• Nadine Whittal, dog trainer writes:

A hot topic amongst dog owners and dog trainers is the issue of aggression. In fact, there are plenty of people who fear dogs because they have once had an experience with an aggressive dog. So how do we fix this? First you need to understand the source of your dog’s aggression, then you go from there.

Just like with any animal or person, there can be a number of reasons for dogs to act aggressively. Understanding why your dog is behaving the way it is, is key to helping the dog out of this behavioural pattern.

The number one reason for dogs acting aggressively is pain. Most people get snappy when poked and prodded and they are in pain. Dogs are the same. If your dog has painful joints, then the last thing he needs is for someone to be patting him and placing pressure on those joints. If your dog is behaving aggressively, a good idea is to take your dog to the vet to assess whether there is a clinical reason for the pain – especially if the aggression is sudden and new.

If your dog is showing aggression to other dogs, then a good idea is to seek the advice of a behaviourist. Dogs could be exhibiting aggression because of fear of the other dog.

The dog could be resource-guarding, that is guarding anything he sees as his from other dogs. This includes toys, food and humans. In dogs that were originally bred for fighting, aggression was a key characteristic bred into the dog. It pays to be aware of something like that. A behaviourist will assess the dog, determine why the dog is behaving aggressively and help to employ corrective methods.

The most dangerous of all the aggressions, in my opinion, is fear aggression. When a dog is aggressive as a result of fear, they tend to be more unpredictable. It is easy to predict what will set off a dog in pain or a fighting breed. It is not so easy to do so when the dog thinks the world around him is scary. Again, contact a behaviourist. There are techniques to deal with this, but they should be supervised by a professional.

The main thing to do to avoid your dog developing aggressive tendencies is to socialise your dog (in a safe environment) from a young age. Exposure to other dogs, people and things will help the dog interact with the world in a positive fashion rather than in a fearful fashion. So, get your puppy into a puppy class as soon as possible!