When faced with an aggressive dog, it is not always easy to know how to react. When you come across an unfamiliar dog, vigilance is required and it is important to identify the signs of aggression in order to defuse the conflict or to move away from the dog without incidence. When it comes to your own pet, it is essential to anticipate risks and prevent certain situations that may cause aggression, but also to implement new, healthier habits that will help the dog regain trust and a more balanced relationship with its owner. Let's take stock of this.
Aggression in dogs: how to understand this phenomenon?
Whether it's your pooch or a dog you come across on a walk, an animal's aggression is not always easy to understand. Nevertheless, behaviorists have been able to identify several forms of canine aggression that may explain its origin.
- Competitiveness: the dog can be aggressive in the context of access to resources. It can be access to their food, but also to their bed or space, to their toys or to their owner's favours.
- Pain: An injured or ailing dog can be aggressive. It is usually a defense meant to repel those who try to approach it.
- Irritation: The dog can be aggressive when provoked or pushed to the limit, intentionally or not. It can be an insistent owner who insists on petting it when the animal does not want it, or for example children who try to play with the dog to the point of annoying it.
- Fear: A dog that is scared can be aggressive. This form of aggression is often difficult to control, as it is usually sudden and unpredictable (following a sudden noise, fireworks, thunderstorm, etc.). An abandoned dog, left to its own devices, can be aggressive towards those who cross its path, because it feels alone and vulnerable, a fear it cannot control.
- Predation: hunting dogs are the most affected, but they are not the only ones. These pooches can be aggressive when chasing animal prey or a toy or moving object.
- Maternal protection: the dog who has just given birth to her puppies is usually very protective of them, sometimes to the point of being aggressive towards those who approach them.
- Territoriality: Protective dogs, which have a strong guarding and defending instinct, can be aggressive towards any intruder who enters their territory.
Preventing your dog's aggression: how to go about it?
For an owner, it can be confusing to have to deal with aggression from their own pet. In any case, it is possible to adopt certain habits that can help prevent aggressive behavior of the dog.
Understand the animal and learn how to communicate with it
Dogs don't seek conflict. On the contrary, they prefer to avoid them. As a result, as soon as a certain tension sets in, they tend to send clear signals in order to calm the situation. Indeed, the animal may start to bark, growl, curl its lips as if it wanted to smile, lick its nose quickly and repeatedly, or on the contrary yawn, try to flee, retreat, etc.
It is important, before adopting a dog, to understand these signals specific to dogs in order to better interpret them when the time comes. As a pet owner, if your pet starts to back away when you insist on petting him, it's up to you to deduce that your pooch needs peace and quiet and to respect him, otherwise he may be aggressive so that you finally get the message.
It should be noted, however, that while canine language is universal, not all dogs learn to speak it innately. It is therefore important to ensure that the animal is socialized into contact with adult dogs from an early age, especially if it has been weaned early or separated relatively early from its mother and siblings. Throughout your pet's life, it is recommended to allow him to be in regular contact with other dogs who behave well through activities in particular (agility, etc.). In this way, the animal takes a cue from its peers and integrates good behaviour much more easily.
Multiplying Positive Experiences
For the puppy, it is important to allow him to have several positive experiences from an early age with several different species. It is during its first 3 to 12 weeks of life that the little pooch forges the foundations of its character. If he experiences several positive situations, he will be able to better accept changes and new events throughout his life.
Explaining the situation to children
It is imperative that you teach your children, from an early age, to respect the dog. It's natural for toddlers to be attracted to these 'big cuddly toys', but children can be a major source of stress for the animal, to the point of pushing them to be aggressive towards them in spite of themselves.
Even the sweetest of dogs can suddenly become aggressive if a small child starts screaming or crying to the point of startling him, pulling his tail, hair or ears to play, if he disturbs him while sleeping or eating. In short, never leave your children alone with your dog, because an accident can always happen and teach them as early as possible to respect the animal.
Also, teach your children not to approach a stray dog or an animal they don't know. Young children, especially when they already have a pooch at home, are not suspicious, but any animal, even on a leash, can show a sudden and aggressive reaction to those it meets.
How to behave when your dog is aggressive?
If it is your own animal that is being aggressive, you will need to adopt the right behavior in order to prevent the situation from happening again.
Calm the conflict
If you see signs of aggression in your dog, try to communicate your desire to avoid conflict. To do this, talk to him in a soft voice, yawn, turn your head, squint your eyes, etc.
Anticipate difficult situations
You know your pet, so it's up to you to avoid situations that tend to promote aggressive behavior in your dog. Avoid experiencing or being confronted with events or people that may trigger this type of reaction.
Rebalance Your Relationship
It's healthier to rebalance your relationship with your pet. It could be that you've allowed bad habits to develop or haven't been vigilant enough in training your pooch, but you can always make things better.
Here are some tips to rebalance the situation.
- Always meet your dog's basic needs. You must offer him a quality diet in sufficient quantity every day, dedicate daily time to play, stimulate him physically and intellectually, take him out every day for at least 30 minutes during a real walk (and not just a walk in the garden).
- Teach him new commands or tricks regularly by applying positive education, based on kindness, consistency, firmness and encouragement. In this way, you will be able to strengthen your relationship and your complicity, but also its obedience.
- Be the initiator of contacts. It's up to you to decide when to caress, when to go out, when to play, but also when to end them in order to strengthen your role as a dominant. If your dog asks you, ignore him (turn your back to him, don't look at him, don't talk to him, and don't touch him). Wait until they give up and move on to something else to initiate contact and meet their need.
- Your dog must learn to go in his place, in his bed, at your request. Also, don't let them occupy yours without inviting them (the couch, the bed, etc.).
- Your dog must wait for your permission before eating and not have a self-service bowl. His ration should be fed in one to two meals a day.
How to behave when dealing with an unfamiliar aggressive dog?
If you cross paths with an aggressive dog, its behavior may be different depending on your situation:
- if you are alone, in pairs or in a group, because an aggressive dog will attack a lonely and tense person more easily;
- if you have a young child with you, as the child may try to approach the animal or flee, thus stirring up the dog's hunting instinct;
- If you have another dog with you, as the aggressive animal will tend to impose itself as dominant.
But then, how do you behave when faced with an aggressive dog? Here are our tips.
Don't provoke it
If the animal is alone, don't try to provoke it by playing dominant. Always keep your distance. If he is in the company of his owner, do not try to touch him, as he may have an aggressive reaction.
Alternatively, if you venture onto private land or road, the animal can be trained to stand guard.
Observe their attitude to recognize the signs of aggression.
A dominant dog usually stands up straight with his ears pricked up and stares at you. In this way, he shows that he is sure of himself. If he is aggressive, he will try to intimidate you by growling, baring his teeth, barking, etc.
A frightened or stressed animal will tend to prostrate with its ears lowered. They may be aggressive in self-defense, including intimidating you by growling and then trying to bite to scare you. Nevertheless, a more violent reaction is also possible.
Adopt the right behavior.
Here are our tips on how to avoid conflict.
Don't provoke the dog! Don't be aggressive, don't play dominant, don't show him you're scared, don't show your teeth (because for him, you're showing his fangs as a sign of provocation), don't stare at him or look him in the eye.
- Avoid sudden movements, keep your arms at your sides.
- Don't turn your back on the dog.
- Don't yell, don't try to speak to him in a soft voice.
- Avoid showing your fear and stay calm.
- Move away from the dog and quietly retreat.
Protect yourself when you need it
If the dog attacks you, try to protect yourself with any object you have on you or that you find around you. The dog is sensitive in the eyes, muzzle or neck, but the object must first and foremost be there to block and prevent the dog from biting you.
If you fall to the ground, roll up into a ball, protecting your face, neck and neck.