Dog Aggression From Anxiety

Aggression Stems From Anxiety

At Dog Training In Your Home, you could say we specialize on dog aggression.  We’ve seen it all: resource guarding (food, toy, owner, treat, territory, etc.), dog aggression, aggression towards children or other people, and more.  You could also say we kinda specialized in it by default. Most of our clients can’t take their dog to a group class because:

1. controlling their dog is too hard (which is why they need help)
2. their dog’s behavior embarrasses them too much
3. they have given up hope and think they just have to live with it.  

Well, there is good news for them – dog aggression can be worked on at ANY age, and we’ve had tons of success with it!  My trainers love a challenge, and this ranks high on their list 😉

Why Dogs Get Aggressive

So, why do dogs get aggressive?  There is a theory that dogs become aggressive because they are anxious and feel they will lose control over a situation.  Dogs want to control the situation, and when they can’t, they get anxious and react.  Now, there are plenty of dogs that can’t control a situation and are fine with that…they have a pack leader and know their place in the pack.  But, we’re talking about the ones who are trying to be the pack leader in their own homes, when the owner should be.  

There is also a stance that some breeds/bloodlines are more prone to aggression than others (it’s a genetic versus a learned behavior).  So, do your research before getting a new dog, and if you are concerned you may not be able to handle that dog when it is full grown, then look at another breed.

Signs to Watch For Early On

Your pup might exhibit some of these signs early, and the sooner you correct and/or modify them, the sooner you will get their aggressive tendency under control.  For most of these, the younger the dog, the more concerned you should be.

1. Posturing and/or growling to protect something.  Does your dog “talk” to you when you take away his favorite toy, treat, food, or something he’s taken under the table?  Yeah, that’s probably not “talking”….
2. “Bully” behaviors.  Is your dog bullying you into doing something?
   • Ex: Pawing/whining/nosing (or somehow otherwise demanding) attention; using some sort of forceful method to get you to do something.
3. Dominant temperament.  Does your dog respect you? Teaching your puppy to respect you while it is young will help prevent an aggressive response when they are older and are tested.

Getting a Handle on Dog Aggression

But yes, there is hope! We’ve dealt with countless cases of aggression.  Every dog is different, so sometimes our methods are different in how to modify the behavior.  However, there is always one common concept: the owner(s) must be the pack leader(s).  This doesn’t necessarily have to be done in a harsh way. Here are a few ways to do that just by changing your behavior:

1. Control the food.  Set up a feeding schedule, even if your dog is housebroken.  A pack leader always eats first – then the rest of the pack.  So you (or your whole family) eat first, then feed your dog.
2. Go through the door first. I know, such a small thing, but I’m telling you it works.  Pack leaders enter and leave the “den” (i.e. your house) before the rest of the pack.  BTW – we teach a “wait” command in our programs that does the trick ;-P
3. Make them work for everything.  I’m not saying they have to mow the lawn (man, wouldn’t that be nice!), but you can make them sit for a treat instead of just giving them out willy-nilly.  Have your dog sit for their food when you put it down, lay down before you will pet them, etc.
4. Teach them basic obedience.  Yup, here it is again – are you sensing a common theme for treating anxieties?  By teaching them basic obedience, you are teaching them to listen and respect you.  When they respect you, you are the pack leader ;-P

Now, the suggestions listed above will get better results if you do some other behavior modification to shape the aggression out of the dog.  In our experience, ways to shape/modify the behavior vary depending on the dog, the level of aggression, what type of aggression it is, etc. so I won’t get into all that here.  

Related: Dog Aggression Success Story

Needless to say, if you need help with ANY type of aggressive behavior, give us a call!

Call today: 803-561-9090 FIRST VISIT FREE!

Any age, Any breed; Veterinarian Recommended

Yes! I want someone to contact me to set up a FREE evaluation

Voted Best in Columbia since 2015 for Dog Training!