Do you know what the signs of an aggressive dog are? This might seem like a silly question as most adults do but children do not so it is important to know when a dog is indicating he or she is about to become a potentially very aggressive animal. The safety of you and your child and/or dog are at stake when confronted with this problem, so learning what the signs of an aggressive dog are can mean the difference between being bitten, or easing you and your child out of the situation safely.
Humans have a body language that communicates many things to other humans without a word being spoken. Understanding the signs of an aggressive dog is educating yourself to the fact all dogs have body language as well. Knowing how to interpret what a dog’s body posture is saying is vital to knowing if the dog is or is about to become aggressive towards you, your children, or your dog or other animal. With this knowledge you are better equipped to prevent possible aggressive acts by your dog or a strange dog.
One of the more common aggressions we see is the territorial aggressive behavior. All dogs are territorial and this includes their home and yard area. They are social animals who believe they are just like any other member of your family so they are going to protect their turf from strangers and other animals. This is normal and nothing to become concerned about unless your dog actively pursues those who violate his turf. If this happens you must take precautions so a neighbor’s dog or cat, children and visitors are not bitten.
One other normal aggression is the dominant type. Modern dogs are descendant from wild wolves and still carry many of these wild instincts. In a wild wolf pack there is one male who always eats first and does the breeding. The other wolves are submissive to this “ALPHA” male. Our cute little pooches also exhibit this behavior. This is why you must begin training your dog as a puppy to understand he is not the Alpha member of your family pack. Teaching the dog obedience and social skills lets him know YOU are the one he looks to for support and HE is not the one who runs your home. The result will be a less aggressive dog who will follow your lead.
In a future article we will cover the specific signal an aggressive dog displays and how to react to the signs of an aggressive dog should you ever be in this position.
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