Understanding & forestalling Aggression in Dogs.
04 Sep 2009
Many animal owners have had this frequently seen problem for decades together ; fighting the aggression in dogs and keeping it under control. If you understand the theorem as to what causes dogs to be aggressive and how to regulate it, then the possibilities of not being a victim of dog aggression is high. It is astounding that dog bites cost the healthcare industry $30 million yearly.
First, you need to understand the causes of aggression in dogs. Not all dogs are born assertive, they usually become like that thanks to the conditions around them. When a puppy is of a very young age, like say between one to fourteen weeks, they need to socialise thoroughly and sorted by members of the family.
Aggression in dogs typically starts from a tender age due to improper care. If the puppies aren't socialised with humans from a tender age, they will grow up shy around others and will also be alarmed of them. This is maybe the start of aggression in dogs. If left unchecked, it might be a problem later on .
There are factors that cause aggression in dogs. This could be hormonal or genetic background. The most common breeds like Doberman and dog are consider having the most aggression in dogs. These breeds are of a protective nature which explains the high aggression in dogs that belong to these breeds.
Hormonal imbalances are due to inbreeding by some scrupulous dog breeders. They do not take excellent care of the dogs and in an effort to make a quick buck, resort to inbreeding. In addition to causing raised levels of aggression in dogs, this is also unhealthy and can have serious physiological effects on the dog as well .
The environment the dog is being raised in also is a major contributor to aggression in dogs. If the dog is being punished unnecessarily, or being showered attention for no reason, or is the subject of teasing by passersby and children, then these are all responsible for higher degrees of aggression in dogs.
Similarly, aggression can also be classified into differing kinds based primarily on the dog's demeanor. The defensive aggression in dogs is when the dog is awfully frightened of the person or animal and attacks in retaliation. This is one of the commonest forms of aggression.
The territorial aggression is the form of aggression where people or animals outside the known circle approach the dog's area and make it feel threatened. On the other hand, discomfort induced aggression, as the name implies, is when the dog is attacking something that causes it discomfort like other animals or people. There's a probability that a mixture of aggression in dogs can exist and thus, it is safe to cut down the causes before jumping the wagon.
Sadly, a large number of animal owners mistake aggression in dogs to be an unexplained behaviour change. They fail to realize what was the reason for the dog to behave the method it did and hastily send it away to animal shelters. If you take the time and understand, then it is possible that there's something your dear pet may be attempting to say.
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