The characteristic of a dog wherein it violently behaves towards another dog is called dog on dog aggression. Dog owners or breeders define this simply as dog aggression. Different factors could cause development of this behavior in a dog. The dog may exhibit signs of aggression like barking, snapping, showing teeth or growling because they want the other dogs to move away. There are times when the dog feels the threat brought by the other dog and this causes it to act defensively. There are also cases of aggressive dog behavior caused by health or medical problems. The dog could also develop this aggression behavior due to some factors like abuse from the owner, territorial behavior, lack of exposure to other dogs, trauma, anxiety, and fear.
Dog on dog aggression is not the same as dog on human aggression. If the dog shows signs of dog aggression, it doesn’t mean it will have the same behavior towards humans. Dog on human aggression, commonly known as dominance aggression, could have other causes.
Although dog aggression is common and can be observed in all dog breeds, it is not natural. Dogs act that way for some reason. Some dog breeds, like the bull and terrier breeds, may have higher chances of developing this behavior when exposed to factors that can cause dog aggression. This may be true, but the development of dog aggression still depends on how the dogs are treated and allowed to socialize.
The past and present handling of the dog can influence the dog’s behavior as well. Its experiences as a puppy may be able to tell why the dog developed aggression. When they were just puppies, there are dogs which have been bitten or harmed by another dog. This experience caused the puppy to develop dog aggression based on fear or trauma from its experience in the past. Some dogs mishandled by owners or not given proper socialization can also obtain this hostile behavior towards other dogs.
Since there are various reasons affecting the dogs’ behavior, there are also various techniques that can be utilized for this behavior to be controlled or stopped. Teaching dogs some verbal cues, attending to socialization classes, spaying or neutering, using of leashes or muzzles, and other types of disciplining are some of the options when trying to eliminate the dog aggression. All these, together with consultation with the veterinarian, can help in the effective prevention of the aggression. Some dogs behave aggressively due to some medical or health problems. Since these dogs may act aggressively despite previous trainings, it is important to get the veterinarian’s advice.
Many owners are dealing with problems regarding dog on dog aggression. The most important thing to do before taking an action to solve this problem is to understand the cause of the canine’s behavior.
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