How to behave when dealing with an aggressive dog?
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?
Understand the animal and learn how to communicate with it
Multiplying Positive Experiences
Explaining the situation to children
How to behave when your dog is aggressive?
Calm the conflict
Anticipate difficult situations
Rebalance Your Relationship
- 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 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.
Don't provoke it
Observe their attitude to recognize the signs of aggression.
Adopt the right behavior.
- 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.







