5 Causes of Aggression In Your Dog

As a dog trainer one thing that I’m seeing more and more of is aggression in dogs. There are many different reasons why a dog might be aggressive and as a canine behavior specialist and trainer it’s my job to figure out what that reason may be so that we can work at correcting it.

Lack of Socialization

In my opinion from what I’m seeing with most of my clients the number one reason for aggression in dogs is the lack of socialization. Most people don’t realize that the period of socialization is from birth to 20 weeks. Even those clients that do realize there’s a period of socialization don’t do the socialization properly.

Hereditary

Another reason for aggression is possibly hereditary. Is it possible that mom and dad were overly aggressive and even more importantly how about grandmas and grandpas they are actually more important than the parents. I always tell my clients when you go to select a puppy if the owners say that you can’t see mom and dad because of their aggression then pass on the puppy and find a breeder that has sociable dogs.

Lack Of Training

One huge reason for aggression that I find is a lack of training. Obedience training establishes that dog master relationship where the dog understands what’s allowed and what the rules are. Without obedience training the dog will consider that he is the alpha and he can act however he pleases.

Been Allowed To Act This Way

Quite often aggression starts when a dog is a puppy and gives that first growl that the owner thinks is so cute and does not correct. Since the dog doesn’t get a correction he feels that it’s acceptable and what the owner wants and the aggression escalates from there. So with this type of dog, it has been allowed to act this way for a long period of time and it feels that it’s actions are appropriate.

Health Issues

Last but not least is a health issue. We don’t find this to be the cause very often but there’s always that possibility.  So when your dog is showing aggression a visit to your vet is in order to make sure he’s healthy and in no pain or discomfort.

If your dog is showing any signs of aggression it should be dealt with swiftly. The best way to solve the issue is to locate a canine behavior specialist or trainer in your area that has experience with this type of problem. Quite often I have clients tell me that they felt that maybe it would go away. That is never the case aggression doesn’t go away it simply gets worse.

Please comment below with your thoughts and suggestions or experiences with your dog.