Even if you still want to see your dog as a member of the family in its own right and it is impossible for you to believe that it could be violent, the fact is that you cannot predict how you will react to new situations and is that a dog with a bad character It will tend to react aggressively to a threat, regardless of its form.
A dog may want to defend their territory, defend your puppies and of course defend yourself. Threatening others is always a good way to try keep the peace and limit interactions social.
Risk factors if we have an aggressive dog
There are risk factors that they depend more on the dog than on the environment. An animal will be more dangerous and more aggressive according to what is said:
- Its size
- Your age
- His behavioral history
- Your degree of aggression
- Predictability
- Your choice of goals
- Aggression triggers
- Your health
This last point is vital, since here you should work hand in hand with your vet.
Maybe your dog is aggressive due to some medical condition or pain, so to avoid these types of inconveniences, it is a good idea to have your dog followed monthly by a veterinarian. You should also know that some medications can make the dog feel irritable and therefore more prone to attack and even certain diets they can affect your behavior.
Before Look for solutionsLook for the causes, whether they are related to your child's health or behavior, as an untreated illness can quickly get worse.
Are there breeds more aggressive than others?
Some studies have found that some dog breeds are more likely to bite and attack to people than others and there are several reasons for this.
One of these reasons is that various breeds of dogs they were once used for specific functions by men. Some dogs they were used as guardians of the house by their protective tendencies, others as hunting companions, others participated in dog fights and finally, some breeds are more tenacious and playful. Although dogs belonging to these breeds rarely fulfill these original functions, retain the DNA of their ancestors in their genes.
Despite this, it is not fair to judge a dog by its breed, since there are much better elements that betray an aggressive attitude.
For example, you can study his personal character and history interaction with humans and other animals and is that a race or a mixture of races, is not necessarily made for you or your lifestyle. The best way to avoid adoption of an aggressive dog is choosing an animal that already has a history (for example, a shelter dog) and socializing it appropriately from a young age.
Are there effective treatments for an aggressive dog?
The big question for aggressive dog owners is that if there is a solution that can "take care" of your dog.
Some behavior modification techniques can affect the degree of aggression of a dog and although today it is possible to reduce the number and frequency of incidents and even eliminate them completely, however, there is no guarantee that a dog will be 100% cured of their bad habits.
In many cases, the only solution is limit interactions between the dog and the outside worldEven if a dog behaves well for years, it is not possible to predict when a maelstrom of various factors will occur and trigger a aggressive reaction. Dogs with a history of violent behavior in response to a stressful situation will always be able to return to it, regardless of training.
The owners must be cautiouss and always assume that a dog is never fully cured, in order to avoid lowering your guard and remember that you act as much for yourself as for others and for the dog itself.