According to the old saying, a dog’s bark is worse than its bite. But if you’ve ever been at the receiving end of the angry snarl and snapping jaws of a dog with an aggression problem, you might have reason to question the truth of that piece of folk wisdom. And, as it turns out, excessive aggression in dogs is a more common problem than many people realize.
Aggressive behavior in dogs is a complex phenomenon that can result from many factors. To deal effectively with an overly aggressive dog, you have to understand the psychology behind it.
Recognizing Different Kinds of Canine Aggression
The Humane Society of the United States—as well as most dog-behavior experts—recognize several different types of canine aggression. Three important types are:
- Dominance Aggression: As pack animals, dogs have a natural sense of their ranking in a social hierarchy (hence the expression “top dog”) and view their human families as their “pack.” If a dog feels that its “rank” in the pack is being challenged, it may react aggressively to reassert its dominance.
- Fear-Motivated Aggression: If your dog perceives itself to be in danger, it may react aggressively to protect itself. It’s the dog’s perception of a threat—not the reality—that counts. Some dogs are just edgier than others and may perceive a threat from an innocent action as, for example, when you raise your hand to throw a ball.
- Territorial or Protective Aggression: Dogs instinctively defend what they consider to be their “territory,” which may include not only your home, but also the surrounding neighborhood where they are usually walked. They may also react aggressively to protect those they regard as members of their pack. A related kind of aggression is sometimes called possessive aggression, in which a dog defends its food, toys, or objects it has retrieved.
Recognizing the importance of the problem of canine aggression to dog owners, WebVet sought out the advice of canine-behavior professionals Miranda G. Bourque, DVM, owner of Foothills Animal Hospital, Okotoks, Alberta (Canada); Adam Goldfarb, director of the Pets at Risk Program of the Humane Society of the United States; Pamela Reid, PhD, CAAB, vice president of the Animal Behavior Center in Urbana, Illinois—a division of the ASPCA; and Anthony T. Kremer, DVM, of Kremer Veterinary Services, Ltd., Plainfield, Illinois.
