggression:

1. Inconsistent routine (or no routine at all) and lack of discipline
2. no exercise (this is really important because it allows your dog to expend his high energy levels and it also keeps him busy and balanced.
3. A traumatic experience that permanently makes the dog insecure.
4. Poor breeding
5. Not socializing your dog at the appropriate age (to dogs, children and strangers)
6. Not establishing yourself as the alpha dog, dogs need a leader and if you don't own up to it, they will act out.
7. Medical Conditions
8. Being Neglected (dogs who have to live outside of the owners home is more prone to aggression)
   

Those are just some of the contributing factors, not all of them, but you get the idea. Now you know what causes it, here are the different kinds of aggression:

1. Food Related Agression: the dog consistently shows aggression in the presence of food, rawhide bones, biscuits, blood or human food.
2. Inter-animal Aggression: the dog expresses aggression that is out of context, I.e. perceived threat from a dog many yards away who is not aggresssing. This includes all growling, barking and lunging on a leash.
3. Maternal Aggression: the dog shows consistent aggression toward her puppies.
4. Pain Aggression: the dog shows aggression when restrained, held or made to do something. Frustration or restraint aggression occurs when pulling back on leash; give the dog some wiggle room.
5. Play Aggression: the dog shows consistent aggression when playing with another animal who shows normal interaction.
6. Possessive Aggression: aggression directed toward an individual who approaches or attempts to obtain a nonfood object from the aggressor.
7. Predatory Aggression: the dog exhibits quiet behaviors indicative of prey drive, i.e. staring, salivating, stalking, lowering of the body.
8. Protective Aggression: the dog shows consistent aggression when a third party approaches regardless if there is no threat.
9. Redirected Aggression: the dog directs aggression to a third party when the dog is prevented from reaching the primary target.
10. Territorial Aggression: the dog displays consistent aggression in the vicinity of an area when that area is approached by another individual.
11. Dominance Aggression: the dog shows abnormal, inappropriate, out-of-context aggression (threat, challenge or attack) toward people under any circumstance involving passive or active control of the dog's behavior.
12. Fear Aggression: aggression produced as a result of fear. They are not necessary aggressive to everyone, it's usually a selected type, the most common are men and children. This is a type of Dominant aggression.
13. Idiopathic Aggression: aggression that is truly unpredictable. This type of aggression, which is very rare, is frequently confused with the subtle dominance aggression. With Idiopathic aggressioiin, the dog will attack anything in its path, animate or inanimate.

Some people will even see their dog show hints that he is developing a certain type and not even realize it until its too late. It's important to know the kinds of aggression and what to look for.

Tags: dog aggression, aggression, dog training, behavior