Ann Arbor Dog Blog

Dogs can make wonderful pets.  Usually they get together with folk well, and they can also learn how to accept and coexist with other pets but this isn’t always the case.  There are lots of mistakes that folks make that can end up in aggressive behavior in dogs.

Below I’ve listed some of the easiest and most common mistakes people make when dealing with an aggressive dog.

1. Discipline vs. Punishment: Never treat aggressive behavior with aggressive behavior.  Shall we say Jr.  And Rover is playing outside.  You detect that Jr. is putting some dust into Rover’s food bowl, and you also see that Rover is snarling and showing his teeth.

Your first reaction is to move Jr. to a safer location and then smack Rover on the rump while saying “bad dog”.  The result of this mistake are now you have a dog that is puzzled about his behavior.  Also, your dog might be uncomfortable around you or perhaps scared of you, which may cause other issues.

2. Keeping people and dogs away from your dog:  Socialization is important for dogs.  They’ve a type of power structure or pecking order which determines their angle towards other dogs and people.  If they’re never around people or dogs, they can be mystified about where they slot in, and act scared or aggressive in social circumstances.

Normally dogs mature sexually somewhere between the ages of 6 to 14 months.  During this time period correct socialization is terribly important.  It is at this time when your dog will start to develop his experience of social order.

3.  Ignoring the symptoms or indications of aggressive behavior.  Frequently people, particularly new dog owners, find it extraordinarily lovable when a new puppy lets out his first bark, or nips a little during play.  If these behaviors continue into adulthood they can become a real problem.  These issues have to be addressed as quickly as they’re noticed.

Carefully watch your dog when he’s interacting with other folks or dogs to see how he might react.  If he is jumping up or mounting folks he isn’t trying hard to be friendly.  He is essentially attempting to establish his dominance over the newcomers to his territory.

For answers to other questions about dog nipping, go here dog barking at night

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