You and Your Dog: Is this the type of dog you would like to own?

Walking your dog must be one of the most enjoyable and rewarding ways of getting your daily dose of fresh air and exercise, but if you have an aggressive or out of control dog, walking is going to become a nightmare, for not only you but for your pooch and other folks and their dogs, who are also out to enjoy a leisurely walk.

In these articles we are going to take a closer look at aggression in dogs and how it may be controlled or managed. This is a very complex subject, so it will be dealt with in two parts.

Part one:

My question is always “Why would anyone want to own aggressive dog?”

Many dog owners are not aware of the fact that they have either adopted or purchased an aggressive dog. On the other hand with  crime on the increase, more and more people are buying dogs for the protection of their property and themselves.

These owners often take on dogs that are extremely difficult to handle or control, and if they are not controllable, these dogs could become dangerous. When elderly folk adopt or purchase large breeds of dogs for protection purposes, it can become a huge problem, as many of these dogs are from the guarding breeds.

Elderly folk do not have the physical strength and most of them do not have the knowledge to control these big powerful breeds. Too many of these dogs end up in shelters or are euthanised due to becoming  dangerous to the owners or the general public.

A cute cuddly puppy may grow into an aggressive dog. Please, before buying a new dog do your research. Your local vet is the first place to start and can usually advise you on what dogs are suitable for your situation.

It is not only the guarding breeds that may have aggressive tendencies – all dogs are capable of biting, if put into the right (or wrong!) situation. The dog may be carrying the trait of aggression which is not always identifiable when they are puppies.

Inborn traits are not easily identifiable, but physical traits such as for example a standard poodle’s curly coat are immediately recognised. As puppies, aggressive traits are usually identifiable by people who work with dogs constantly, such as the vet, an animal behaviourist, a responsible breeder, or a carer in a shelter. Seek the advice of these people who are experienced in the field of identifying aggression in dogs, before you purchase or adopt.

Many of our smaller breeds of dogs, such as toy Pomeranians and Boston terriers can also be biters. In a recent report in the Sun newspaper (Liverpool UK) it was reported that “the police have named the little Jack Russell terrier as one of the dogs most likely to bite humans”. Topping the list of aggressive dogs is the cute little dachshund!

So, having said all this what can be done to prevent a dog from becoming aggressive, to either humans or other animals.

In part two I will explain how to avoid the pitfalls when purchasing a new dog or puppy.

Yvonne Eland

ADIPCBM (with distinction UK)