Owning a dog that snarls, lunges, snaps, or bites can be incredibly stressful. No matter whether it’s at other dogs, children, strangers, or any other trigger, it’s difficult to manage and emotionally exhausting.
Is there a way to prevent aggressive behavior from ever occurring? Unfortunately, no. You can’t guarantee your dog will never exhibit aggression. But you can make it far less likely. Four simple steps will go a long way toward preventing aggression in your dog.
What Is Dog Aggression?
Dog aggression is an innate canine behavior. Therefore, any dog can act aggressively given the right circumstances. For example, if somebody attacks you or your dog, it would be natural for your dog to fight back. Dogs can use aggressive behavior to increase distance from a target, cause damage to a target, or to avoid escalation of a conflict. Dog aggression expert and certified dog behavior consultant Michael Shikashio, CDBC, tells his clients to think about what their dog is trying to accomplish by focusing on the function of the behavior. Shikashio defines aggression as “behavior used to increase distance from or eliminate a provocative stimulus or threat.”
The Importance of Socialization in Preventing Aggression
So, what does your dog consider threatening? For a well-socialized dog, the list of threats might be quite short. But for a dog that hasn’t been exposed to many people or situations, that list can be miles long and sometimes unpredictable. For instance, if your dog has never met a person using a cane before, that first encounter might intimidate or frighten them. They might snap or lunge to make that seemingly scary person go away.
Poorly socialized dogs often find the world overwhelming. They’re susceptible to reactivity, an out-of-proportion emotional response to an everyday occurrence. That in turn can put them at higher risk for aggressive behavior as they’re in a heightened emotional state and unable to think through their actions if provoked. But lack of socialization also leads to fear and anxiety in new situations, and fear is the number one cause of dog aggression. Therefore, the more comfortable your dog is with the world at large, the less likely they’ll exhibit aggressive behavior in ordinary situations.
It’s essential to positively expose your dog to as many things as possible. See that stranger, get a treat, for example. However, although you want to socialize your dog throughout their life, true socialization needs to be done while your dog is still a puppy. The things your puppy is exposed to during the first three months of their life will make a permanent impression on them, so it’s critical to provide them with a wide range of positive experiences.
Ensure Your Dog Is in Good Health
Shikashio says it’s also crucial to ensure your dog is feeling healthy and has no discomfort or underlying medical issues. Since dogs tend to hide their pain, it’s easy to miss when they don’t feel well. Yet, pain and certain health conditions can be another cause of aggression. “There’s just so many things that go [unnoticed] with dogs that people sometimes don’t recognize,” he says. “If we can make sure that a dog is feeling healthy and not in pain, then that can eliminate a lot of problems.”
Provide your dog with a high-quality diet and regular veterinary checkups, but also see your vet at the first sign of behavioral changes. Although behavior modification programs and training can tackle a lot of issues, you need to rule out physical causes first. For example, your dog might be growling during grooming sessions because they’ve developed arthritis and the brushing hurts their joints. Although handling exercises can help dogs feel more comfortable with grooming, it won’t make a difference if their hips ache.
Provide Your Dog With Mental Stimulation and Physical Exercise
Enrichment is essential for your dog’s quality of life, but it’s an important consideration with aggression as well. Shikashio advises providing your dog with adequate physical exercise and mental stimulation. He believes that if you don’t meet your dog’s needs, behavioral issues are sure to follow. Understanding your dog’s breed characteristics and heritage can help you choose your enrichment appropriately. For example, a herding breed like a Border Collie needs a job to do such as agility, treibball, or another dog sport. A lapdog like a Chihuahua might do fine with a daily walk around the block. The important thing is your individual dog gets all the mental and physical exercise they need each day.
Advocate for Your Dog’s Safety
Shikashio says the primary reason dogs display aggression is because they don’t feel safe. He believes the number one thing people can do for their dogs to prevent aggression is advocate for their safety. If you learn to recognize when your dog is uncomfortable, whether that’s getting a nail trim or somebody walking through the front door, you can intervene and prevent the situation from escalating.
Watch for subtle signs of discomfort like yawning, displacement sniffing, a tucked tail, or pulled back ears. While learning dog body language is key, you also need to recognize your dog’s unique perspective and communication style. Somebody breaking into your home is scary for most dogs, but your individual dog might also be threatened when you approach their food bowl or tell them to get off their bed. Shikashio says once we recognize those signs, we can really advocate for our dogs. Regardless of the situation, it’s important to empathize with what your dog is going through and get them away from the scary thing or do something to minimize the threat.
Finally, enlist the help of a behavior professional, such as a dog trainer, animal behaviorist, or behavior consultant, to help your dog work through their fears. Shikashio points out your dog may have to face their fears, such as going to the vet or walking down the street. So along with helping them in the moment, teach your dog to feel comfortable in the future by going slowly and pairing the situation with positive associations, such as feeding a treat when they see a stranger. Desensitization and counterconditioning can go a long way to changing your dog’s emotional response to those things they find scary.
“Once you do those things, the vast majority of behavior problems are not going to be there,” says Shikashio. Remember, there is no guarantee your dog will never act aggressively. But the less stress your dog is under and the more enrichment and safety your dog has, the less chance for aggression to strike. By paying attention to the factors above, you give your dog the best quality of life and yourself the reassurance that your dog is unlikely to snarl, lunge, snap, or bite.