A dog’s aggressive behavior is one of a pet owner’s biggest troubles. Ignoring this behavior could be a counterintuitive method. And it could be helpful in some cases. Yet, it’s better to pay attention to this behavior the soonest possible time to avoid even bigger problems in most situations. Typically, canines become hostile as a reaction to a particular situation. This is the trigger.
Generally, pain, anxiety, and fear cause a dog’s aggression. In some cases, it’s their prey drive or territorial display. A canine could also be hostile when they’re sick and stressed out. Suppose you’re planning to raise a pet soon. In that case, you may consider learning some canine training tips and practices. This may give you the necessary information on handling your dog’s dilemma. Keep reading this article which could help you in this kind of situation.
1. Identify And Avoid Your Dog’s Triggers
Understanding what triggers your dog’s aggression is the first step in resolving the issue. In this case, you need to assess your pet’s current state. Is your dog afraid of a stranger? Does it show aggression when a kid takes away its toys? Is your pet under painful medication? Identifying these situations would give you ideas of what prompted your pet’s hostility.
After identifying the trigger, you may attempt to move away from the dog from the situation or remove the trigger. If the canine is under extreme pain, avoid moving it too much as its further movements could be more painful. If your pet has newborn puppies, it’s more likely to be more territorial, so prevent anyone from coming near to your dog.
Avoiding the triggers reduces the risks of dog attacks and bites. Yet, if you’re living in Oklahoma City and your dog bit someone, you may need an expert to understand its circumstances after providing them immediate medical assistance. You may consider talking to a dog bite lawyer in Oklahoma City to know more about the steps you need to take.
2. Understand Your Pet’s Body Language
Canines display different signs for different levels of aggression. Generally, the level of severity follows the ensuing pattern:
- Level 1: Yawning and nose licking
- Level 2: Avoiding eye contact with other dogs and people
- Level 3: Turning body away
- Level 4: Walking away
- Level 5: Ears back
- Level 6: Tail tucked, crouching
- Level 7: Lying down
- Level 8: Staring directly
- Level 9: Growling
- Level 10: Snapping and biting
While most dogs show these indications, the transition from one activity to another varies in most cases. For instance, an anxious canine may try to walk away for some second before immediately attacking someone. Other dogs may take a longer time tucking their tails before finally snapping up.
On the other hand, one good thing about having a long time of transitioning along with the levels of aggression reduces the risks of biting. That’s why, in the presence of strange dogs, you need to take a long time keeping the distance of your pet to other animals until both dogs’ energies start to subside. You’ll notice this when their tails begin to wag off.
3. Apply An Instant Way To Relax Your Dog
Always assess your dog’s energy when it meets other pets or a stranger. In most situations, reactive and aggressive canines bark whenever they meet strangers, be it an animal or a person. Be reminded that barking is the dog’s way of warning everyone.
When this happens, always consider moving whatever triggers the unwanted behavior. Never force your pet to meet others against their will. More often than not, it would react violently. You may as well put your hand under your dog’s collar to calm your pet.
On the other hand, you may try to do a parallel walk for your dog. In this method, you should walk your dogs in parallel lines and not toward a person’s or another pet’s way. Walking the canine in parallel lines works in the principle that the pets belong in the same pack and no one should be dominant.
Do the parallel walk for 20-30 minutes. Then, try to get your pet nearer to others little by little until they finally meet. If your dog stays aggressive, repeat the process. You could also give your pet a rest as its behavior could have been triggered by other conditions.
4. Use Behavioral Management Tools And Techniques
Instead of modifying your pet’s behavior, you may try using behavioral management tools and techniques. These methods have been used by many dog trainers and behaviorists and gave vastly positive results in most cases.
Here’s a list of the tools and techniques that may help you:
- Dog gates: This is a helpful tool in training the canine to be less territorial. It also gives the pet an idea not to dash out your house’s main door and attack anyone it wants to bite. With dog gates, the pet has more sense of privacy. In this method, guests could feed the canine within its gates to be desensitized to the former.
- Crates: For puppies, these are ideal tools that function similar to dog gates. Some dog owners think that crates look like cages. Hence, they could only worsen the aggressive behavior. Yet, proper crane training could develop dogs into friendlier and disciplines pets.
- Leashes: These are great management tools when you bring your pet to a park or anywhere where it could meet other pets and people. You may start using short leashes if your pets have shown early signs of aggression. On the way around, you may want to train your pets with long leashes for the parallel walks in the park for better management. Long leashes also make your dog able to run free, boosting their confidence in the presence of others.
- Muzzles: The tools allow you to walk safely and practically anywhere. Muzzles prevent the risk of biting anyone, making it essential for untrained canines whose owners would bring in public places. A basket-type muzzle is suggested if you want a breathable and easy-to-wear muzzle for your pet.
Wrapping Up
Canine training tips and practice could turn an aggressive dog into a super-friendly pet. Typically, the length of the training depends on how pets respond to simulation. Yet, it’s something that every dog owner should know to anticipate and resolve a dog’s aggression. Apart from the training, dog owners should see that their pets should be completely healthy as overall health affects behavior.
Suppose you’re a dog owner who first encounters an aggressive dog. You may want to apply the learnings you’ve got from this article. When dogs remain aggressive despite the different pieces of training, always go back to rule number 1. Move your dog away or remove the trigger. In addition, be patient at all times and resort to positive reinforcement at all costs.