When you bring a dog into your home, you expect him to be a companion. You may want to take him for walks or have him play with your children. But aggressive dogs can ruin those dreams of the ideal canine family member. Instead, they can cause you to live in fear of when someone may be attacked or when another animal might end up being injured because of your dog. You might even worry about the safety of yourself, your family, and your other pets.

 

Before learning how to deal with an aggressive dog, you need to know how to spot a dog that could be dangerous. You also need to know how to prevent such a problem in the first place.

 

The Signs of Aggressive Dogs

Dogs that are aggressive do not usually begin immediately with an attack. Instead, there are signs you can spot even before the first attack occurs. Many of the signs are associated with different activities or locations. For example, if you have an aggressive dog, he may show these signs when someone comes near his food or when someone tries to move him off the couch or bed. In other cases, the dog may show these reactions when approached by a strange person or animal while he is in the yard, on a leash, or in the car.

 

Below is a list of these signs 

• Snapping
• Lunging
•  Growling
• Snarling
• Lip Curling
•  Barking

 

Keep in mind that the last one does not apply to all barking. Barking is used for many purposes but aggressive barks sound threatening and are often accompanied by aggressive body language from your dog, such as showing of his teeth.

 

If your dog mounts people, blocks their path, or bites someone even when it does not break the skin, these could all be signs that you are dealing with an aggressive animal.

 

Types of Aggression

Not all aggressive dogs are created equal. There are different reasons behind the aggression and understanding the motivation is the key to helping your dog and the rest of your family. Generally, there are three types of dog aggression: territorial,  dominance , and fear. Of the three, the third is the easiest one to deal with.

  

Fear aggression comes from a dog’s insecurities. He is so frightened by something that he’ll do whatever it takes to keep it away from him, including displaying the signs above and even biting. Dealing with the dog’s underlying fears and helping him to become more confident can be a huge help in rectifying this problem.

 

Territorial aggression can be a little more dangerous, particularly to outside animals and people. The dog views your home, yard, car, or other property as his to protect. Anyone he does not know is not permitted to enter that area without being warned and perhaps attacked. While some people may want this type of aggression in a guard dog, it is very dangerous. Most cases of untreated territorial aggression get worse as time passes.

 

Dominance aggression is perhaps the most frightening type because the dog can turn on anyone, including members of the family. The dog will react in a violent manner any time his role at the top of the heap is challenged. That means if your small child tries to take away the dog’s toy or put her hand in his bowl at dinner time things could get very dangerous. An older child trying to push the dog off his bed at night could get attacked, too. Even you could find yourself dealing with the strong jaws of your pet if you cross him the wrong way.

 

Regardless of the type of aggression your dog is displaying, you should not try to fix him yourself. This could be extremely dangerous. For example, you may have watched dog experts on television force a dog onto its side or back to make it more submissive. While this works on the shows, a dog who has dominant or even fear aggression will react violently to such an act and you could be seriously injured in the process.

 

Instead, contact an animal behavioralist. More of these trained professionals are popping up throughout the United States. If you don’t know one, ask your veterinarian or local humane society/dog shelter for a recommendation.

 

What if Nothing Helps

Although professionals can often do wonders with aggressive dogs, the end results are not always happy ones. In those cases, you have to make a decision about what to do with the dog. If he stays in your home, he could be a serious liability. A single dog attack can result in thousands of dollars in medical bills and sometimes even loss of life or permanent disfigurement. Even if you keep him locked away from other people, he could attack your family. Dogs who have limited interactions with people become more aggressive – not less – so you would be hiding a ticking time bomb under your roof.

 

Plus, a dog confined to a room in your home for the rest of its life is not really living. You would be depriving him of exercise, relaxation, and companionship.

 

Most people assume the only option is to take the dog to a shelter where he will be euthanized but this is not the only choice. Some rescue groups and no-kill shelters will take these dogs and give them a home as long as necessary. Sometimes they can even rehabilitate the dogs so they can go to a new family safely.

 

Prevention

Dog aggression, unfortunately, often stems from what people do to their dogs. Without proper  socialization  from an early age, dogs are more likely to become aggressive. Dogs with extreme personalities – very dominant or very timid – are also more likely to develop aggression than dogs that are more laid back and easy going even though these are the ones who are most often ignored by pet shoppers.

 

Also, you can adopt a dog from a shelter or rescue. These dogs will already have been tested for aggression so they are more likely to be safe additions to your home.