Aggression in dogs commonly includes body language or threat displays such as a hard stare, growling, barking, snarling, lunging, snapping, and/or biting. Aggression can be a normal form of communication in dogs, yet the display of aggression toward a person or animal is often considered undesirable or problematic.
Aggression in dogs can be due to guarding territory, resources, or a family member; fear; frustration; prey drive; or pain. In all of these situations, a dog may be pushed too far and can transition quickly from reactive, fearful, or guarding behaviors to being aggressive.
Because of sexual and social maturity, dogs normally start to show aggression to people between 6 - 24 months of age. Why? The dog gets big enough to be able to scare people with aggressive behaviors while simultaneously perfecting their skills in how to do this during this period in their development.
There are some options on what you can do with an aggressive dog that bites. Work with a trainer or behaviorist to eliminate or manage the problem. Rehome the dog with the solutions listed above. Euthanize the dog if the aggression becomes dangerous for humans and animals.
Can a Dog That Bites Ever Be Trusted Again? With enough patience and care, many dogs can learn how to manage their stress levels more effectively. As you build better communication skills with your dog, you'll also start to rebuild your trust with them.
Training – Training is the best way to change an aggressive dog's behavior.
Fearful, aggressive dog = Stands stiff or crouches, leaning body position, ears flattened, tail between legs or up, pupils dilated, panting, lip licking, yawning, may loudly growl, bark, or snarl.
Avoid triggers. You cannot expect your dog to behave until they have learned how. For example, if you know your dog has become more aggressive in high-energy play situations, stop going to the dog park until your dog has learned to remain calm. Reinforce calm behavior with rewards.
Many older dogs show increased aggression, anxiety, or compulsive behaviors. These behaviors are aggravated by body inflammation, sensory changes, and cognitive decline.
Remove your dog from the area: The first thing to do immediately after your dog bites someone is to remember to remain calm. Remove your dog from the situation by putting them in a crate or another room. Attend to the bite victim: Help them wash the wound with warm soap and water thoroughly.
Stop it or remove your dog from the situation before it escalates. Do not discipline your dog with physical, violent, or aggressive punishments. Opt for positive reinforcement before resorting to the use of aversives. Remember to reward your dog for good behavior.
Don't “Bite Your Puppy Back”
For some reason, this response to puppy nipping has been making the rounds on social forums, and you should completely avoid this. First off, your puppy knows you're not a dog, so biting them back doesn't have the same meaning as when a dog does it to them.
If his growl doesn't mean a bite is imminent, stop what you're doing but stay where you are. Wait until he relaxes, then move away, so you're rewarding the relaxed behavior rather than the growl.
Level 1: No skin-contact by teeth – can be exuberant obnoxious behavior or aggression. Level 2: Skin contact made but no punctures. There may be small lacerations. Level 3: One-four shallow punctures from a single bite and potentially small lacerations from pulling the biting dog or victim body part away.
As a dog ages, it's common to have some health concerns. Something like dental pain, arthritis, or vision and hearing loss can trigger aggression in a senior dog. If a dog is experiencing dementia or confusion, these can also trigger aggression.
The most challenging time of raising a puppy is the adolescent period. Dogs become “teenagers” and seem to forget everything they have ever been taught. This period is individual to each dog, but it may begin when he's about eight months old and continue until he's two years old.
Just like humans, your dog needs to get enough exercise to keep healthy and maintain an appropriate weight. You can generally know when your dog is lacking exercise when he or she becomes bored, lethargic, or frustrated. This can manifest itself as destructive behavior or aggression.
Aggression between unfamiliar dogs can be due to fear, poor communication, defensive, possessive behavior over resources (including perhaps family members or other pets) or territorial behavior over territory or owner. Aggression between dogs can result in injury to dogs and/or to the people trying to separate them.
Generally, there are three primary ways that you can tell when a dog needs your help: physiological changes, behavioral changes, and signs of pain or discomfort.
Wincing, Whining or Crying
All three of these actions indicate an injury or some kind of pain your dog is experiencing. If you start to pet your dog and they shy away from your hand or whine, you know there is something wrong.
Arguably the most important command to teach your dog, “stay” will come in handy daily. For their safety and the safety of others, “stay” needs to be taught at an early age. To teach it, have your dog start by sitting. Then slowly back away from your dog.
More specifically, a well-behaved pup should respond to seven directions in order to become a good canine citizen: Sit, Down, Stay, Come, Heel, Off, and No.