Dog Aggression Towards Other Dogs
In reality, most adult dogs aren’t naturally social animals outside of their immediate pack.
Some dogs might perceive an unknown dog coming toward him to be a threat and suddenly show aggressive signs. His hackles may rise and he might growl or back away. This can be upsetting for a dog owner who doesn’t know how to handle these sudden displays of aggression.
There are several reasons why dogs may display aggression toward other dogs. Contrary to what most people think, this aggression usually has nothing to do with your dog being nasty.
Click Here To Learn How To Curb Your Dogs Aggression Towards Other Dogs
Fear-based Aggression
Dog aggression towards other dogs doesn’t mean your dog is vicious or mean or nasty. Some dogs will show signs of aggression based out of fear. They seem to believe that raising their hackles, baring teeth, lunging and posturing their bodies in a show of dominance might keep a strange dog at bay.
Even the friendliest dogs can become a little aggressive when they’re afraid. It’s as though they believe that the best defense is offense. In this circumstance, your dog is telling you that he doesn’t trust your pack leadership to protect you both against an unexpected attack from that strange dog coming towards him.
Exerting your leadership around a fear-aggressive dog does not mean being harsh or cruel or strict. It means reassuring your dog that you are there to take care of him and nothing untoward will happen while you are there.
Dominance Aggression
Dog aggression toward another dog in your family is usually a display of dominance and is often exerted when an older dog feels insecure within his place in the pack. This can happen when you bring a new puppy into the home.
It can also mean your dog doesn’t recognize you as the pack leader and is exerting his own dominance over the new pet or new person in the household. Your dog needs to understand his proper place in the pack hierarchy.
Lack of Socialization
Another reason for dog aggression towards other dogs is a lack of adequate socialization. Socializing your dog doesn’t mean taking them to the park to romp around freely with any other strange dog in the vicinity. It means teaching your dog to behave appropriately when unfamiliar dogs are nearby by not snarling or growling and not raising hackles.
The most effective way to socialize a dog is to begin from very young puppy age. Most puppy schools allow puppies to play together to get used to being around unfamiliar dogs. This teaches them that strange dogs aren’t threatening.
However, if you’re training an adult dog to overcome a lack of social etiquette, this can be a little trickier, but not impossible.
It’s vitally important to remember not to hit, smack or yell at your dog during these displays of aggression. He may misinterpret them as you being aggressive too and it could make him even worse. Instead, remain calm and stay patient while he learns that you are taking control.
Walk your dog on a leash. In the moments between your dog seeing a new dog and the aggressive behavior beginning, praise your dog for noticing the other dog and acting calmly. Talk in a calm, happy tone of voice so your dog understands you are pleased. If you have some with you, feed him a treat. The moment you feel your dog tense for the usual aggressive behavior, turn sharply at a 90 degree angle away from the unknown dog and call your dog to you.
This distraction is often enough to curb the behavior. Reward and praise your dog well for focusing on you instead of the source of aggression. After a few repetitions, your dog will begin to realize that there was no need to get worked up over the strange dog approaching as your leadership is making the threat of another dog less valid.
Dog aggression towards other dogs can be easily corrected, but it will require patience and understanding of your dog’s nature to succeed.
