When you begin to realize that your lovable pup is beginning to display some signs of aggression, you may need to seek aggressive dog training for behabviors such as; growling, lunging, showing teeth, and even biting you may feel like you lake control and may even feel… embarrassed to take your pup out.
How do I know this? Because years ago before I became a professional dog trainer I was once in your shoes!
My 2-year-old pup lunged, growled, and barked at every dog and person that we walked past. I used to feel lost and confused without any real guidance but random videos on youtube that didn’t help at all!
If you are finding your self lost and confused with your pup its time to call Awoken K9, we can help you and your pup create the change that you need so that you stop feeling embarrassed, confused, and helpless when you go out with your dog.
In this article, we will dive deeper into some of the main reasons your dog may be behaving aggressively and some ways you can begin helping your dog become the best version of himself and stop aggressive behavior with aggressive dog training.
What Are The Types Of Dog Aggression
To begin understanding how to stop any aggressive behavior its important to understand what causes a dog to behave aggressively in the first place and what type of dog aggression it is.
Below are some of the most common reasons a dog may behave aggressively.
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Fear:
The first Form of aggression is fear-based aggression, fear-based aggression stems from fear and uncertainty. Dogs that behave aggressively due to fear are simply scared and display aggressive behavior such as growling, lunging, and biting as a way to create more space between what is making your dog feel uncomfortable and himself.
Insufficient Socialization:
Another reason that a dog may behave aggressively is a lack of proper socialization and exposure. A puppy that isn’t socialized and exposed to dogs and people will grow up to be fearful and unsure of the things that he/she was never exposed to. This usually leads to fear-based aggression. to learn more about socialization read our article here
Pain:
Aggression that stems from pain is fairly straight forward a dog may bite or growl when in pain.
This is common for all animals, if an animal is in pain an reflex response to that main and easily be aggressive.
With pain aggression it’s important to understand that it is an involuntary response to the pain that is being felt.
Prey Drive:
Aggression that stems from prey drive is essentially a dog’s desire to chase small prey and hunt.
An easy example of prey driven aggression is a dog trying to kill a rabbit, dogs are genetically wired
Frustration:
Aggression that is based on frustration often occurs when a dog wants something but can get access to it.
For instance, if a dog is on one side of a fence and sees a person on the other side, the dog may begin to get frustrated because it wants to get to the person but can’t.
With enough repetition, the sight of a person will instantly induce frustration which can lead to aggression.
Genetics:
Some dogs are genetically wired to be more aggressive than others.
Yes! That means that its NOT just how you raise your pup it also has to do with your dogs genetic wiring.
Resource Guarding:
A dog may behave aggressively when trying to guard something your up views as high value because the dog thinks it will be taken away.
Some examples of this are guarding food, toys beds, etc..
Competition:
Competition can lead to aggression especially if what there competing for is scarce
Learned:
A dog can learn to behave aggressively to get a specific response from a person or dog.
For instance, your specific pup may have never been a resource guarder but if presented with a scenario where another dog tries taking his or her food from your pup then your dog may begin to display signs of resource guarding.
Aggressive Dog Training Tampa
Every dog is different and may need a different approach if you have an aggressive pup, contact us or check out dog training services to get hands-on help.
Now that we know why a dog may behave aggressively here’s 3 ways you can help with aggressive dog training.
Ready To Tackle Your Dogs Aggression?
Hand Feed: You want to hand feed your dog’s food. Begin using your dog’s food to desensitize your pup around what triggers him/her
Interrupt: Interrupt your dog from “exploding.” Essentially you don’t want your pup to explode onto that aggressive state of mind.
You want to be able to successfully interrupt your pup from fixated to calm.
Proper exposure: You want to set scenarios where you can expose your dog to what normally would make him uncomfortable and begin getting your pup comfortable in those situations using his food
Conclusion:
Living with an aggressive dog can be stressful but doesn’t have to be, there are ways to get your pup comfortable and stop reacting to what normally would trigger your pup.
If you need help with aggressive dog training Tampa feel free to contact us here.
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For the best dog training in Tampa, Awoken K9 is the only option. From obedience training to off-leash control, our professional dog trainers have the skills and experience necessary to help your dog reach their full potential.
